THE GRADUATE SCHOOL

The primary objective of the Society, Biology, and Health Certificate is to create an interdisciplinary graduate training environment that will foster innovative research on the complex associations among social factors and health over the life course. 

Multi-level, multi-method research on society, biology, and health presents tremendous opportunities for enriching our understanding of the determinants and consequences of variation in health, but it also poses significant challenges. In particular, few social scientists possess the background in biological theory and method that is necessary to effectively measure, analyze, and interpret health-related data in community-based research settings. Collaborations with biomedical scientists can help address this gap, but if social scientists want to make the most of these efforts, it is incumbent upon them to share a foundation of common knowledge with their collaborators.

The Society, Biology, and Health Certificate will likely appeal to students seeking degrees in anthropology, economics, human development and social policy, political science, psychology, or sociology. We expect participating students to complement their disciplinary training with coursework and activities that will encourage them to think critically and creatively about how broader social policies, contexts, and processes influence health in the US, and globally.

Programs and events

The certificate will draw on, and contribute to, ongoing initiatives associated with Cells to Society (C2S): The Center on Health Inequalities at the Institute for Policy Research. This includes regular colloquia with prominent outside speakers, informal workshops, and the potential to become involved with a wide range of research projects.

How to apply

Enrolled PhD students in The Graduate School may pursue this certificate with the permission of their program. In order to petition to have a Graduate Certificate awarded and appear on the transcript, students must submit the  Application for a Graduate Certificate  once all Graduate Certificate requirements have been completed, but no later than the time that the student files for graduation (in the final quarter of study).

Who to contact

Please contact the certificate director, listed below, with questions about this program.

• Thomas McDade
  Professor of Anthropology
  Email: t-mcdade@northwestern.edu
  

The following requirements are in addition to, or further elaborate upon, those requirements outlined in The Graduate School Policy Guide.

Certificate

A certificate will be awarded for successful completion of three required courses and two elective courses. To request the certificate students must apply to The Graduate School upon completion of these requirements.

Required courses

Elective courses

The objective of the electives is to encourage students to increase their breadth of knowledge beyond their discipline. Students may petition to add courses to this list with the approval of the SBH governance group.