Arts & Humanities Health and Wellbeing (AHHW) is a first-of-its-kind undergraduate major in Michigan that prepares you for clinical and non-clinical health careers. You will engage in rigorous interdisciplinary coursework in health, ethics, compassion science, relational communication, culture, writing, wellbeing, and the study of health, illness, and human experience while developing skills in critical thinking, research, analysis, and ethical decision-making.
AHHW prepares students for clinical career pathways such as medicine, nursing, veterinary medicine, dentistry, physician assistant studies, physical therapy, occupational therapy, pharmacy, and various allied health professions. This major also prepares students for non-clinical careers beyond direct patient care, including those in public health, healthcare administration, patient advocacy, health literacy, medical writing and illustration, health policy, community health administration, bioethics, corporate wellness, care coordination, and nonprofit health leadership.
Healthcare systems are facing urgent challenges, including workforce shortages, burnout, health inequities, and a growing need for patient-centered, community-based, and preventative care. AHHW prepares you to meet these challenges by developing skills in empathy, ethical judgment, cultural awareness, observation, adaptability, critical thinking, and relational communication. These skills help graduates build trust and navigate complex care environments and health systems.
The job outlook for AHHW graduates is strong across both clinical and non-clinical healthcare fields. Many careers connected to AHHW, including healthcare administration, community and public health, and health information roles, are projected to grow much faster than average, with some occupations increasing by 15-23% or more over the next decade.
The major also supports strong return on investment. Entry-level non-clinical roles often begin around $50,000-$60,000, while advanced clinical careers and leadership roles in healthcare can offer significantly higher earning potential.
Salaries vary depending on the role, location, experience, and whether you enter the workforce after graduation or pursue graduate or professional education.
Examples of salary ranges connected to various AHHW career pathways include:
- Entry-level non-clinical health roles: often around $50,000-$60,000
- Health education specialists: median salary of approximately $63,000
- Medical and health services managers: median salary of approximately $117,960
- Physicians and advanced clinical careers: median salaries of $239,200+
AHHW prepares students for multiple health and wellbeing career pathways that are meaningful, impactful, and financially stable.
AHHW can serve as a pre-health pathway for students preparing for professional programs. Students pursuing medical, veterinary, nursing, or graduate programs will receive dedicated advising and course planning to complete admissions requirements, such as biochemistry, organic chemistry, biology, and physics.
Students interested in medical school can major in AHHW while completing the science prerequisites required to apply to medical school. Because requirements vary by program, students should work closely with advisors early and often to plan coursework, prepare for application requirements, and stay on track for their goals.
Students interested in professional health programs, including nursing, veterinary medicine, dentistry, and physician assistant studies, can complete the AHHW major while fulfilling the prerequisite coursework required for admission. With careful planning alongside an academic advisor, students can often complete both the AHHW major and professional school prerequisites while staying on track for timely graduation. Because admission requirements vary among institutions and professions, advisors help students create an individualized plan that supports timely graduation and competitive applications.
No. AHHW supports both clinical and non-clinical health career pathways. You may prepare to apply to professional school, graduate study, or careers in public health, relational communication, health administration, advocacy, policy, community health, medical writing and illustration, and other health-related fields.
The Clinical Career Pathway is for students interested in direct patient care or professional training in fields such as medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, physician assistant programs, therapy, or allied health.
The Non-Clinical Career Pathway is for students interested in improving health and wellbeing outside direct patient care through areas such as public health, health administration, patient advocacy, health communication, policy, medical writing and illustration, community health, wellness programming, and care coordination.
Career pathways help you plan where you want to go after graduation. Concentrations help you shape what you want to study within the major. Students choose either a Clinical Pathway or Non-Clinical Pathway based on career goals. Students also choose either the Engaged Arts and Wellbeing concentration or the Critical Health Humanities concentration based on academic interests. Students in either pathway may choose either concentration.
The AHHW curriculum is flexible. With advisor approval, students may have the option to take courses in either concentration regardless of pathway or chosen concentration.
The Engaged Arts and Wellbeing Concentration explores how creative practice, arts engagement, performance, visual culture, music, theatre, film, writing, and embodied learning connect to health, wellbeing, communication, and care.
The Critical Health Humanities Concentration examines health, illness, care, disability studies, ethics, language, culture, advocacy, identity, policy, literature, religion, and systems.
Yes. Students in either pathway may choose either concentration. The pathway is about career direction; the concentration is about academic focus.
No. AHHW is a health-centered, human-focused major that combines academic rigor, practical experience, and exploration to help students understand the human dimensions of health and wellbeing. Students pursuing clinical career pathways can add the science coursework required to apply for admission to professional school.
AHHW is a health-centered, human-focused major that helps you understand the human, ethical, cultural, and relational dimensions of health and wellbeing. Students learn to navigate the complex human and ethical dimensions of care and develop essential skills that technology cannot replace, including empathy, ethical judgment, cultural awareness, adaptability, observation, critical thinking, and communication. AHHW complements science-based pre-health majors which often center scientific knowledge, discovery, and technical preparation.
Yes. AHHW includes real-world learning opportunities built into the curriculum so students can connect what they study with communities, organizations, and health-related settings in order to prepare for their future career. Students may participate in internships, externships, service learning, community-based learning, research, study abroad, volunteer opportunities, partner-based projects, and health-related career exploration.
Students build skills in cultural humility, ethical judgment, empathy, compassion, resilience, attentive listening, communication, observation, adaptability, critical thinking, reflection, and leadership–skills valued across clinical and non-clinical health careers are increasingly sought by healthcare employers and professional schools.
Yes. AHHW is a strong fit for students who are interested in health but still exploring which role or career pathway is right for them. The major supports career exploration, job preparation, advising; experiential learning is part of several AHHW courses – not an additional requirement.
Yes. AHHW is a strong option for students who remain committed to health and wellbeing but want a different academic pathway. It supports students interested in both clinical and non-clinical health careers.
AHHW will launch in phases beginning Spring 2027 with a full launch in Fall 2027.
Students, families, advisors, counselors, and partners can request information to receive updates about curriculum, career pathways, advising resources, information sessions, experiential learning opportunities, and next steps.