Department of Sociology
Minor in Social Science and Medicine
Students on Summer 2020, Fall 2020, or Spring 2021 requirements SSMEDMIN
Requirements
The minor requires at least 15 credit hours, including the requirements listed below.
- Introductory Course. One (1) course:
- SOC-S 101 Social Problems and Policies (Approved topics: "MED IN AMERICA:GENES-G CULTURE" (TPC 13); "MEDICINE IN AMERICA - SOCIAL PROBLEMS AND POLICIES" (TPC 23); "MEDICINE IN AMERICA: PHYSICIANS/PATIENTS-PROBLEMS" (TPC 4))
SOC-S 101 Social Problems and Policies
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Introduces sociology through in-depth study of a major social problem; examines research on the problem; and explores alternative policies. Problems treated vary by section. Examples include the environment; women, men, and work; medicine in America; the sociology of sport; alcohol and drug use.
- Repeatability
- May be repeated with different topics for a maximum of 15 credit hours. May be counted only once in the major toward departmental requirements.
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourseFall 2024CASE SHcourse
- Electives.
- Advanced College Electives. Two (2) courses:
- SOC-S 321 Sexual Diversity
- SOC-S 324 Sociology of Mental Illness
- SOC-S 358 Social Inequalities in Health and Health Care
- SOC-S 365 Health and Society: Sociology for Health Professionals
- ANTH-A 467 Topics in Medical Anthropology
- ANTH-B 312 Evolutionary Medicine
- ANTH-B 340 Hormones and Human Behavior
- ANTH-B 370 Human Variation
- BIOL-L 318 Evolution
- CJUS-P 412 Sex, Drugs, AIDS, and Criminal Law
- CJUS-P 415 Crime and Madness
- HIST-H 333 Epidemics in History
- INTL-I 302 Advanced Topics in Global Health and Environment
- PSY-P 303 Health Psychology
- PSY-P 318 Foundations of Clinical Science
- PSY-P 324 Abnormal Psychology
- PSY-P 346 Neuroscience
- PSY-P 425 Behavior Disorders of Childhood and Adolescence
- PSY-P 480 Psychotherapy: Empirically Supported Treatments
- REL-C 402 Religion, Illness, and Healing
SOC-S 321 Sexual Diversity
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Sociological examination of diversity in several dimensions of human sexuality: sexual definitions, incidence of various behaviors, intensity of sexual response, sexual object choice, and other modes of sexual expression.
- Spring 2025CASE DUScourseFall 2024CASE DUScourse
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourseFall 2024CASE SHcourse
SOC-S 324 Sociology of Mental Illness
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Social factors in mental illness: incidence and prevalence by social and cultural categories; variations in societal reaction; social organization of treatment institutions.
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourseFall 2024CASE SHcourse
SOC-S 358 Social Inequalities in Health and Health Care
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Examines the sociological aspects of health, illness, patienthood, medical professionals, and health care systems. What factors create inequalities in health and in medical treatment? Expands understanding of health and illness and of conventional medical and insurance practices, and explores ways to improve health care in America.
- Spring 2025CASE DUScourseFall 2024CASE DUScourse
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourseFall 2024CASE SHcourse
SOC-S 365 Health and Society: Sociology for Health Professionals
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Designed for all students, this course is particularly relevant for those planning a career in health care. Explores current events and social problems, such as the re-emergence of childhood infectious diseases. Uses these examples to discuss sociological topics on the new Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourseFall 2024CASE SHcourse
ANTH-A 467 Topics in Medical Anthropology
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- Junior standing; or consent of instructor
- Description
- In-depth perspectives on central topics in contemporary medical anthropology. Focus varies and may include such topics as HIV-AIDS in cross-cultural context; anthropological perspectives on disability; child health and nutrition; health and structural inequalities; and medical anthropology of gender and reproduction.
- Repeatability
- May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
ANTH-B 312 Evolutionary Medicine
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- ANTH-B 200; or consent of instructor
- Description
- Incorporates principles from evolutionary theory into our understanding of various infectious and chronic diseases common to human populations both past and present. Although proximate mechanisms involving physiology and behavior will be discussed, the focus will be to determine why such mechanisms have evolved in the first place.
