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Health humanities seeks novel ways of understanding health and illness in society, and how methods from the humanities and social studies may be brought to bear on biomedicine, clinical practice, and the politics of healthcare. Experiences and portrayals of health and illness in literature, film and contemporary culture are also studied.
Key information
Programme starts
September 2019
Modes and duration
Nearly all teaching is face-to-face. Time on campus would usually be one to two days per week during term-time for part-time students, and half to one day per week for flexible students.
Application dates
Tuition fees (2019/20)
Note on fees:
The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website. Fees for flexible, modular study are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session.
Entry requirements
Normally a minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.
English language requirements
If your education has not been conducted in the English language, you will be expected to demonstrate evidence of an adequate level of English proficiency.
The English language level for this programme is: Advanced
Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.
International students
Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.
International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below.
Select your country:
About this degree
The programme enables students to approach issues relating to health and illness from both a historical and contemporary perspective and from a variety of a disciplines, including anthropology, history, philosophy, sociology, science and technology studies, global health, literature and film studies. Students will also learn to work in an interdisciplinary manner.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of two core modules (60 credits), elective modules of 15 or 30 credits each (up to a total of 60 credits) and a research dissertation (60 credits).
A Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits), two core modules (60 credits) and two electives (60 credits) is also offered.
A Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits) is also offered.
Compulsory modules
- Illness
- Madness
Optional modules
Students may choose from the list of recommended modules below, or other relevant modules in UCL, with the approval of the convenors. Please note that some modules fill up very quickly, so places cannot be guaranteed.
- Anthropology and Psychiatry
- Classical Chinese Medicine
- Culture and the Clinic
- Conflict, Humanitarianism and Health
- Cultural Memory
- Science, Art and Philosophy
- Sex and the Body in Early Modern Europe
- German Literature and Psychology
- Global Health and Development: Emerging Policy Debates
- Global Justice and Health
- Health Inequalities Over the Lifecourse
- Health Policy and Reform
- Medical Anthropology
- Science and Medicine across Medieval Worlds
- Science, Technology, and Identity
- Philosophy, Politics and Economics of Health
- Gender Theory, Politics and Feminism
- Medicine on Screen
- Politics and Ethics
Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation of 10,000-12,000 words.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures and seminars. Assessment is through essays and a dissertation. There is no unseen examination.
Funding
Applicants for this programme may be eligible for a number of funding opportunities including UCL graduate scholarships.
Home and EU students on a Master's programme can apply for a government postgraduate loan.
For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.
Careers
This MA provides an exceptional foundation for those hoping to undertake PhD research and pursue an academic career, ranging from interdisciplinary work in the health humanities to a broad spectrum of more specialised disciplines, such as medicine, the philosophy of medicine, history of medicine, medical sociology or medical anthropology, among others. It is also a suitable preparation for a range of careers including science and medical journalism, bioethics, healthcare policy, NGOs and museum and heritage.
Employability
The programme gives students opportunities to work in an interdisciplinary manner, and to engage in debate and develop their presentation skills. Students will gain experience of writing essays and training in conducting original research and applying the appropriate methodology. There are many additional activities available, both within the UCL Health Humanities Centre and the Institute of Advanced Studies, and the wider UCL community, to help students develop employability skills.
Why study this degree at UCL?
The Health Humanities MA is based in UCL's Health Humanities Centre which draws together world-leading researchers from different disciplines including medicine and health in history, philosophy, sociology, anthropology, and cultural and film studies.
Leading clinicians at UCL's acclaimed Medical School and Division of Psychiatry, who are engaged in humanities and social science research, are also actively involved with the centre.
UCL Health Humanities Centre forms part of the UCL Institute of Advanced Studies, which showcases and fosters multidisciplinary research within the humanities and the social sciences, with an active programme of events and visiting international scholars.
Department: Centre for Multidisciplinary & Intercultural Inquiry
Application and next steps
Applications
Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.
There is an application processing fee for this programme of £75 for online applications and £100 for paper applications. Further information can be found at: www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/taught/application.
Who can apply?
The programme is suitable for students who wish to gain a training and qualification in multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches in the health humanities as a foundation for higher research and professional work, and for graduates from other fields or careers wishing to supplement their existing knowledge and experience.
Application deadlines
- All applicants
- 26 July 2019
For more information see our Applications page.
Apply nowWhat are we looking for?
When we access your application we would like to learn:
- why you want to study Health Humanities at graduate level
- why you want to study Health Humanities at UCL
- what particularly attracts you to the chosen programme
- how your academic and professional background meets the demands of this challenging programme
- where you would like to go professionally with your degree
Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver. Applicants who have a portfolio are strongly recommended to submit it when they apply.
Contact information
- Jo Wolff, Admissions Officer
- selcs.admissions@ucl.ac.uk
- +44 (0)20 7679 3096
- Professor Sonu Shamdasani, Convenor
- s.shamdasani@ucl.ac.uk
Page last modified on 25 February 2019 by UCL Student Recruitment Marketing