Bioethics and Health Humanities - Minor

College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Philosophy
www.kent.edu/philosophy

About This Program

The Bioethics and Health Humanities minor engages students with interests and talents in humanities fields who are also interested in various careers in health care. The minor gives students opportunities to explore bioethical questions, including understanding the challenges of various communities in accessing health, as well as health humanities, focusing on expressions of health care concerns in humanities fields.

Students in humanities, social science, health care and science majors emerge from the minor prepared to engage health care and its variations and ethical challenges with invaluable perspective and insights.

Contact Information

Program Coordinator: Deborah Barnbaum | dbarnbau@kent.edu | 330-672-0267
Speak with an Advisor

Program Delivery

Delivery:
- In person
Location:
- Kent Campus

Admission Requirements

Admission to a minor is open to students declared in a bachelor’s degree, the A.A.B. or A.A.S. degree or the A.T.S. degree (not Individualized Program major). Students declared only in the A.A. or A.S. degree or the A.T.S. degree in Individualized Program may not declare a minor. Students may not pursue a minor and a major in the same discipline.

On This Page

Program Requirements
Graduation Requirements

Program Requirements

Minor Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Credit Hours
Minor Requirements
PHIL 21001	INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS (DIVG) (KHUM)	3
PHIL 40005	HEALTH CARE ETHICS	3
Minor Electives, choose from the following: ¹		12
AFS 33130	GENDER AND SEXUALITY IN AFRICA AND THE AFRICAN DIASPORA
BSCI 30050	HUMAN GENETICS
or BSCI 30156	ELEMENTS OF GENETICS
ENG 21003	INTRODUCTION TO LGBT LITERATURE (DIVD)
GEOG 42052	HEALTH GEOGRAPHY
GERO 14029	INTRODUCTION TO GERONTOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS)
GERO 40656	PSYCHOLOGY OF AGING
GERO 44030	ADULT DEVELOPMENT AND AGING (WIC)
HIST 31077	HISTORY OF SEXUALITY IN THE UNITED STATES
HIST 31543	THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION
HIST 31550	MEDICINE IN THE MODERN WORLD SINCE 1500
LGBT 20020	INTRODUCTION TO LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER AND QUEER STUDIES
PH 32005	EMERGING ISSUES IN COMMUNITY HEALTH
PHIL 30015	MEDICINE AND MORALITY
PHIL 41030	ETHICAL THEORY
PHIL 41035	PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
PHIL 41036	PHILOSOPHY OF COGNITIVE SCIENCE
POL 40450	HEALTH CARE AND SOCIAL POLICY
SOC 42010	DEATH AND DYING
SOC 42560	SOCIOLOGY OF FOOD
SOC 42562	SOCIOLOGY OF MENTAL ILLNESS
SOC 42563	SOCIOLOGY OF HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE
SOC 42879	AGING IN SOCIETY (DIVD)
Minimum Total Credit Hours:		18

¹: Special topic courses in BSCI, ENG, HIST, PHIL or SOC may be accepted with the approval of the program coordinator. Students interested in health humanities are encouraged, but not required, to choose the following elective courses: AFS 33130, ENG 21003, GERO 40656, HIST 31077, HIST 31550, LGBT 20020, PHIL 41035, PHIL 41036, SOC 42560.

Graduation Requirements

Graduation Requirements Summary - Minors
Minimum Minor GPA	Minimum Overall GPA
2.000	2.000

Minimum 6 credit hours in the minor must be upper-division coursework (30000 and 40000 level).
Minimum 6 credit hours in the minor must be outside of the course requirements for any major or other minor the student is pursuing.
Minimum 50 percent of the total credit hours for the minor must be taken at Kent State (in residence).

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

Describe historical, literary and philosophical domains of bioethics and/or medical humanities scholarship.
Analyze and evaluate complex texts relating to the ethical, social and cultural aspects of medicine through close reading and critical interpretation of argument, history and narrative.
Explain how justice and injustice, inclusion and exclusion, shape both cultural values and health trajectory of diverse groups.
Research and communicate their own arguments about bioethics and health care humanities.

University Catalog 2024-2025