- Spring 2025CASE NMcourseFall 2024CASE NMcourse
ANTH-B 340 Hormones and Human Behavior
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- At least junior standing; or consent of instructor
- Notes
- R: College-level introductory biology course or ANTH-B 200
- Description
- Reviews the roles of hormones in the evolution and expression of human and nonhuman animal behaviors. Emphasis placed on behaviors associated with aggression, stress, mating, and parenting. Particularly relevant for students interested in human health and the environment.
- Spring 2025CASE NMcourseFall 2024CASE NMcourse
ANTH-B 370 Human Variation
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- ANTH-B 200; or consent of instructor
- Description
- Explores the variation within and between human populations in morphology (anatomy), physiology, genetics, and behavior with a focus on evolutionary processes acting on humans in the past, present and future to shape our body and genes.
- Spring 2025CASE NMcourseFall 2024CASE NMcourse
BIOL-L 318 Evolution
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- BIOL-L 111; and BIOL-L 211 or BIOL-S 211
- Description
- Provides a rigorous exploration of the theory of evolution--the conceptual core of biology. Topics include origins and history of life; the interplay of heredity and environment in shaping adaptations; molecular, behavioral, and social evolution; patterns of speciation, extinction, and their consequences; methods for inferring evolutionary relationships among organisms.
- Repeatability
- Credit given for only one of the following: BIOL-L 318, BIOL-L 479, or BIOL-S 318.
CJUS-P 412 Sex, Drugs, AIDS, and Criminal Law
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- An ethnographic and legal analysis of the AIDS epidemic and its implications for criminal justice. Consideration of the institutional, scientific, and symbolic dimensions of the epidemic and of ethnographic research regarding illegal behaviors, and the transmission of HIV.
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourseFall 2024CASE SHcourse
CJUS-P 415 Crime and Madness
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- The study of the chronic mentally ill and of career criminals. Examination of the groups so labeled, the responses of the criminal justice and mental health systems to them, and their movement back and forth between the streets, prisons, and psychiatric centers.
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourseFall 2024CASE SHcourse
HIST-H 333 Epidemics in History
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Epidemic infectious disease in human history, explored in a wide variety of cultures and civilizations.
- Spring 2025CASE GCCcourseFall 2024CASE GCCcourse
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourseFall 2024CASE SHcourse
INTL-I 302 Advanced Topics in Global Health and Environment
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Advanced topics examining pressing health and environmental challenges around the world. Focuses on the interaction of health and environmental problems that cross national borders and require a multinational or global effort to solve.
- Repeatability
- May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 12 credit hours.
PSY-P 303 Health Psychology
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- PSY-P 101 and PSY-P 102; or PSY-P 155
- Description
- Focuses on the role of psychological factors in health and illness. Through readings, lecture, and discussion, students will become better consumers of research on behavior-health interactions and develop a broad base of knowledge concerning how behaviors and other psychological factors can affect health both positively and negatively.
- Spring 2025CASE NMcourseFall 2024CASE NMcourse
PSY-P 318 Foundations of Clinical Science
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- PSY-P 155; or PSY-P 101 and PSY-P 102; and PSY-P211
- Description
- A foundational course that examines clinical phenomena and their treatments from a scientific perspective. Emphasizes critical thinking and its importance in clinical practice. Focuses on questions, methods, findings, and applications drawn from clinical science and on ways to apply scientific knowledge and approaches to clinical practices.
PSY-P 324 Abnormal Psychology
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- PSY-P 101 and PSY-P 102; or PSY-P 155
- Description
- A first course in abnormal psychology with emphasis on forms of abnormal behavior, etiology, development, interpretation, and final manifestations.
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourseFall 2024CASE SHcourse
PSY-P 346 Neuroscience
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- PSY-P 101 or PSY-P 155
- Notes
- R: 3 credits of Biology such as BIOL-L 100, BIOL-L 104, BIOL-L 111, BIOL-L 112, BIOL-A 215, or BIOL-P 215
- Description
- A survey of contemporary neuroscience, examining the neural basis of behavior with approaches including molecular, cellular, developmental, cognitive, and behavioral neuroscience. Sensory and motor function, learning and memory, and other behaviors are considered using anatomical, physiological, behavioral, biochemical, and genetic approaches, providing a balanced view of neuroscience.
