The Online History of Medicine Program offers a certificate for those students who wish to explore the history of medicine in depth.
The certificate provides a rich overview of the field and develops basic skills in historical analysis in a set of six courses for a total of 18 credits. Students who successfully complete the requirements of the Certificate can have their credits applied to the MA Degree in the History of Medicine, if they are admitted to that program. Students may also apply directly to the MA program.
For more information on upcoming and available courses, visit our website.
Admission Requirements
Applications for the online part-time Certificate or MA in the History of Medicine are accepted once a year with a December 15th deadline. See here for details, and to apply.
The application process will ask you to confirm that you have completed our online course ME.150.722 Introduction to the History of Medicine.
In order to apply you will need PDF files of the following:
- Curriculum Vitae (4 page limit)
- A personal statement of interest (1 page limit)
- Writing sample (optional)
The application form will also direct you to submit official transcripts that document your undergraduate degree electronically. Review of applications cannot begin until all required documents and application fees have been received. International students will need to submit translated and validated transcripts via a service such as WES.
The application fee is US $125, payable online.
Click on these links for more details about the Certificate and the MA Degree. If you are unsure about which to apply for, or need any assistance with the application process, please email us on ihmonline@jhmi.edu.
Certificate Requirements
Students must complete the courses listed below for a total of 18 credits. Additionally, the free non-credit online training “Responsible Conduct of Research (CITI)” through Hopkins MyLearning should be completed during the first semester. The program must be completed within 5 years of completing your first course in the Online Program in the History of Medicine.
Required Courses
Courses cannot count for multiple requirements unless approved by program director.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ME.150.722 | Introduction to the History of Medicine | 3 |
| ME.150.730 | Methods in the History of Medicine | 3 |
| Survey Courses: Fulfill any two of the following: | ||
| ME.150.723 | Survey of the History of Medicine 1: Classical Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages | 3 |
| ME.150.724 | Survey of the History of Medicine 2: Medicine From the Black Death to the Scientific Revolution | 3 |
| ME.150.726 | History of Medicine Survey 3: Science and the Practice of Medicine | 3 |
| ME.150.727 | Survey of the History of Medicine 4: Biomedicine and its Consequences | 3 |
| Electives: Fulfill any 2 of the following: | ||
| ME.150.728 | Healing Spaces: Historical Geographies of Medical Practice | 3 |
| ME.150.729 | Social and Cultural Histories of Disease | 3 |
| PH.550.605 | History of Public Health | 3 |
| ME.150.723 | Survey of the History of Medicine 1: Classical Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages | 3 |
| ME.150.724 | Survey of the History of Medicine 2: Medicine From the Black Death to the Scientific Revolution | 3 |
| ME.150.726 | History of Medicine Survey 3: Science and the Practice of Medicine | 3 |
| ME.150.727 | Survey of the History of Medicine 4: Biomedicine and its Consequences | 3 |
Learning Outcomes
By completion of the post-baccalaureate certificate, students will acquire and be able to demonstrate the following:
- Demonstrate breadth of knowledge of key scholarship in the history of medicine from antiquity to the present.
- Recognize the ongoing and provisional nature of knowledge and engage the past on its own terms.
- Identify and critically assess primary and secondary sources.
- Deploy evidence from primary and secondary sources to build an historical argument.
- Choose among multiple tools, methods, and perspectives to investigate and interpret materials from the past.
- Practice the ethics and standards of historical research and writing that require peer critique, citation, and attribution.
- Apply historical knowledge and perspectives to contribute to public dialogue and professional life.