Sociomedical Sciences Major

For more information, see our Frequently Asked Questions. Still looking for answers? Contact the program coordinator Dr. Jennifer Guzmán (guzman@geneseo.edu).

Note:  Due to significant demand, if you fail to change or add your major before the deadline we cannot guarantee seats in the required courses. 

Program Requirements

Four Foundation Courses

  • SOCL 213 Sociology of Medicine. Offered every fall and spring. Take sophomore year.
  • ANTH 202 M/Nutrition, Disease & Health. Offered every fall and spring. Take sophomore year.
  • ANTH 302 Medical Anthropology (PreReq: ANTH 202). Offered every fall and spring. Take junior year.
  • ANTH 306 Human Growth and Development (PreReq: ANTH 202). Take junior or senior year.

One Capstone Course

  • ANTH 402 Sociomedical Sciences Capstone Research (PreReq: ANTH 302). Offered every fall and spring. Take senior year.

Related Requirements

  • BIOL 103/104 Human Biology (4 credits) OR BIOL 117 General Biology I and BIOL 118 or 120 (4 credits). Take first year.
  • A Statistics Course: MATH 242 or MATH 262 or PSYC 250* or SOCL 211. Take first year. 
  • INTD 275: Information Research Strategies (1 credit) (required for students with the 2022–23 catalogue year and later; recommended for all students). Take sophomore year.

World Language Note: Although it is not required, completing coursework in a language other than English through the 301-level is strongly recommended for students who want to enter a career in the allied health fields.

Exploratory Learning Electives. Select 21 credits from 3 different prefixes, 8 credits need to be at the 300-level or higher:

Group A: Core Courses (Take at least 15 credits)

  • ANTH 238: Ethnomedicine in Latin America and the Caribbean
  • ANTH 311: Language of Healing (PreReq: ANTH 120 or ANTH 202)
  • ANTH 313: Global Health Issues (PreReq: ANTH 100 or ANTH 202)
  • ANTH 317: Human Osteology (PreReq: ANTH 105 or BIOL 103 or BIOL 116)
  • ANTH 322: Anthropology of the Borderlands (4 credits; Winter Intersession Study Away). 
  • ANTH 326: Race, Racism and Antiracism in the Americas 
  • ANTH 336: Forensic Anthropology (PreReq: ANTH 105 or BIOL 103 or BIOL 116)
  • ANTH 343: Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Women’s Health (PreReq: ANTH 100 or ANTH 202)
  • BIOL 119: General Biology II (PreReq: BIOL 117)
  • BIOL 210: Nutrition (PreReq: Any 100-level Biology course)
  • BIOL 222 : Genetics (3 PreReqs: BIOL 119, and Math 112 or Math 221, and CHEM 118 or CHEM 204) OR BIOL 271: Heredity (PreReq: Any 100 level Biology course). [Students cannot take both BIOL 222 and BIOL 271 for major credit).
  • BIOL 318: M/Health & the Developing World (2 PreReqs: BIOL 117 and BIOL 119) 
  • BIOL 344: Biology and Global Health in Ghana (4 credits) (PreReq: BIOL 117 and BIOL 119)
  • BIOL 349: Principles of Microbiology (4 credits) (PreReq: BIOL 222 or BIOL 271)
  • BIOL 365: Anatomy and Physiology I (4 credits) (PreReqs: BIOL 117 and BIOL 119)
  • BIOL 366: Anatomy and Physiology II (4 credits) (PreReqs: BIOL 117 and BIOL 119)
  • ECON 346: Health Economics (PreReq: ECON 110 and ECON 210 and Junior/Senior standing. Note: SMSc majors have approval to request an override from the School of Business to register for this course during the add/drop period if they meet the prereqs and there are seats available. Econ minors can register for this course in the 3rd week of the registration period) 
  • ENGL 101: Topics in Literature—Literature, Medicine, and Racism (4 credits). Note: A DegreeWorks waiver will be issued for ENGL 101 only when it is taught with this subtitle.
  • ENGL 427: Literary Representations of Disability (4 credits) (Request permission from instructor) 
  • ENGL 467: Special Topics in Modern (1700-1900) Lit: Eighteenth-Century Literary Representations of Disability. (Request permission from Instructor to take). Note: A DegreeWorks waiver will be issued for ENGL 467 only when it is taught with this subtitle.
  • HIST 240: Topics in European History - Body Matters: Medicine and Health to 1600 (4 credits)
  • HIST 240: Topics in European History: History of Science (4 credits). Note: A DegreeWorks waiver will be issued for HIST 240 only when it is taught with the Body Matters or History of Science subtitles.
  • HIST 275: Global History of Sexual Science 
  • INTD 207: Interdisciplinary Disability Studies
  • PHIL 235 : Philosophy of Biology (PreReq: One course in biology or in philosophy)
  • PHIL 236 : Medicine and Morality
  • PSYC 260: Abnormal Psychology (PreReq: PSYC 100) 
  • PSYC 268: Health Psychology (PreReq: PSYC 100)
  • PSYC 278: Psychology of Happiness (PreReq: PSYC 100). Note: Request a DegreeWorks waiver to have this course be applied to the major as a Group A elective once you have completed the course.
  • PSYC 280: Sport and Exercise Psychology (PreReq: PSYC 100) 
  • PSYC 385: Cross-cultural Psychology (PreReq: PSYC 215 or 216)
  • SOCL 281: Selected Topics - Gender and Health (PreReq: SOCL 100 or SOCL 102 or SOCL 105). Note: A DegreeWorks waiver will be issued for SOCL 281 only when it is taught with this subtitle.
  • SOCL 314: Illness, Self, and Society (PreReq: SOCL 100 or SOCL 102 or SOCL 105)
  • SOCL 358: Sociology of Emotions (PreReq: Any 100-level Sociology course) 
  • SPAN 335: Selected Topics - Spanish for Medical Professionals (PreReq: SPAN 301). Note: A DegreeWorks waiver will be issued for SPAN 335 only when it is taught with this subtitle.
  • WGST 201: Hist & Pol Topics - Women & Health. Note: A DegreeWorks waiver will be issued for WGST 201 only when it is taught with the Women & Health subtitle.
  • New or slot/topics courses with the words “Health,” “Medicine,” or “Healing” in the title can be used to fulfill an elective for the Group A requirement. Email Dr. Guzmán for course approval before registering.