- Repeatability
- Credit given for only one of PSY-P 326 or PSY-P 346.
PSY-P 425 Behavior Disorders of Childhood and Adolescence
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- PSY-P 324
- Description
- A survey of major behavior disorders, with emphasis on empirical research and clinical description relative to etiology, assessment, prognosis, and treatment.
PSY-P 480 Psychotherapy: Empirically Supported Treatments
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- PSY-P 102 or PSY-P 155; and PSY-P 211; and PSY-K 300 or PSY-K 310 or equivalent
- Description
- Introduces the evidence-based, or empirically supported, movement for selecting psychological interventions; research methods for evaluating interventions and related issues (e.g., therapy process); examples of empirically supported treatments (ESTs) for selected disorders; and issues regarding implementation of ESTs to the real world and future directions.
REL-C 402 Religion, Illness, and Healing
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- What is the meaning of illness and healing? Is religion good or bad for health? How should healthcare providers respond to patients' religious beliefs? What is the relationship between complementary and alternative medicine or prayer and religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, or Christianity? This course is ideal for pre-med, pre-law, business/management, and other interested students.
- Spring 2025CASE AHcourseFall 2024CASE AHcourse
- Spring 2025CASE DUScourseFall 2024CASE DUScourse
- Intermediate College Elective. One (1) course:
- Additional course from the Advanced College Electives list
- ANTH-B 200 Bioanthropology
- ANTH-B 260 Biocultural Medical Anthropology
- FOLK-F 215 Folklore, Health, and Illness
- HIST-A 240 Get Me Out! The History of Birth
- HIST-H 213
- HIST-H 239 Blood and Guts! An Introduction to the History of Western Medicine from Antiquity to the Present
- INTL-I 202 Global Health and Environment
ANTH-B 200 Bioanthropology
- Credits
- 4
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Introduction to the natural history of humans (Homo sapiens). Includes coverage of evolutionary theory and its relevance for understanding contemporary human biology, genetics and inheritance, description and analysis of human biological variation and adaptation, human-environment biocultural interactions, similarities and differences between humans and non-human primates, and the fossil record for primate and human evolution.
- Spring 2025CASE NMcourseFall 2024CASE NMcourse
ANTH-B 260 Biocultural Medical Anthropology
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- A survey of health and disease from a biocultural perspective, which incorporates the evolutionary, ecological, and sociocultural context of health and disease to answer such questions as why we get sick and why there is population variation in the risk of becoming sick. Topics include reproductive, infectious, and chronic diseases.
- Spring 2025CASE NMcourseFall 2024CASE NMcourse
FOLK-F 215 Folklore, Health, and Illness
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Focuses on concepts of health and illness in traditional cultures and societies. Addresses a variety of cross-cultural situations from the East and the West; special emphasis on Middle Eastern Arab traditions (Muslim, Christian, and Jewish). A student may conduct research on a traditional community in any part of the world.
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourseFall 2024CASE SHcourse
HIST-A 240 Get Me Out! The History of Birth
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- A history of childbirth in North America, focusing on birthing women, midwives and doctors, from the 17th century to the present day.
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourseFall 2024CASE SHcourse
HIST-H 239 Blood and Guts! An Introduction to the History of Western Medicine from Antiquity to the Present
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- The history of medicine can best be understood in the context of the society of which it is a part. Stories of health and illness are placed within deeper historical contexts to enhance understanding of past societies.
- Spring 2025CASE GCCcourseFall 2024CASE GCCcourse
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourseFall 2024CASE SHcourse
INTL-I 202 Global Health and Environment
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Examination of pressing health and environmental challenges around the world, such as deforestation, climate change and the spread of infectious diseases. Focuses on the interaction of health and environmental problems that cross national borders and require a multinational or global effort to solve.
