Bachelor of Arts Health Humanities

An Interdisciplinary Platform for Healthcare Professionals

The four-year BA in Health Humanities is the first and only stand-alone health humanities bachelor of arts in New England. This interdisciplinary program, offered at our Boston campus, encompasses a broad variety of health and humanities topics, including literature, philosophy, the arts, history, anthropology, sociology, biology, chemistry, and public health. Upon graduation, you will be prepared to move on to an advanced degree program or a career in public health, healthcare policy, law, education, journalism, or a wide range of healthcare fields.

Program Snapshot

Download a program snapshot and learn more about the Bachelor of Arts in Health Humanities.

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Your Four-Year Journey

This unique degree program provides valuable foundational knowledge in communications, cultural expression, and human experience necessary to provide informed, empathetic healthcare.

First-Year Experience

establish foundational skills in writing, critical thinking, research, and oral communication
develop knowledge in math, statistics, chemistry, and biology
explore key issues in the health humanities through introductory courses in literature, culture, history, and social sciences

Second-Year Experience

immerse yourself in the study of American culture, identity, and psychology
practice advanced competencies in research as well as oral and written communication
shape your schedule balancing humanities and elective courses

Third-Year Experience

study narrative health and medicine
explore global health, anthropology, sociology, and history of health
use knowledge from previous courses to consider ethical questions in healthcare

Fourth-Year Experience

complete the health humanities capstone
explore electives that align with your professional interests

A Program that’s Adaptable to Your Career Goals

Increasingly, employers are looking for candidates with strong critical thinking skills, a high degree of cultural competence, adaptability, empathy, and the ability to communicate to a wide range of audiences. The BA in Health Humanities prepares you to be that professional.

Individual attention

Small classes mean that you get the attention you need and can work with faculty to develop a program that caters to your interests and potential.

Customize it

The BA in Health Humanities is highly flexible and adaptable to your educational and career goals. You can even pair it with tracks for professional or post-graduate study.

The best place to be

MCPHS is located in Boston’s Longwood Medical and Academic Area, a global center for healthcare delivery, research, and education, giving you opportunities to work with top professionals—and a world-class network.

Explore Longwood

Fostering Compassionate Clinicians Through the Health Humanities

The Center for Health Humanities at MCPHS creates space for meaningful dialogues about the humanistic aspects of healthcare, delving deeper into how narratives, empathy, and understanding improve clinical outcomes.

In the News

Where Art Meets Medicine: Aspiring Doctor Roots Undergraduate Training in the Humanities

Kayhan Parsi, JD, PhD, HEC-C, and Nanette Elster, JD, MPH, pose together for a photo in a hallway

Visiting Scholars Raise Voices of Neurodiverse Adults

First of its Scope: MCPHS Faculty Co-Authors Research Publication on Health Humanities in Medical Schools

Sawliha Kidwai

| BA Health Humanities '23

“I’m interested in community-level health policy and change. There are people the healthcare system hurts more than it helps. I want to fight for them.”

Center for Health Humanities

A research center for advanced thinking about the humanistic side of medicine, the Center for Health Humanities at MCPHS supports the work of scholars, researchers, and healthcare practitioners.

Explore the Center

Download a Program Fact Sheet

Download a program fact sheet for a snapshot of the Bachelor of Arts in Health Humanities.

Bachelor of Arts in Health Humanities (BA)