Health and Medical Humanities
The Certificate in Health and Medical Humanities, offered by Campion College and the University of Regina, provides a unique opportunity to explore the connections between medicine, health, society, and culture. This interdisciplinary certificate examines how societies, both past and present, construct and engage with health, wellness, illness, medicine, healing, and the body, drawing on social, cultural, and human perspectives. Taught by faculty who are experts in the field, this program is among the few in Canada to offer a focused interdisciplinary certificate in the health and medical humanities.
Offered fully online, this program gives you the flexibility to balance your studies with other commitments, whether you're on campus or studying from a distance.
As healthcare continues to evolve, understanding the social, cultural, and historical factors shaping the field becomes increasingly important for health professionals. This certificate encourages you to explore how health is understood, experienced, and represented. You’ll critically examine the cultural, historical, and social dimensions of medicine and care, gaining a deeper understanding of health in both professional and personal contexts. This program will help you to make sense of health issues, whether in patient care or your own experiences, through the lens of the humanities and social sciences.
Whether you're preparing for a career in health, studying pre-medicine or pre-dentistry, or simply interested in the cultural dimensions of health, this certificate equips you with insight and critical thinking skills that broaden your understanding and perspective.
Who is this Certificate for?
This Certificate is designed to be taken part-time and in conjunction with other University of Regina programs, given the prerequisites required for many of the courses. If you don’t have the required prerequisites, you may need to complete additional courses, which could lengthen the time needed to complete the Certificate.
The certificate is ideal for students already enrolled in programs in the humanities (English, History, Philosophy, Classics, Religious Studies, etc.), social sciences, pre-professional studies, nursing, creative arts, natural sciences, and health sciences. It’s also a great option for health care professionals looking to expand their knowledge of the social, cultural, and historical aspects of health and medicine. If this program interests you, it can complement your current studies and broaden your perspective.
What is Health and Medical Humanities?
Health and Medical Humanities is an interdisciplinary field that explores how health, medicine, and the human experience are shaped by culture, history, literature, philosophy, and the arts. It looks beyond the science of medicine to understand how people experience illness, healing, disability, aging, trauma, and wellness in different times and places.
By studying Health and Medical Humanities, you gain a broader view of health care that values empathy, creativity, ethical reflection, and social awareness. It helps you think about health not just as a medical issue, but as a deeply human one shaped by stories, traditions, and social contexts.
Whether you are preparing for a career in health or simply interested in the connections between health and society, this field helps you see the full picture of what it means to care for others and for yourself.
Some courses you will take as part of this program include:
HMH 170 - Introduction to the Health and Medical Humanities
This course introduces the medical and health humanities, focusing on the inter-relationship of medicine and the humanities, and health studies and the humanities, two areas that are closely aligned and inform professional practice in the health care fields. We explore how knowledge of creativity, and understanding through reading and experiencing art, can be understood in the context of medicine and health. Students will learn to better understand how individuals experience, negotiate, and process illness, trauma, death, dying and loss, disability, and suffering. Readings will include creative works (literature, visual art, and other art forms) that emphasize aging, disability, dying, death, trauma, and suffering, supplemented by readings in ethics, psychology, anthropology, sociology, and medical and health humanities.
HMH 270 - Foundations in the Health and Medical Humanities
This course introduces students to foundational aspects of the medical and health humanities, including key topics of language and health, disability, graphic medicine, social justice, art history, and the contours of the health and medical humanities.
HMH 370 - Applications in the Health and Medical Humanities
This course focuses on the applications of the health and medical humanities. This course takes as its focus a specific area of the health and medical humanities, developing specific understanding of applied contexts in health milieus. Topics include, research methods, research ethics, Eugenics, narrative medicine, medical experimentation and ethics.
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Why Study Health and Medical Humanities at the University of Regina?
Learn from Expert Faculty
You’ll gain valuable knowledge and perspectives from our faculty members, who are internationally recognized specialists in the health and medical humanities. They bring expertise in areas such as disability studies, health ethics, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the role of technology in healthcare.Flexible Learning
Offered fully online, this certificate gives you the flexibility to study while balancing work, campus life, or other commitments. Whether you're learning from home or on campus, this program is designed to fit your schedule.Gain an Interdisciplinary Perspective
Drawing from the humanities, social sciences, and cultural studies, the program equips you with a broad understanding of how health and medicine are shaped by and shape society, providing a richer context for careers in healthcare and beyond.Career-Ready Skills
Throughout this program, you'll develop essential skills in critical thinking, communication, and ethical reasoning. These skills are highly valued in healthcare, policy, education, community work, and many other fields, preparing you for a wide range of career opportunities.Certificate in Health and Medical Humanities Frequently Asked Questions
You may be eligible for scholarships, financial aid, or other funding opportunities.
Scholarships:
- You are encouraged to explore available scholarships and funding options.
Financial aid:
- Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and designated protected persons may qualify for Canada Student Financial Aid, which provides loans and grants to help cover education costs.
- International students on a study permit should explore financial aid options available in their home country or consider loan opportunities through local banks.
Tuition fees vary depending on whether you are a domestic or international student. To see the cost per credit hour for the Faculty of Arts visit the Tuition and Fee Schedule.
This certificate program requires 15 credit hours (5 courses).
You can also use the Undergraduate Budget Calculator to estimate your annual university expenses.What Can You Do with a Certificate in Health and Medical Humanities?
- Advance your healthcare career
- Open opportunities in policy and public health
- Complement studies in nursing, social work, and public health
- Explore research or advocacy in health ethics and disability studies
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