- Spring 2025CASE GCCcourseFall 2024CASE GCCcourse
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourseFall 2024CASE SHcourse
- Free Elective. One (1) course:
- Additional course from the Advanced College Electives list
- Additional course from the Intermediate College Elective list
- MSCI-M 440 Health Care in America
- SPEA-H 322 Principles of Epidemiology
- SPEA-H 352 Healthcare Financial Management I
- SPEA-H 353 Healthcare Financial Management II
- SPEA-H 354 Health Economics
- SPEA-H 401 Strategic Planning in Health Organizations
- SPEA-H 402 Hospital Administration
- SPEA-H 456 Healthcare Reimbursement
- SPH-B 310 Public Health in Diverse Communities
- SPH-B 315 Health in the Later Years
- SPH-B 335 Aging, Health and Diverse Populations
- SPH-B 354 Aging Today
- SPH-B 366 Community Health
- SPH-B 403 Public Health Program Planning
- SPH-E 311 Introduction to Epidemiology
- SPH-H 172 Intl Health & Social Issues
- SPH-H 319 Global Health Promotion
- SPH-H 418 The Nature of Substance Use Disorder
MSCI-M 440 Health Care in America
- Description
- Taught by a practicing physician, this course examines the historical development of the American health care system, compares it to other delivery system models, and asks if we can envision a health care system that meets society's obligations to its fellow citizens.
- Additional information
- Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.
SPEA-H 322 Principles of Epidemiology
- Description
- A basic overview of epidemiologic methodology and techniques. Both communicable and chronic disease risk factors will be discussed, along with data acquisition, analysis techniques, and current published epidemiological studies.
- Additional information
- Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.
SPEA-H 352 Healthcare Financial Management I
- Description
- First of a two-course sequence on the financial management of healthcare organizations; introduces financial environment of providers and concepts of financial accounting critical to decision-making. Topics include financial statement analysis (specific emphasis on unique features of healthcare financial statements), accounting and managerial control of cash, accounts receivable, inventory, and budgeting.
- Additional information
- Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.
SPEA-H 353 Healthcare Financial Management II
- Description
- Course focus is financial management of healthcare organizations; assessing critical decision-making concepts in managerial accounting and finance. Topics include evaluation of capital investments, financing sources, managerial accounting include cost behavior, profit analysis, and incremental analysis, reimbursement under various third-party payer environments, cost allocation and government program reporting.
- Additional information
- Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.
SPEA-H 354 Health Economics
- Description
- Health economics studies the behavior of individuals, private and public employers, health care providers, and the government in decisions made within the health sphere. It applies microeconomics tools (including data analysis) to understand personal health behaviors, health care markets, health insurance systems, and health policies.
- Additional information
- Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.
SPEA-H 401 Strategic Planning in Health Organizations
- Description
- This course examines strategic planning techniques as it applies to healthcare organizations. Students will develop and defend a comprehensive strategic plan for a case facility. One half of the course will be conducted in a workshop format.
- Additional information
- Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.
SPEA-H 402 Hospital Administration
- Description
- The study of organization, structure, function, and fiscal operations within hospitals. The role of the hospital in the community, relationship to official and voluntary health agencies, coordination of hospital departments, and managerial involvement will be examined.
- Additional information
- Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.
SPEA-H 456 Healthcare Reimbursement
- Description
- This course offers students a practical foundation in the systems and structures used to pay for healthcare delivery in the United States. The course is designed to provide students with the required knowledge and skills needed to succeed in entry-level positions within the healthcare setting, including provider organizations, health insurers, medical suppliers and public healthcare financing agencies.
- Additional information
- Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.
SPH-B 310 Public Health in Diverse Communities
- Description
- Provides the analytical tools to understand different health outcomes across diverse communities in the US. Explores how issues of culture, race, gender, and class influence health status and health behaviors. Uses case studies to examine the cultural, social, and economic aspects of health inequalities in the United States.
- Additional information
- Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.
SPH-B 315 Health in the Later Years
- Description
- As aging becomes a public health priority, an interdisciplinary consideration of the health issues of older adults is critical. This course reviews the biology of aging, health care, new research in aging, applications of integrative medicine for older adults, and physical activity and aging.
- Additional information
- Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.
SPH-B 335 Aging, Health and Diverse Populations
- Description
- This online course examines contemporary issues in the rapidly aging population. Topics include aging issues among diverse populations, women's aging experience, and the aging baby boomer cohort. Students develop plans to address the health needs of selected aging populations.
