Academic Minor
An academic minor is offered by a department. It is a defined program which reflects a coherent body of knowledge in one or more disciplines. A minor requires a minimum of 18 credit hours of coursework. Unless listed otherwise in the description of the specific minor, the following apply to all minors.
- At least half of the required credits for the minor must be at an advanced level (300 level or above) as defined by the minor.
- Coursework for an academic minor is presented with the same intellectual rigor as that expected of courses which fulfill requirements of a major.
- To successfully complete an academic minor, a cumulative minimum GPA of 2.0 must be achieved in courses required for the minor.
- A minimum of 6 credits must be provided by non-required courses of the program (free electives/professional electives/bioselectives/directed electives/liberal arts electives are not considered required courses for the purposes of Minor completion.
- A student may not minor in a subject area in which that student is also completing a major.
- A minor cannot be completed after graduation.
- One course (3 to 4 credits) required for the minor may be taken outside ACPHS with approval from the chair of the department which houses the minor.
Note: All courses for the minor must be taken for a grade unless P/F is the only option.
The Medical Humanities Minor at ACPHS offers students a foundation in methodologies and topics within the Medical Humanities. Complementing their education in the basic and social sciences, students may use elective credits to engage the non-biological aspects of life, health, illness, and healthcare practices using the lenses of the humanities.
Minor In Medical Humanities Required Courses
Students will take two required to complete a total of 18 credits hours divided between foundational (6 credits) and topics oriented (12 credits) courses. At least 9 credit hours must be at an advanced level (300 or higher).
Foundational Courses: 6 required credits
HUM 220: Medical Humanities (3)
ETH 310: Bioethics (3)
Topics Courses: 12 required credits - 12 credits chosen from:
ART 105: Introduction to Drawing (3)
ART 215: Figure Drawing (3)
ART 220: Museum Experience (3)
ETH 305: Special Seminar for Dean’s Honors Circle
ETH 306: Special Seminar for Dean’s Honors Circle
ETH: 315: Health, Disease, and Authority in Medicine (3)
ETH 410: Special Topics in Bioethics (3)
ETH 510: Health Care and Human Values (3)
HIS 325: History of the Plagues (3)
HIS 330: History of Public Health and Medicine (3)
HUM 245: Human Rights in the Age of Genocide (3)
HUM 285: Culture and Customs of Senegal (3)
HUM 320: Graphic Medicine (3)
HUM 345: Race and Health (3)
HUM 386: Culture, Customs, and Health of Belize (3)
LIT 220: Suicide and/as Literature: East-West (3)
LIT 230: The Epic (3)
LIT 260: Aging in Film and Literature (3)
PHI 245: Introduction to Buddhism and Meditation (3)
PHI 260: Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (2)
PHI 280: The Philosophy and Practice of Yoga (1)
PHI 345: LGBQ Philosophy and Health (3)
PHI 350 Nature and Wellness (3)
PHI 360: Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (3)
PHI 370: Contemplative Studies (3)
PHI 380/PSC 380: Brain, Mind, and Meditation (3)
*PSY 440: Death and Dying (3)
*SOC 335: Global Health (3)
*Substitutions: Up to three credits (one course) may be taken in the psychology or social sciences (PSY or SOC), with advance permission of the Chair of Population Health Sciences.
Note: A total of nine credits can be used towards your major subject.
Contact: Dr. Lisa Vines
The minor in Microbiology is designed to provide a limited but solid foundation in the discipline. The curriculum examines the biology of pathogenic microorganisms with a focus on the fundamental concepts of microbial physiology and genetics. Through the lab associated with its foundational Microbiology course the minor also requires students to develop reasonable expertise in handling and characterizing microorganisms.
Minor in Microbiology Required Courses
The minor is available to students in all degree programs. However, students are advised to discuss their course load and schedules with their program directors and/or faculty advisors. To successfully complete the minor, students must achieve a net minimum GPA of 2.75 in minor coursework. The minor is a collection of three required courses (10 credits) and three elective courses (9 credits) in the discipline.
Required Courses: 10 required credits BIO 210: Microbiology (4)* BIO 370: Microbial Physiology (3) BIO 340: Microbial Genetics (3)
*BSBT students only may substitute CLS 327, CLS 328, CLS 329, and CLS 330 (total of 8 credits) for BIO 210 and an elective (total of 7 credits).
Elective Courses: 9 required credits 9 credits selected from the following courses: BIO 240: Virology (3) BIO 365: Medical Parasitology and Mycology (3) BIO 315: Public Health Microbiology (3) BIO 348: Microbial Fermentation (3) BIO 410: Pharmaceutical Microbiology (3) BIO 627G: Innate Immunology (3) BIO 631G: Mammalian Cell Culture (3) BIO 680G: Bacterial Pathogenesis (3) BIO 690G: Viral Pathogenesis (3) CLS 327: Clinical Microbiology I (3) CLS 329: Clinical Microbiology II (3) PBH 350: Epidemiology (3) or PAD 693: Epidemiology I (3) PSC 315: Immunology (3) or CLS 337: Clinical Immunology (3) Other courses by approval of the Minor Coordinator.
