CINXE.COM

<!doctype html> <html class="no-js" xml:lang="en" lang="en" dir="ltr"> <head> <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=Edge" /> <title>History of Health Sciences (MA) | UC San Francisco</title> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /> <link rel="search" type="application/opensearchdescription+xml" href="/search/opensearch.xml" title="Catalog" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0, minimum-scale=1.0" /> <link href="/images/favicon.ico" rel="shortcut icon" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/css/reset.css" /> <link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Roboto:400,400i,500,500i,700,700i" rel="stylesheet"> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/fonts/font-awesome/font-awesome.min.css" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/css/courseleaf.css" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/css/screen.css?v=2024-2025" media="screen" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/css/print.css" media="print" /> <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/jquery.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/lfjs.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/lfjs_any.js"></script> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/js/lfjs.css" /> <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/courseleaf.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/custom.js?v=2024-2025"></script> </head> <body class=""> <nav aria-label="Skip content menu" class="accessible"> <div class="accessible-menu"> <ul> <li><a href="#contentarea" rel="section">Skip to Content</a></li> <li><a href="/azindex/">AZ Index</a></li> <li><a href="/">Catalog Home</a></li> </ul> </div> </nav> <header id="header"> <section class="header-universal"> <div class="wrap"> <p class="header-universal__title">University of California San Francisco</p> <a class="header-universal__give" href="https://giving.ucsf.edu/">Give to UCSF</a> </div> </section> <section class="header-main"> <div class="wrap"> <h1 id="site-title"><a href="/" rel="home">General Catalog</a></h1> <div class="mobile-toggles"> <button type="button" class="toggle-search" aria-controls="cat-search" aria-expanded="false" data-toggle="#cat-search"> <span class="sr-only">toggle search</span> <span class="toggle-search__icon" aria-hidden="true"></span> </button> <button id="hamburger" aria-controls="navigation" data-toggle="#navigation" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="sr-only">Toggle menu</span> <span class="burgertime" aria-hidden="true"> <span class="icon"></span> </span> </button> </div> <nav id="navigation" aria-label="Secondary" aria-hidden="false"> <ul id="main-nav" class="top clearfix"> <li class="isparent"> <button type="button">Courses</button> <ul> <li><a href="/course-catalog/">Course Listings</a></li> <li><a href="/course-search/">Search Courses</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="/programs/">Academic Programs</a></li> <li class="isparent"> <button type="button">Schools and Programs</button> <ul> <li><a href="/schools/school-dentistry/">School of Dentistry</a></li> <li><a href="/schools/school-medicine/">School of Medicine</a></li> <li><a href="/schools/school-nursing/">School of Nursing</a></li> <li><a href="/schools/school-pharmacy/">School of Pharmacy</a></li> <li><a href="/schools/graduate-division/">Graduate Division</a></li> <li><a href="/schools/institute-global-health-sciences/">Institute for Global Health Sciences</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="/university/">University Support Offices</a></li> <li><a href="/archive/">Archive</a></li> <li class="no-mobile"> <button type="button" class="toggle-search" aria-controls="cat-search" aria-expanded="false" data-toggle="#cat-search"> <span class="sr-only">open search</span> <span class="toggle-search__icon" aria-hidden="true"></span> </button> </li> </ul> <a class="header-main__give" href="https://giving.ucsf.edu/">Give to UCSF</a> </nav> <div class="search" id="cat-search"> <form action="/search/"> <label for="cat-search-term" class="sr-only">Search catalog</label> <input class="search-field" type="text" name="search" id="cat-search-term" placeholder="Search catalog..." /> <button class="search-button" type="submit"> <span class="sr-only">Submit search</span> </button>  </form> </div> </div> </section> </header> <section id="content-container"> <div class="wrap"> <div id="col-content"> <nav id="breadcrumb" aria-label="Breadcrumbs"> <ul><li><a href="/">Home</a><span class="crumbsep">></span></li><li><a href="/programs/">Academic Programs</a><span class="crumbsep">></span></li><li><span class="active">History of Health Sciences (MA)</span></li></ul> </nav> <main id="contentarea"> <header> <h1 