- Additional information
- Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.
SPH-B 354 Aging Today
- Description
- This course is an overview of the areas involved in the study of aging. We will consider the major theoretical approaches and current research in aging in the following areas: biology and health, psychology, sociology, and social policy.
- Additional information
- Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.
SPH-B 366 Community Health
- Description
- Introduction to community health within the public health context. Students will develop an understanding of historical and theoretical foundations of community health and major societal health concerns, explore community health models and programs used to address these concerns, and examine racial/ethnic, cultural, socioeconomical, and related determinants of community health.
- Additional information
- Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.
SPH-B 403 Public Health Program Planning
- Description
- Skill building in public health and health promotion program planning, including proposal presentations. Topics include program planning models, needs assessment methods, behavior change theories, types of community organization, social marketing principles, program implementation fundamentals, and evaluation techniques.
- Additional information
- Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.
SPH-E 311 Introduction to Epidemiology
- Description
- Epidemiology concepts, measures, and methods are introduced and applied to explain major health problems, their risks factors, processes, and changes in specific populations. Application of epidemiological methods to identification, surveillance, prevention, and disease control in individuals, families, and communities are addressed.
- Additional information
- Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.
SPH-H 172 Intl Health & Social Issues
- Description
- Covers world health problems and efforts being made to achieve optimal health for all. Exposes students to health concerns of non-Western and nondominant cultures. Population dynamics, vital statistics, global disease patterns, and analysis of variations among nations will be considered in analyzing health status of people and communities around the world.
- Additional information
- Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.
SPH-H 319 Global Health Promotion
- Description
- This course examines the combination of behavioral, social, economic, and environmental factors that influence health and enables students to develop knowledge and skills they can use throughout their lives to protect and improve their own health, the health of their families, and health of communities in which they will live.
- Additional information
- Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.
SPH-H 418 The Nature of Substance Use Disorder
- Description
- Addresses contemporary theories of substance use disorder including behavioral, psychological, biological, physiological, social/cultural, and other approaches. Examines substance use disorders found among youth and adults including tobacco, alcohol, other drugs, sex, eating, Internet, gambling, and work. Upon completion, students will demonstrate knowledge of disorder theories and factors underlying behaviors.
- Additional information
- Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.
- Advanced College Electives. Two (2) courses:
- Minor GPA, Hours, and Minimum Grade Requirements.
- Minor GPA. A GPA of at least 2.000 for all courses taken in the minor—including those where a grade lower than C- is earned—is required.
- Minor Minimum Grade. Except for the GPA requirement, a grade of C- or higher is required for a course to count toward a requirement in the minor.
- Minor Upper Division Credit Hours. At least 9 credit hours in the minor must be completed at the 300–499 level.
- Minor Residency. At least 9 credit hours in the minor must be completed in courses taken through the Indiana University Bloomington campus or an IU-administered or IU co-sponsored Overseas Study program.
Minor Area Courses
-
Unless otherwise noted below, the following courses are considered in the academic program and will count toward academic program requirements as appropriate:
- Any course at the 100–499 level with the
SOC
subject area prefix—as well as any other subject areas that are deemed functionally equivalent - Any course contained on the course lists for the academic program requirements at the time the course is taken—as well as any other courses that are deemed functionally equivalent—except for those listed only under Addenda Requirements
- Any course directed to a non-Addenda requirement through an approved exception
- Any course at the 100–499 level with the
This program of study cannot be combined with the following:
- Bachelor of Arts in African American and African Diaspora Studies and Sociology (AAADSOCBA)
- Bachelor of Arts in Sociology (SOCBA)
- Bachelor of Arts in Sociology - TSAP version (SOCTSBA)
- Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and African American and African Diaspora Studies (SOCAAADBA)
- Certificate in Social Research in Health and Medicine (SOCRHMACRT)
- Minor in Sociology (SOCMIN)
- Minor in Sociology of Work and Business (SOCWKBSMIN)
Exceptions to and substitutions for minor requirements may be made with the approval of the unit's Director of Undergraduate Studies, subject to final approval by the College of Arts and Sciences.