Graduate Certificate in Literature, Medicine, and Culture

Introduction

Graduate and professional students in good academic standing are eligible to earn an additional credential in health humanities from the Department of English & Comparative Literature. This certificate draws on multiple disciplinary approaches to health and humanities to train students in the interdisciplinary approaches that shape Health Humanities as a research area.

Certificate Director: Prof. Denise Xu

To Apply

1. Go to https://catalog.unc.edu/graduate/certificate-programs, click “How to Apply,” and follow the instructions. In the drop-down box under “Select a Program,” choose: “Literature, Medicine, and Culture (Certificate).”
2. Through your Slate application portal, please upload a Statement of Purpose and a Proposed Course of Study.
   •  For the Statement of Purpose: Provide a brief explanation of why you want to pursue the Graduate Certificate in Literature, Medicine, and Culture. Be sure to describe your background in Literature, Medicine, and Culture, your interest in Health Humanities research and programming, and how the Graduate Certificate Program will support your graduate research and/or career goals.
   • For the Proposed Course of Study: Upload a list of the required courses and electives you plan to take. Please include the expected term and number of credit hours. (Your course of study plan may change depending on course offerings.) If your plan includes a course not already on the approved course list, please attach the course syllabus and a short statement explaining how the course relates to Literature, Medicine, and Culture.
3. Submit all application materials through SLATE any time prior to your last semester of coursework. Applications will be reviewed twice a year, and applicants will be notified of the Admissions Committee’s decision in the same semester they apply. The fall deadline is November 9 and the spring deadline is April 12.

Questions? Email Prof. Denise Xu (denisexu@unc.edu)

Certificate Requirements

Graduate Certificate requirements include the completion of 9 credit hours of coursework (earning a grade H or P) and participation in health humanities programming.

Coursework

Certificate coursework must include the following:

• One required course:
  • ENGL 763 – Introduction to Methods in Health Humanities or
  • ENGL 695 – Intensive Research Methods in the Health Humanities
• Two electives from the approved list of courses associated with the English & Comparative Literature M.A. concentration in Literature, Medicine, and Culture. We curate a list of courses each term on the HHIVE website to help students identify possible courses. Students may petition for non-approved courses to count with permission from the Director.

Note: All Graduate Certificate coursework should be completed before the student reaches ABD status unless otherwise approved the the Certificate Director and the student’s home-department DGS. Per the revised Graduate School certificate guidelines, these certificate credits may double-count toward the student’s graduate degree at the discretion of their home-department DGS.

Programming Participation

In addition to coursework, the Graduate Certificate in LMC requires participation in health humanities programming or events at least twice while enrolled in the certificate program. Examples of ways to fulfill this requirement include the following:

• Presenting original research at a HHIVE Lab meeting
• Attending Health Humanities Grand Rounds
• Mentoring an undergraduate research project in the HHIVE Lab
• Attending and/or organizing the Literature, Medicine, and Culture Colloquium (LMCC) and/or
• Another program or event with Director approval.