The certificate in Health and Society is designed to prepare students to become skilled and compassionate healthcare providers, public health professionals, and policy advocates who understand how social determinants shape health status and who are committed to working in solidarity with and to advocating for stigmatized and underserved populations.
Program participants will
Our program operates out of four values:
The Certificate in Health and Society offers students an opportunity to explore how health and healthcare are shaped by broader social, political, and cultural forces. Rather than focusing solely on clinical skills, the program emphasizes understanding the social determinants of health and the importance of working alongside underserved communities. Participants are encouraged to build both knowledge and empathy, learning how to create welcoming and equitable spaces for those seeking care.
Through a carefully designed curriculum, students gain tools to examine how bias and unjust conditions impact health outcomes and learn ways to respond thoughtfully in professional settings. Core coursework addresses topics like equity in care, intercultural communication, and healthcare policy, while electives offer deeper dives into areas such as global health, narrative medicine, and research methods.
The program is guided by four core values—asset-based perspectives, equity, collaboration, and anti-racism—that shape not just the coursework but the community experience. Classes are structured in a cohort model to foster collaboration over competition, creating a supportive environment for growth and shared learning. With its one-year format, this certificate provides a focused yet flexible way to build meaningful skills and perspectives that can enhance a variety of career paths in healthcare, public health, or policy.
Tuition for the program is $12,500, and financial aid is available for those who qualify. The program begins each August and welcomes students who are eager to engage deeply with issues of health equity and social justice.
Learn how the Rhodes Institute for Health Equity and Community Justice, sparked by a Mellon Foundation grant, developed into an organization offering health equity education nationally and community justice initiatives locally.
