Undergraduate Certificate in Social Dimensions of Health and Health Care

The Sociology Department has a strong emphasis in multiple social dimensions of health and health care, highlighting the impact of ones position in the social structure on risk of exposure to various disease vectors and risks of disaster impacts, access to health care and the likelihood of treatment, and health outcomes. Stereotypes, stigma, and social construction of body image and “worthiness” of people and diseases for medial, financial, and political intervention play a central role in this process. Mitigating and aggravating factors such as race, sex, disability, culture, values, religion, wealth, age, and other social dimensions will be considered in relation to risk and vulnerability to disease, injury, and disasters.

For sociology majors, minors, and other students wishing to concentrate in these areas, we offer an undergraduate certificate of specialization. The certificate is commendable to a wide variety of employers and educational institutions, including disaster response centers, organizations, and non-governmental organizations, aging services, social work, graduate and professional schools, mental health organizations, and social services. Participation in the certification program also provides students with opportunities for networking and mentoring.

Dr. Michèle Companion (mcompani@uccs.edu) is the coordinator of the Undergraduate Certificate in Social Dimensions of Health and Health Care.

Course Requirements

All students must earn a minimum grade of B+ (3.3) in each course applied to the certificate.

Students who are not Sociology majors or minors must complete 3 additional credit hours of lower division Sociology credit before enrolling in the certificate program. All courses must be offered through the Sociology program. Independent studies may not be used to earn this certificate.

Students must take a total of 12 credits from the following courses:

SOC 3350 - Sociology of Health and Illness or
SOC 4660 - Sociology of Medicine
Students must take one of the above; or may take both toward 12 total credit hours.
SOC 3340 - Food, Health, and Inequality
SOC 3360 - Sociology of Drugs and Addiction
SOC 4120 - Body, Culture, and Power
SOC 4230 - Foundations of Disability Studies
SOC 4240 - Sociology of Dis/Ability
SOC 4620 - Sociology of Aging
SOC 4650 - Sociology of Mental Illness
SOC 4670 - Sociology of Death and Dying
Additional special topics courses may be offered in a given semester that can be counted toward the certificate. These courses must be approved in advance by the Certificate Coordinator.

Certification Process

Students wishing to enroll in this certificate program must turn in an application to the Certificate Coordinator and are encouraged to enroll by their junior year. To complete the program, students are required to submit a transcript and a five-page, typewritten self-statement which evaluates the changes in the student’s perceptions of the social dimensions of health and health care as a result of program participation, and implications for future scholarly and professional work. The certificate will be mailed to recipients upon completion of a certificate audit and graduation.