“Social medicine” is knowledge about how economic, social, environmental and political systems shape the health status of individuals, as well as the collective health of communities and cities. Within health policy, there is a consensus that social medicine is central to both limiting the rise of the cost of medical care and reducing inequality in health status in the US. The Minor in Cities and Social Medicine is designed for students planning to enter careers in medicine, dentistry, health services, public health, health law and the media as well as all students who want to better understand health and health care in the US and abroad.

The Minor will provide a social science framework from which to understand how the physical world, the economy and social and political arrangements shape the patterns of health and illness in US society. It will also educate students about the structure and financing of the US and other health systems, current changes in the US, and the way in which these changes affect both patients and health care providers. Students majoring in all disciplines within the College are encouraged to do the Minor in Cities and Social Medicine.

We also offer an Accelerated MA in Public Health in partnership with the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy.

The Minor consists of three required courses and three additional elective courses.

The three required courses are:

• Urban Studies 101: Urban Poverty and Affluence
• Urban Studies 132: The U.S. Health System
• Urban Studies 231: Cities and Social Medicine

The three additional elective courses must be chosen from the following courses:

• Anthropology 225:  Medical Anthropology
• Sociology 227: Sociology of Medicine
• Sociology 229:  The Sociology of Health and Illness
• Urban Studies 103: Urban Diversity
• Urban Studies 202: Race, Ethnicity,and Immigration
• Urban Studies 230: Environmental and Public Health Policy and Practice
• Urban Studies 232: Health Policy-making
• Urban Studies 235: Urban Epidemics: TB to AIDS
• Urban Studies 238: Women and Health
• Urban Studies 252: The Changing Urban Environment
• Urban Studies 265: Special Topics: Urban Waste Systems, Urban Food Systems

Claudia Calhoon is the Advisor for the Minor. Please contact her for further information and/or to make an appointment at claudia.calhoon@qc.cuny.edu

URBST Cities and Social Medicine Current Course offerings

Spring 2022 CSM classes for web v 11_22