class="page-title">History of Health Sciences (MA)</h1> </header> <script type="text/javascript"> //<![CDATA[ var defshow = "text"; var bodycontainer = "#body"; var validhashes = ",text,requirementstext,"; if(window.location.hash.length) { var hash = cleanHash(window.location.hash); if(validhashes.indexOf("," + hash + ",") != -1) defshow = hash; } var ss = document.styleSheets; var workss = null; for(var i=0; i < ss.length; i++) { var currmedia = ""; if (typeof ss[i].media == "string") currmedia = ss[i].media else if (typeof ss[i].media == "object" && ss[i].media.mediaText) currmedia = ss[i].media.mediaText; if((currmedia == "screen" || currmedia == "all") && (ss[i].href.indexOf("/") == 0 || ss[i].href.indexOf(document.location.host) >= 0)) { workss = ss[i]; break; } } if(workss && workss.insertRule) { workss.insertRule(".tab_content { display: none; }", workss.cssRules.length) workss.insertRule(".sectionheader { display: none; }", workss.cssRules.length) workss.insertRule("#" + defshow + "container { display: block; }", workss.cssRules.length) } else if(workss && workss.addRule) { workss.addRule(".tab_content", "display: none"); workss.addRule(".sectionheader", "display: none"); workss.addRule("#" + defshow + "container", "display: block"); } else { if (window.console) window.console.log('screen.css <link> needs attribute media="screen"'); } //]]> </script> <nav id="tabs" aria-label="Page content tabs"> <ul class="clearfix" role="tablist"> <li id="texttab" role="presentation"> <a href="#textcontainer" role="tab" aria-controls="textcontainer" onclick="return showSection('text');">Overview</a></li> <li id="requirementstexttab" role="presentation"> <a href="#requirementstextcontainer" role="tab" aria-controls="requirementstextcontainer" onclick="return showSection('requirementstext');" >Details</a></li> </ul> </nav> <div id="textcontainer" class="page_content tab_content" role="tabpanel" aria-labelledby="texttab"> <p><a href="https://graduate.ucsf.edu/history-ma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Visit program website.</a></p><p><strong>Degree Offered:</strong> MA<br/> <strong>Program Leadership</strong><br/> Dorothy Porter, PhD, Program Director<br/> <strong>Admissions Inquiries:</strong><br/> <a href="mailto: Bonita.Dyess@ucsf.edu">Bonita Dyess</a>, Program Manager</p> <h2>Program Description</h2> <p>The History of Health Sciences (HHS) program trains students to examine the history of health sciences – medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health, alternative healing, and biomedical research – from a variety of critical approaches. With an emphasis on modern (late 19th to 21st century) contexts, the program’s faculty and students investigate how medicine, health, and illness are historically perceived, and how these perceptions reflect and shape culture and society.</p> <p>The Master’s program is a two-year degree that is composed of two years of coursework and either a Master’s thesis or a Qualifying Exam for graduation. Students learn to make use of all aspects of historical research: identifying appropriate sources, evaluating and interpreting the content of published and unpublished documents, contextualizing and analyzing those documents within the broader framework of contemporary knowledge, society, and culture, and writing a thesis that provides both historical narrative and interpretive analysis of their topic.</p> <p>Students are admitted to the History of Health Sciences program biennially, in odd-numbered years. This keeps the student-to-faculty ratio very low, enabling students to work closely with their faculty mentors.</p> <h3>Faculty</h3> <p>There are four core faculty and three faculty members with other academic appointments in the HHS program; and 27 other affiliated faculty.</p> <h3>Research Focus Areas</h3> <ul> <li>Public health</li> <li>Healthcare systems</li> <li>Pharmaceuticals</li> <li>Race</li> <li>Gender</li> <li>Biomedicine</li> </ul> <p>The History of Health Sciences program office at UCSF is located at the Mission Bay campus. Visit the <a href="https://graduate.ucsf.edu/history-ma" target="_blank">program website</a> for more information.</p> <p>The History of Health Sciences program is offered by the UCSF Graduate Division. The program is administered by the UCSF School of Medicine (SOM), and courses are delivered by faculty members in SOM.</p> <h2>Admission Requirements</h2> <p>BA in History or a related field or a BS in the sciences</p> <h2>Learning Outcomes</h2> <ul> <li>Articulate the dynamic interrelationship between medicine and society through history.</li> <li>Demonstrate how to formulate an original argument both in an extended written thesis and in oral form drawing on basic critical skills and the historical record itself.