Group A Courses that are Only Appropriate for Biology Double Majors or Biology Minors:

  • BIOL 330    Immunology (Restricted to biology majors) 
  • BIOL 334    Biology of Cancer (Restricted to biology majors) 
  • BIOL 342    Parasitology (4 credits) (PreReq: Proficiency in Basic Requirements, and BIOL 222, and CHEM 211 [orgo] or 223 [princ.orgo], and BIOL 300 [cell bio] or BIOL 335 

Group A Courses that are Only Appropriate for Psychology Double Majors or Human Development Minors:

  • PSYC 308    Psychology of Women (PreReq: PSYC 100, 225, 233, 250, 251)
  • PSYC 335    Behavioral Pharmacology (PreReq: PSYC 100, 225, 233, 250, 251)
  • PSYC 365    Clinical Psychology (PreReq: PSYC 100, 225, 233, 250, 251)
  • PSYC 366    Developmental Psychopathology (2 PreReqs: Two courses from among PSYC 215, PSYC 216, PSYC 260)
     

Group B: Complementary Courses (Take at least 3 credits) 

  • ACCT 102: Introduction to Financial Accounting 
  • ACCT 103: Introduction to Managerial Accounting 
  • ANTH 100: S/M/Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
  • ANTH 105: S/Introduction to Physical Anthropology
  • ANTH 120: S/Language and Culture
  • ANTH 226: M/Anthropology of Latin America and the Caribbean
  • ANTH 307: Anthropology of Development 
  • ANTH 316: Human Ecology (PreReq: ANTH 105 or ENVR 124)
  • ANTH 318: Gender and Sexuality in Latin America (PreReq: ANTH 100 or ANTH 101)
  • ANTH 382: Ethnographic Field Methods (PreReq: ANTH 202 or ANTH 208 or ANTH 229)
  • BLKS 200: Introduction to Black Studies 
  • BLKS 220 : Black Lives Matter 
  • ECON 110: Introduction to Microeconomics
  • ECON 210: Intermediate Microeconomic Theory (PreReq: ECON 110) 
  • ECON 330: Public Finance (PreReq: ECON 110 and ECON 210 and junior or senior standing. Note: SMSc majors have approval to request an override from the School of Business to register for this course during the add/drop period if they meet the prereqs and there are seats available. Econ minors can register for this course in the 3rd week of the registration period) 
  • ECON 340: Environmental Economics (PreReq: ECON 110 and junior or senior standing. Note: SMSc majors have approval to request an override from the School of Business to register for this course during the add/drop period if they meet the prereqs and there are seats available. Econ minors can register for this course in the 3rd week of the registration period) 
  • ECON 356: Women and the Economy (PreReq: ECON 110 and junior or senior standing. Note: SMSc majors have approval to request an override from the School of Business to register for this course during the add/drop period if they meet the prereqs and there are seats available. Econ minors can register for this course in the 3rd week of the registration period).
  • GEOG 102: S/Human Geography
  • GEOG 123: S/M/The Developing World
  • GEOG 286: Geographic Information Systems (4 credits) (Requires permission of the instructor)
  • GEOG 362: M/Geography of Latin America (PreReq: GEOG 102 or 110 or 123)
  • GEOG 363: M/Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa 
  • GEOG 384: Geography of Food 