Students can declare this minor as soon as the semester during which they are enrolled in their first 200level or higher course towards the minor, and should declare it no later than the end of the add-drop period of the last semester before graduation. Prior credit transferred to ACPHS at the time of admission may be used to satisfy minor requirements.
Contact: Dr. Nicole Shakerly
The Pre-Med minor (24-25 credits) is available to students at ACPHS and includes six required courses along with two elective courses (one from each of two areas). This minor is designed to provide students with a solid foundation and competency in various aspects of science and healthcare. Curriculum includes courses in biomedical sciences, behavioral/ social sciences, and humanities/ communications. In addition, this minor provides students with the opportunity to gain healthcare experience, learn more about medicine and prepare for both medical school and the application process.
Minor in Pre-Med Required Courses
Required Courses (18 credits): o Preparation for Health Professions (PPP 380) – 2 credits o Experiential Learning in Healthcare (PPP #XX) - 2 credits o Biochemistry (PSC 311 or CHE 311) - 3 credits o College Physics II (PHY 222) - 4 credits o Organic Chemistry II (CHE 202 or 212) - 4 credits o Literature/ English Course – 3 credits
Must take at least one of the following courses (3-4 credits) in each of the two areas:
Biomedical Sciences: o Genetics (BIO 225)- 3 credits o Cell Biology (BIO 235)- 3 credits o Microbiology (BIO 210)- 4 credits o Anatomy and Physiology I (BIO 213)- 3 credits o Anatomy and Physiology II (BIO 215) – 3 credits o Immunology (PSC 315)- 3 credits o Molecular Biology (PSC 312)- 3 credits
Behavioral and Social Sciences: o SOC 335 Global Health o HIS 330 History of Public Health and Medicine o COM 330 Intercultural Communication in Healthcare o COM 320 Patient-Provider Communication o ETH 310 Bioethics o SOC 350 Determinants of Health o PBH3xx Human Trafficking (New course. We are preparing the course proposal for Fall 2020) o SOC 325 Medical Sociology o PSY 321 Health Psychology o PSY 440 Death and Dying o ETH 315 Health Disease and Authority in Medicine o HUM 325 Culture and Health in Asia o HUM 320 Graphic Medicine o ETH 410 Special Topics in Bioethics
Contact: Dr. Betsy Brookins
Public Health is an interdisciplinary field that integrates knowledge and skills from a wide range of academic disciplines to promote the health and safety of communities. The minor in Public Health at ACPHS complements an education in clinical or biomedical sciences by emphasizing the broader socio-cultural, structural, and economic contexts in which individuals and populations experience health and illness. The minor introduces students to the core perspectives and competencies of Public Health, including the central role of research, while retaining flexibility to personalize the program around students’ interests and plans.
Minor in Public Health Required Courses
This 18-credit hour minor in public health is open to all ACPHS students. To complete this minor successfully, a minimum GPA of 2.5 across all minor coursework is required.
Foundations of Public Health (9 total credit hours): • PBH 120 Intro to Public Health (3 credit hours)
- Foundations in Public Health Selectives (6 credit hours) Two courses chosen from: ETH 310 Bioethics; COM 312 Health Promotion; COM 315 Health Campaigns; PSY 321 Health Psychology; SOC 325 Medical Sociology; HIS 330 History of Public Health and Medicine; SOC 335 Global Health; PBH 345 Community Health Practice; SOC 350 Determinants of Health; SOC 420 Health and Social Policy; PAD 451 US and Global Health Care Systems
- Health Care Selectives (9 total credit hours): Research Selective (3 credit hours) One course chosen from: PBH 210/211 Introduction to Data; SOC 301 Research Methods; PBH 320 Geography of Health; PBH 345 Survey Research Methods; COM 350 Qualitative Methods; PBH 350 Epidemiology; PAD 393 Epidemiology; PAD 636 Statistical Programming; Independent Research with a Public Health Faculty Member (prior approval by minor coordinator required)
- Community Engagement Selective (3 credit hours) One course chosen from: COM 315 Health Campaigns; COM 330: Intercultural Communication in Healthcare; SOC 330 Cultures of Disabilities; PBH 345 Community Health Practice; SOC 350 Determinants of Health; PHI 350 Nature and Wellness; HUM 386: Culture, Customs and Health of Belize
- Health Care Systems Selective (3 credit hours) One course chosen from: ECN 317 Health Economics; COM 320 Patient-Provider Communication; SOC 325 Medical Sociology; HIS 330 History of Public Health and Medicine; ETH 415 Health, Disease, and Authority; PSY 440 Death and Dying; PAD 451 US and Global Health Care System.
Contact: Dr. Allison Burton-Chase