What will I study in AHHW?
AHHW combines coursework in health, ethics, arts, culture, writing, wellbeing, human experience, and relational communication. You will build a foundation in the human dimensions of care while shaping a pathway that fits your goals. If you select the clinical career pathway, you will also complete professional school prerequisite courses.
How does the AHHW major work?
As an AHHW student, you will complete:
- Foundational AHHW courses within a “classroom without walls” community-based learning model
- One of two academic concentrations: Engaged Arts and Wellbeing or Critical Health Humanities
- A clinical or non-clinical pathway based on your career goals
- College-to-career exploration and preparation
- Advising for professional school, graduate study, employment, or other next steps
What is the difference between AHHW pathways and concentrations?
AHHW includes both career pathways and academic concentrations. Pathways help you plan where you want to go after graduation. Concentrations help you shape what you want to study within the major. Students in either pathway may choose either concentration.
Career pathways:
- Clinical Pathway. For students interested in direct patient care or professional training in fields such as medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, physician assistant studies, therapy, pharmacy, or allied health.
- Non-Clinical Pathway. For students interested in improving health and wellbeing outside direct patient care through areas such as public health, health administration, patient advocacy, health literacy, policy, medical writing, community health, wellness programming, or care coordination.
Academic concentrations:
- Engaged Arts and Wellbeing. Explores how creative practice, arts engagement, performance, visual culture, music, theatre, film, writing, and embodied learning connect to health, wellbeing, communication, and care.
- Critical Health Humanities. Examines how health, illness, care, disability, ethics, language, culture, advocacy, identity, policy, literature, religion and spirituality, and systems impact health and wellbeing.
Which AHHW pathway should I choose?
Choose the Clinical Pathway if you are interested in direct patient care or professional training in fields such as medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, physician assistant programs, therapy, or allied health. If you choose this career pathway, advisors can help you plan to complete professional or graduate program admission requirements.
Choose the Non-Clinical Pathway if you are interested in improving health and wellbeing outside direct patient care. This career pathway prepares you for areas such as public health, health administration, patient advocacy, corporate wellness, health literacy, health policy, community health, medical writing and illustration, wellness programming, and care coordination.
Which AHHW concentration should I choose?
The AHHW curriculum is flexible. With advisor approval, you may have the option to take courses in either concentration regardless of your pathway or chosen concentration.
Engaged Arts and Wellbeing may be a strong fit if you are interested in how creative practice, arts engagement, performance, visual culture, music, theatre, film, writing, and embodied learning connect to health, wellbeing, communication, and care.
Critical Health Humanities may be a strong fit if you are interested in health, illness, care, disability, ethics, language, culture, advocacy, identity, policy, literature, religion and spirituality, and systems.
How does AHHW include learning beyond the classroom?
AHHW is designed as a “classroom without walls.” You may connect coursework with internships, externships, community-based learning, service learning, research, study abroad, volunteer experiences, partner-based projects, and health-related career exploration, which provide meaningful opportunities for college-to-career preparation.