Socio-Cultural Studies in Health

Department of Sociology

General Office: Tilley Hall, Room 20

Mailing address
Department of Sociology
University of New Brunswick
P.O. Box 4400, Fredericton, NB
Canada, E3B 5A3

Phone: 506-453-4849
Email: socio@unb.ca

Director of Socio-Cultural Studies in Health: Professor Neeru Gupta, neeru.gupta@unb.ca


General information

Housed in Sociology, the Bachelor of Arts in Socio-Cultural Studies in Health is a multidisciplinary program made up of courses from across the Faculty of Arts and other cognate programs.

Students enrolled may choose between Minor, Major/Double Major, and Honours/Joint Honours pathways that provide them with the opportunity to develop foundational knowledge in health, illness, and healthcare; health policy insight; as well as skills in methodology, critical reasoning, and problem solving. For more information about this program, please contact the Director of the BA in Socio-Cultural Studies in Health.

Minors, Majors and Honours

The Minor consists of 24 ch selected from the Socio-Cultural Studies in Health courses listed below, of which 15 ch must be upper-level courses. No more than 6 ch of upper-level courses may be in any one discipline.

Please contact the Director of the BA in Socio-Cultural Studies in Health for advising. Only courses completed with a grade of 'C' or higher count towards a Minor in Socio-Cultural Studies in Health.


Students intending to take a Single Major in Socio-Cultural Studies in Health or a Double Major in Socio-Cultural Studies in Health and another Arts discipline typically declare their intention to Major in their second year of study. Students must contact the Director of the BA in Socio-Cultural Studies in Health for approval to register and to have their program of study approved.

Single Major

Single Majors must complete a minium of 36 ch of Socio-Cultural Studies in Health courses, of which 24 ch must be upper level. The following courses are compulsory for a student to graduate with a Single Major:

In addition, students are required to complete one of either:

  • PHIL 3207 - Ethical Issues in Health Care (online) or
  • PHIL 3209 - Health Care Ethics in Canada.
The remaining 18 ch are to be chosen from the Socio-Cultural Studies in Health courses listed below. Of those 18 ch, at least 3 ch must be upper-level methodology and no more than 12 ch from any one discipline may be taken for credit towards the upper-level requirements for the Major in Socio-Cultural Studies in Health.

Double Major

Double Majors must complete a minimum of 30 ch of Socio-Cultural Studies in Health courses, of which 18 ch must be upper level. The following courses are compulsory for a student to graduate with a Single Major:

In addition, students are required to complete one of either: 

  • PHIL 3207 - Ethical Issues in Health Care (online) or
  • PHIL 3209 - Health Care Ethics in Canada,
and in consultation with the Director of the BA in Socio-Cultural Studies in Health, one of:
  • PSYC 2103 - Quantitative Research Methods, or
  • SOCI 2022 - Introduction to Data in the Social Sciences, or
  • STAT 2263 - Statistics for Non-Science Students.
The remaining 15 ch are to be chosen from the Socio-Cultural Studies in Health courses listed below. Of those 15 ch, no more than 9 ch from any one discipline may be taken for credit towards the upper-level requirements for the Double Major in Socio-Cultural Studies in Health.

Students should normally take their required courses in sequence. For example, 1000-level courses are typically taken in the first year of study. Students must complete the required number of credit hours with an overall GPA of 2.0 or better. Only courses completed with a grade of 'C' or higher count towards a Single major in Socio-Cultural Studies in Health or a Double Major in Socio-Cultural Studies in Health and another Arts discipline.


Students intending to take Honours in Socio-Cultural Studies in Health or Joint Honours in Socio-Cultural Studies in Health and another Arts discipline are usually expected to have completed at least 12 ch of Arts courses and have a GPA of 3.3 or better.

Entry for non-Arts Faculty students, or for students having taken a large number of non-Arts courses, might still be approved by the Director of the BA in Socio-Cultural Studies in Health. Students must have their program of study approved by the Director of the BA in Socio-Cultural Studies in Health.

Single Honours

Single Honours students must complete a minimum of 42 ch in Socio-Cultural Studies in Health courses, of which a minimum of 30 ch must be at the upper level. The following courses are compulsory for a student to graduate with Single Honours in Socio-Cultural Studies in Health:

  • SOCI 1564Social Determinants of Health
  • SOCI 2022Introduction to Data in the Social Sciences
  • SOCI 2375Sociology of Health,
and one of either:
  • PHIL 3207Ethical Issues in Health Care (online) or
  • PHIL 3209 – Health Care Ethics in Canada.

Students enrolled in the Single Honours in Socio-Cultural Studies in Health must also research and write an Honours Thesis. The project should produce a 40- to 60-page manuscript, is worth 6 upper-level credit hours, and must be approved by the Director of the BA in Socio-Cultural Studies in Health.