</li> <li>Promote a historically informed understanding of the health sciences.</li> </ul> <h2>Additional Information</h2> <h3>Program Faculty</h3> <ul> <li><em>Find a <a href="https://humsci.ucsf.edu/faculty/" target="_blank">program faculty list</a> on the program website.</em></li> </ul></div> <div id="requirementstextcontainer" class="page_content tab_content" role="tabpanel" aria-labelledby="requirementstexttab" aria-hidden="true"> <a name="requirementstext"></a><h2>Degree Requirements</h2> <ul> <li>Minimum GPA of 3.0</li> <li>All core courses and required activities taken and passed</li> <li>Pass comprehensive examination <strong>or</strong> completion and submission of a master’s thesis</li> <li>For additional details, please see: <a href="https://graduate.ucsf.edu/masters-degree" target="_blank">https://graduate.ucsf.edu/masters-degree</a>.</li> </ul> <h2>Core Courses</h2> <table pdfnorepeatheader="true" class="sc_plangrid"> <caption>Plan of Study Grid</caption><colgroup> <col pdfwidth="28" class="codecol"/> <col pdfwidth="57" class="titlecol"/> <col pdfwidth="15" class="hourscol"/> </colgroup> <tr class="plangridyear"><th id="gjqmav_plangrid1_0" class="year" colspan="2">Year 1</th><th id="gjqmav_plangrid1_hoursheader" scope="col" class="hourscol">Units</th></tr> <tr class="even"><td headers="gjqmav_plangrid1_0 " class="codecol"><a href="/search/?P=HIST%20HL%20SC%20200A" title="HIST HL SC 200A" class="bubblelink code" onclick="return showCourse(this, 'HIST HL SC 200A');">HIST HL SC 200A</a></td> <td headers="gjqmav_plangrid1_0 " class="titlecol">Introduction to the History of Health Sciences</td> <td headers="gjqmav_plangrid1_0 gjqmav_plangrid1_hoursheader" class="hourscol">2-4</td> </tr> <tr class="odd"><td headers="gjqmav_plangrid1_0 " class="codecol"><a href="/search/?P=HIST%20HL%20SC%20200B" title="HIST HL SC 200B" class="bubblelink code" onclick="return showCourse(this, 'HIST HL SC 200B');">HIST HL SC 200B</a></td> <td headers="gjqmav_plangrid1_0 " class="titlecol">Introduction to History of Health Sciences</td> <td headers="gjqmav_plangrid1_0 gjqmav_plangrid1_hoursheader" class="hourscol">2-4</td> </tr> <tr class="even"><td headers="gjqmav_plangrid1_0 " class="codecol"><a href="/search/?P=HIST%20HL%20SC%20204A" title="HIST HL SC 204A" class="bubblelink code" onclick="return showCourse(this, 'HIST HL SC 204A');">HIST HL SC 204A</a></td> <td headers="gjqmav_plangrid1_0 " class="titlecol">Research Methods in the History of Health Sciences</td> <td headers="gjqmav_plangrid1_0 gjqmav_plangrid1_hoursheader" class="hourscol">3</td> </tr> <tr class="plangridsum odd"><td> </td><td headers="gjqmav_plangrid1_0 " class="titlecol">Units</td><td headers="gjqmav_plangrid1_0 gjqmav_plangrid1_hoursheader" class="hourscol">7-11</td></tr> <tr class="plangridyear"><th id="gjqmav_plangrid1_1" class="year" colspan="3">Year 2</th></tr> <tr class="even"><td headers=" " class="codecol"><a href="/search/?P=HIST%20HL%20SC%20204B" title="HIST HL SC 204B" class="bubblelink code" onclick="return showCourse(this, 'HIST HL SC 204B');">HIST HL SC 204B</a></td> <td headers=" " class="titlecol">Research Methods in the History of Health Sciences</td> <td headers=" gjqmav_plangrid1_hoursheader" class="hourscol">1</td> </tr> <tr class="odd"><td headers=" " class="codecol"><a href="/search/?P=HIST%20HL%20SC%20205" title="HIST HL SC 205" class="bubblelink code" onclick="return showCourse(this, 'HIST HL SC 205');">HIST HL SC 205</a></td> <td headers=" " class="titlecol">The Science of A Historical Archive</td> <td headers=" gjqmav_plangrid1_hoursheader" class="hourscol">4</td> </tr> <tr class="even"><td headers=" " class="codecol"><a href="/search/?P=HIST%20HL%20SC%20250" title="HIST HL SC 250" class="bubblelink code" onclick="return showCourse(this, 'HIST HL SC 250');">HIST HL SC 250</a></td> <td headers=" " class="titlecol">The Anatomy of an Archive</td> <td headers=" gjqmav_plangrid1_hoursheader" class="hourscol">4-5</td> </tr> <tr class="odd"><td headers=" " class="codecol"><a href="/search/?P=HIST%20HL%20SC%20230" title="HIST HL SC 230" class="bubblelink code" onclick="return showCourse(this, 'HIST HL SC 230');">HIST HL SC 230</a></td> <td headers=" " class="titlecol">Qualifying Exam Research</td> <td headers=" gjqmav_plangrid1_hoursheader" class="hourscol">2</td> </tr> <tr class="plangridsum even"><td> </td><td headers=" " class="titlecol">Units</td><td headers=" gjqmav_plangrid1_hoursheader" class="hourscol">11-12</td></tr> <tr class="plangridtotal lastrow odd"><td> </td><td>Total Units</td><td headers="gjqmav_plangrid1_hoursheader" class="hourscol">18-23</td></tr> </table> </div> </main> </div>  <div id="col-nav"> <aside id="sidebar"> <div class="sidebar-item"> <h2 