Course summary

Course details The MA in Medical Humanities is an exciting and challenging course that applies the knowledge and insight of the humanities and social sciences to study and understand better what is meant by health and illness outside of a medical context and, in particular, to analyse how our thoughts and physical experiences become recognised as symptoms. The MA is suitable if you have an undergraduate qualification in an area such as Anthropology; English; Geography; Law; Modern Languages and Cultures; Philosophy; Sociology; and related disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. You may also benefit if you have a background in health and social care and are looking to bring humanities and social sciences perspectives to bear in your professional practice. Learning from leading scholars in the subject, you will be joining an interdisciplinary MA led by the University’s Institute for Medical Humanities and the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. The course blends face-to-face study with online learning to provide a fascinating and comprehensive introduction to the wide range of approaches to health taken by different academic disciplines. Why Durham University? Explore the important contribution the arts and humanities make in the response to ongoing global challenges, and learn how this insight is being used to improve the lives of individuals and communities across the world. From health and the human experience to responses to the environmental crisis, our flexible and accessible postgraduate qualifications are centred around areas that are highly relevant in the world today. Our courses extend beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries, drawing on methods and insights from the arts, humanities, social sciences and the natural sciences to develop effective responses to climate and environmental crises and to health and wellbeing challenges. Students learn directly from many of the UK’s leading academic experts in these rapidly developing fields. Our team takes a collaborative approach that enables more effective communication across disciplines to address the intersecting nature of these problems. Facilities The interdisciplinary nature of our courses combined with the flexibility in modules gives our students access to a range of teaching and learning facilities across the wider University as well as the specialist archives and collections in arts and humanities. We are home to a number of related research centres and institutes including the Centre for Culture and Ecology, a group of researchers who explore the effects of changing climate on the location, abundance, behaviour and physiology of populations and communities. The Institute of Medical Humanities is a pioneering research institute that explores the everyday experiences of health and illness from the emergence of symptoms to the cultural contexts and constructs of health. Career Opportunities Our taught MA degrees provide a strong foundation for a future in research and many postgraduates stay with us to undertake PhD studies. Graduates who progress into the workplace take with them a range of professional and transferable skills that are valued in the public and private sectors. As well as advanced communication and analytical skills they are equipped to understand complex scenarios from multiple perspectives. An increasing number of employers are incorporating sustainable and wellbeing goals into their organisations which open up pathways into a wider range of sectors. For Environmental Humanities graduates, career options include government agencies, corporate responsibility and sustainability, sustainability management, policy research, environmental journalism, environmental tourism, conservation work, environmentally oriented NGOs and charities.