Arts and Humanities Health and Wellbeing 

What is Arts and Humanities Health and Wellbeing?

Arts and Humanities Health and Wellbeing brings together the arts, humanities and health sciences to prepare you for the future of health care. In this health humanities program, you’ll learn the human side of medicine and build skills that matter in today’s health careers, like empathy, ethical judgment, cultural awareness and critical thinking.

What you'll learn

You will learn:

• deep listening and empathy skills
• cultural understanding and how to work across differences
• ethical reasoning and situation-specific decision-making skills
• flexibility and confidence when handling complicated health situations
• creative and critical thinking through storytelling, observation and reflection

Why study health humanities at MSU?

If you want a health-related career, MSU can help you stand out with a human-centered approach. You’ll combine arts and humanities course work with health education, experiential learning and community engagement so you’re ready to support people, not just systems.

This major may be the perfect choice for you if you:

• are interested in health care and also passionate about the arts and humanities
• want to improve health care systems and patient experiences
• value empathy, ethical reflection and cultural understanding
• are interested in careers that combine science, care and human connection
• want a deep and disciplined program that prepares you for professional schools while maintaining a strong liberal arts education

The Arts and Humanities Health and Wellbeing major also includes collaboration with MSU Health Sciences and Henry Ford Health, giving you access to real-world perspectives, mentorship and learning experiences that connect your course work to today’s health care needs.

Specialized concentrations

With two concentrations to choose from, you can customize the major based on what matters most to you and where you want to go next.

Critical Health Humanities concentration

Choose this track if you are interested in advanced study in fields like medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine and other professional training in clinical settings.

Engaged Arts and Wellbeing concentration

Choose this track if you are interested in broader, non-clinical health care settings.

If you would like to pursue medical, veterinary, nursing or graduate programs, you will receive dedicated advising and course planning to complete admissions requirements (such as biochemistry, organic chemistry, biology and physics).

Alumni pursuits

Graduates with a health humanities degree go on to a wide range of careers, using health care knowledge alongside leadership, ethical decision-making and cultural understanding.

Next steps