id="edition" class="sidebar-header"><a href="/">2024-2025 Edition</a></h2> <nav id="cl-menu" aria-label="Primary"> <ul class="nav levelzero" id="/"> <li><a href="/welcome/">Welcome from the Chancellor</a></li> <li class="isparent"><a href="/schools/">Schools and Programs</a></li> <li class="active isparent"><a href="/programs/">Academic Programs</a> <ul class="nav levelone" id="/programs/"> <li><a href="/programs/atcr-certificate/">Advanced Training in Clinical Research (Certificate)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/ai-comp-drug-discovery-development/">Artificial Intelligence and Computational Drug Discovery and Development (MS)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/biochem-molec-bio-tetrad/">Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (Tetrad) (PhD)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/bioengineering/">Bioengineering (PhD)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/biological-medical-informatics/">Biological and Medical Informatics (PhD)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/biomedical-imaging/">Biomedical Imaging (MS)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/biomedical-sciences/">Biomedical Sciences (PhD)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/biophysics/">Biophysics (PhD)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/cell-bio-tetrad/">Cell Biology (Tetrad) (PhD)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/chemistry-chemical-biology/">Chemistry and Chemical Biology (PhD)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/clinical-epidemiologic-research-mas/">Clinical and Epidemiological Research (MS)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/computational-precision-health/">Computational Precision Health (PhD)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/dentistry-post-graduate-certificate/">Dentistry Postgraduate Program - Certificate</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/dscb/">Developmental and Stem Cell Biology (PhD)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/doctor-dental-surgery/">Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/medicine-md/">Doctor of Medicine (MD)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/pharmd/">Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/physical-therapy-dpt/">Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/epidemiology-translational-science/">Epidemiology and Translational Science (PhD)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/equity-in-brain-health-certificate/">Equity in Brain Health (Certificate)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/genetic-counseling-ms/">Genetic Counseling (MS)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/genetics-tetrad/">Genetics (Tetrad) (PhD)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/global-health-sciences-ms/">Global Health Sciences (MS)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/global-health-sciences/">Global Health Sciences (PhD)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/health-data-sci-certificate/">Health Data Science (Certificate)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/health-data-sci-ms/">Health Data Science (MS)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/health-policy-and-law-ms/">Health Policy and Law (MS)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/healthcare-administration-interprofessional-leadership-ms/">Healthcare Administration and Interprofessional Leadership (MS)</a></li> <li class="active self"><a href="#" onclick="return false;">History of Health Sciences (MA)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/history-health-sciences/">History of Health Sciences (PhD)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/international-dentist-pathway-dds/">International Dentist Pathway (DDS)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/interprofessional-health-postbac-dentistry/">Interprofessional Health Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program in Dentistry</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/interprofessional-health-postbac-medicine/">Interprofessional Health Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program in Medicine</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/interprofessional-health-postbac-pharmacy/">Interprofessional Health Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program in Pharmacy</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/medical-anthropology/">Medical Anthropology (PhD)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/mstp/">Medical Scientist Training Program</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/neuroscience/">Neuroscience (PhD)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/doctor-nursing-practice-dnp/">Nursing (DNP)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/nursing-ms/">Nursing (MS)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/phd-nursing/">Nursing (PhD)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/nursing-mepn/">Nursing Master’s Entry Program</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/nursing-post-masters-certificate/">Nursing Post-Master's Certificate Program</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/doctor-nursing-practice-post-bsn/">Nursing Practice (Post-BSN)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/oral-craniofacial-sciences-ms/">Oral and Craniofacial Sciences (MS)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/oral-craniofacial-sciences-graduate/">Oral and Craniofacial Sciences (PhD)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/oral-craniofacial-sciences-dds-phd/">Oral and Craniofacial Sciences DDS/PhD Program</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/pharmaceutical-sciences-pharmacogenomics/">Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenomics (PhD)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/postgraduate-program-dental-public-health-certificate/">Postgraduate Program in Dental Public Health - Certificate</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/postgraduate-program-oral-medicine-certificate/">Postgraduate Program in Oral Medicine - Certificate</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/postgraduate-program-orthodontics-certificate/">Postgraduate Program in Orthodontics - Certificate</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/pediatric-dentistry-certificate/">Postgraduate Program in Pediatric Dentistry - Certificate</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/postgraduate-program-periodontology-certificate/">Postgraduate Program in Periodontology - Certificate</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/rehabilitation-science-phd/">Rehabilitation Science (PhD)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/sociology/">Sociology (PhD)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/translational-medicine-mtm/">Translational Medicine (MTM)</a></li> <li><a href="/programs/ucsf-ucb-jmp/">UCSF/UC Berkeley Joint Medical Program</a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="isparent"><a href="/residency-fellowship/">Residency and Fellowship Programs</a></li> <li class="isparent"><a href="/university/">University Support Offices</a></li> <li><a href="/academic-administrative-calendar/">Academic and Administrative Calendar</a></li> <li><a href="/accreditation/">Accreditation</a></li> <li class="isparent"><a href="/course-catalog/">Course Catalog</a></li> <li class="isparent"><a href="/course-search/">Search Courses</a></li> <li><a href="/catalogcontents/">Catalog Contents</a></li> <li><a href="/azindex/">Catalog A-Z Index</a></li> </ul> </nav> </div> <div class="sidebar-item"> <button id="print-btn" href="#print-dialog" onclick="showPrintDialog(); return false;"> <span class="fa fa-print" aria-hidden="true"></span> Print Options </button> </div> </aside> </div>  </div> </section> <footer id="footer"> <div class="footer__bottom wrap"> <nav aria-label="footer" class="footer__nav"> <ul> <li><a href="//www.ucsf.edu/contact-us">Contact Us</a></li> <li><a href="https://websites.ucsf.edu/digital-accessibility">Accessibility</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.ucsf.edu/website-privacy-policy">Privacy Policy</a></li> <li><a href="https://websites.ucsf.edu/website-terms-use">Terms of Use </a></li> <li><a href="https://websites.ucsf.edu/azlist">A-Z Website List</a></li> </ul> </nav> <p class="footer__copyright">© 2024-2025 The Regents of the University of California</p> </div> </footer> <aside id="print-dialog" aria-labelledby="dialog-title" class="screen" role="dialog"> <div class="print-header"> <button onclick="hidePrintDialog(); return false;" aria-controls="#print-dialog"> <span class="sr-only">Close this window</span> </button> <h2 id="dialog-title">Print Options</h2> </div> <div class="print-body"> <ul> <li> <p><a class="option-name" href="#" role="button" onclick="hidePrintDialog();window.print();return false">Send Page to Printer</a></p> <p class="option-desc">Print this page.</p> </li> <li><p><a class="option-name" href="/programs/history-health-sciences-ma/history-health-sciences-ma.pdf" role="button">Download Page (PDF)</a></p><p class="option-desc">The PDF will include all information unique to this page.</p></li><li><p><a class="option-name" href="/pdf/2024-25_UCSF_General_Catalog.pdf" target="_blank">Download Full 2024-25 Catalog</a></p><p class="option-desc">A PDF of the entire catalog.</p></li> </ul> </div> </aside> </body> </html>