  • GEOG 388: Urban Lives & Livelihoods in Ghana (Note: This is a study abroad course) 
  • HIST 164: S/U/African American History from 1877 
  • HIST 260: S/U/Issues in the History of American Women 
  • HIST 261: M/U/Native American History 
  • HIST 262: S/American Indian Law and Public Policy 
  • HIST 266: S/U/Civil Rights Movement in America 
  • HIST 271: S/M/History of Latin America since 1825
  • HIST 480: Advanced Studies in LACAANA History: Environmental History of Africa (PreReq: HIST 302)
  • HIST 480: Advanced Studies in LACAANA History: History of Aid and Development in Africa (PreReq: HIST 302). Note: a DegreeWorks waiver will only be applied to HIST 480 when it has the Environmental History or History of Aid subtitles.
  • PHIL 208: Philosophy of Race. (Request a DegreeWorks waiver once you have completed this course to have it applied to the major).
  • PLSC 110: S/American Politics 
  • PLSC 120: S/Comparative Politics
  • PLSC 140: S/International Politics 
  • PLSC 360: S/M/Developing World Politics
  • PLSC 362: Government and Politics in Africa (PreReq: PLSC 120) 
  • PLSC 374: Public Administration 
  • PLSC 412: American Social Welfare Policy (PreReq: PLSC 110) 
  • PLSC 442: Human Rights in a Global Perspective (PreReq: PLSC 140) 
  • PLSC 454: Government and Politics of Latin America (PreReq PLSC 120) 
  • PSYC 100: Introduction to Psychology
  • PSYC 275: S/Environmental Psychology (PreReq: PSYC 100) 
  • PSYC 350: Social Psychology ((PreReqs: PSYC 100, 225, 233, 250, 251)
  • SOCL 100: S/Introduction to Sociology
  • SOCL 102: S/Introduction to Social Problems and Public Policy
  • SOCL 105: S/M/Introduction to Global Social Change
  • SOCL 201: Black Women in American Society (PreReq: Any 100-level Sociology course) 
  • SOCL 220: U/Inequality, Class and Poverty:
  • SOCL 225: Sociology of Gender and Sexuality (PreReq: SOCL 100 or SOCL 102 or SOCL 105) 
  • SOCL 230: S/U/Race and Ethnicity 
  • SOCL 281: Selected Topics - Gender and Development (PreReq: SOCL 100 or SOCL 102 or SOCL 105). Note: A DegreeWorks waiver will be issued for SOCL 281 only when it is taught with this subtitle.
  • SOCL 281: Selected Topics - Gender and Science (PreReq: SOCL 100 or SOCL 102 or SOCL 105). Note: A DegreeWorks waiver will be issued for SOCL 281 only when it is taught with this subtitle.
  • SOCL 325: Global Social Change (PreReq: Any 100-level Sociology course) 
  • SOCL 361: Field Research Methods (PreReq: Any 100-level Sociology course) 
  • SUST 124: S/Environmental Issues 
  • WGST 100: Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies
  • WGST 201: Hist & Pol Topics - Gender and Disability. Note: A DegreeWorks waiver will be issued for WGST 201 only when it is taught with this subtitle.
  • WGST 230: Introduction to Queer Studies
  • WGST 310: Race, Class, and Gender
  • WGST 320: Gender and Sexualities

* At least 9 credits of a minor must be distinct (i.e., not overlap with major requirements or overlap with the requirements of another Minor or Concentrations.)

*At least 24 credits of a second major must be distinct (i.e., not overlap with major requirements of the first major).