The remaining 24 ch are to be chosen from the Socio-Cultural Studies in Health courses listed below. Of those 24 ch, at least 3 ch must be upper-level methodology and no more than 12 ch in any one discipline may be taken for credit towards the upper-level requirements for Honours in Socio-Cultural Studies in Health.

Joint Honours

Joint Honours students must complete 36 ch of Socio-Cultural Studies in Health courses, of which a minimum of 24 ch must be at the upper level. The following courses are compulsory for a student to graduate with Joint Honours:


  • one of either PHIL 3207Ethical Issues in Health Care (online) or
  • PHIL 3209 – Health Care Ethics in Canada,
and in consultation with the Director of the BA in Socio-Cultural Studies in health, one of:
  • PSYC 2103Quantitative Research Methods, or
  • SOCI 2022Introduction to Data in the Social Sciences, or
  • STAT 2263Statistics for Non-Science Students.
The remaining 24 ch are to be chosen from the table of Socio-Cultural Studies in Health courses below. Of those 24 ch, at least 3 ch must be upper-level methodology and no more than 12 ch from any one discipline may be taken for credit towards the upper-level requirements for Joint Honours in Socio-Cultural Studies in Health.

Students should normally take their required courses in sequence. For example, 1000 level courses are typically taken in the first year of study. To remain in the Honours or Joint Honours in Socio-Cultural Studies in Health program, students must maintain a GPA of 3.3 or better in their upper-level Socio-Cultural Studies in Health courses and must have an overall GPA of 2.7 or better across all other courses.

First Class Honours

For First Class Honours standing, students must maintain a GPA of 3.6 or above in their upper-level Socio-Cultural Studies in Health courses and a GPA of 2.7 or above in all other courses.

Only courses completed with a grade of ‘C’ or higher count towards a Single Honours in Socio-Cultural Studies in Health or Joint Honours in Socio-Cultural Studies in Health and another Arts discipline.


Courses


  • ANTH 3502 Medical Anthropology and Public Health
  • ANTH 3526 Anthropology of Death
  • ANTH 4502 Issues in Medical Anthropology
  • ANTH 4702 Gender, Sexuality and Health
  • ARTS 3000 Arts Internship - With permission of the Director of the BA in Socio-Cultural Studies in Health
  • ARTS 4000 Arts Internship - With permission of the Director of the BA in Socio-Cultural Studies in Health
  • ECON 3815 Introduction to Health Economics - Prerequisite: ECON 1001, 1013, 1014, or 1073
  • ECON 5815 Health Economics Prerequisites: ECON 3013 and ECON 3023 or permission of the instructor
  • ENGL 3985 The Body in Literature
  • ENGL 5283 The Culture of Physic: Women's Writing and Medicine in Early Modern England Prerequisite: B+ average in ENGL; open to CSH Honours students on a case-by-case basis
  • FR 3564 Madness and Literature
  • HIST 3326 Gender, Health, & Medicine
  • HIST 3608 Histories of Madness
  • HIST 3625 Disability History
  • HIST 4606 Gender, Race, and Disability in Colonial Contexts
  • HIST 5275 Health & Medicine in Early Modern England
  • INDG 3052 The Place of Art in Indigenous Community Healing
  • KIN 2032 Introduction to Sport and Leisure Psychology
  • KIN 3032 Sports Psychology – Prerequisites: KIN 2032 or consent of the instructor
  • KIN 3202 Mindfulness and Health
  • KIN 3291 Coaching Healthy Behaviours – Prerequisites: RSS 1081 or permission of the instructor
  • PHIL 3207 Health Care Ethics (Online) – Can only receive credit for one of PHIL 2209, 3207 & 3209
  • PHIL 3209 Health Care Ethics in Canada – Can only receive credit for one of PHIL 2209, 3207 & 3209
  • POLS 4727 Global Politics of Infectious Disease Recommended: POLS 2303, 2703, IDS 2103, or permission of the instructor
  • POLS 4728: Economics and Politics of Health Care Reform
  • PSYC 3033 Health Psychology – 6ch of introductory Psychology
  • PSYC 3443 Culture & Psychology – Prerequisite: PSYC 2403
  • RSS 1081 Health & Wellness
  • RSS 4083 Community Health & Wellness
  • SOCI 3364 Chronic Illness and Disability
  • SOCI 3371 Institution of Health Care
  • SOCI 3563 Global Perspectives in Environmental Health
  • SOCI 3634 Violence Against Women
  • SOCI 3733 Sex, Gender, & Population Health
  • SOCI 3801 Food Studies
  • SOCI 4263 Sociology of the Body
  • SOCI 4264 Health Care in International Context
  • SOCI 4266 Special Topics in the Sociology of Health
  • SOCI 4267 Critical Study of Public Health
  • SOCI 4703 Social Consequences of Population Dynamics
  • SOCI 4021 Critical Issues in Health