Promoting Equity in Health & Human Services minor

There is a new minor that would be great for Pre-Med students called Promoting Equity in Health and Human Services. It provides a comprehensive look at why there are unfair differences in human health outcomes and gives students the tools to make a difference.

Why study equity?

Efforts to promote equity are needed to address unfair, unjust and imbalanced access to resources and treatment in society. Inequities by age, education, income level, race, religion and sexual orientation and gender identity produce negative outcomes in health, adult and child mortality, alcohol and drug use, environmentally hazardous and poor living conditions, work-related deaths, incarceration and police interactions and violence. Skills to address inequity can be valuable in many careers.

What is the Promoting Equity in Health and Human Services minor?

This minor provides you with a comprehensive learning experience about:

the meaning and demonstration of equity in different contexts
the institutional structures that continue to perpetuate inequity in the United States and among vulnerable and historically minoritized populations
interdisciplinary frameworks of change for achieving equity

The minor is designed to augment your major field of study with an overview of issues associated with inequity related to your field. You can choose from elective courses in fields including anthropology, sociology, ethnic studies, African and African American studies, human development and family science, political science, gender studies, gerontology, recreation sciences, public health and social work to complement your major and interests.

Admission requirements

currently enrolled in an undergraduate program at ECU
meet with the coordinator of the minor to tailor your curriculum
notify your academic advisor to have the minor added to your Degree Works

Course Requirements

The minor requires 18 semester hours of credit. There are 9 hours of core courses.

SOCW 2010: Introduction to Social Work Practice with Special Populations

HLTH 3020: Understanding and Achieving Health Equity

HLTH 4050: Special Topics in Public Health

The remaining 9 hours cover three curriculum areas: social inequity, mechanisms of social change and structural/institutional/cultural considerations. You need 3 hours from each area.

You can find a full list of required courses here in the ECU Catalog.

If you have any questions, please reach out the minor’s coordinator, Dr. Kelley Reinsmith-Jones at REINSMITHJONESK@ecu.edu