Students who entered Johns Hopkins in the current academic year should refer to the current Academic Catalog for a current list of requirements. Students who entered Johns Hopkins University in a previous academic year should refer to the catalog of that academic year.
Johns Hopkins offers an undergraduate pre-med program, but it is not a major. It is an advising track program through the Office of Pre-Professional Advising. Any Johns Hopkins undergraduate student pursuing any major may also pursue the pre-med advising track.
The pre-professional advisers work with the students, providing them with academic advising, assistance in selecting the proper courses, and help with the medical school application process. Please note that the MSH major does not fulfill all of the requirements for a pre-med course of study. Speak with your adviser for more information.
Students complete two introductory courses, a focus area in a core humanities area, additional courses in both the medical humanities and sciences, and foreign language through the intermediate level. A minimum grade of C- or better is required for all courses applying towards major requirements and courses may not be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory. Courses directly equivalent to JHU courses from study abroad or taken at other universities may count towards requirements; however non-direct equivalent courses must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies for the major.
Students must complete at least 6 credits of Writing and Communication foundational ability coursework in one major. For this major, students would be able to fulfill this requirement by completing AS.145.219, a required 3 credit course of the major, and by selecting one of their electives (at least 3 credits) for the major that is designated as a Writing and Communications course.
General Curriculum
- AS.145.10x One introductory medical humanities course
- AS.145.219 Science Studies and Medical Humanities: Theory and Methods, offered each semester
- Four-courses in one pre-approved humanities focus area (choose from one of 17 focus areas, see below)
- Foreign language through the intermediate level (or language exam waiver)
- Six additional courses in the sciences and humanities (18 credits):
- Two must be in the humanities with POS-Tag MSCH-HUM at the 200-400 level
- One must be in the humanities with POS-Tag MSCH-HUM at the 300 or 400 level
- Three science courses (9 credits, “N” designation), one must be at the 200-level or higher, two must be in the same department
Honors option: Capstone course (Spring semester of junior year) + independent study (Fall semester of senior year) + thesis. Minimum 3.5 major GPA.
Languages that currently apply automatically include: Akkadian, American Sign Language, Ancient Greek, Arabic, Biblical Hebrew, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Middle Egyptian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Yiddish, and Sumerian. Students should speak to the DUS if they wish to request that languages not taught at JHU apply.
To fulfill the MSH science elective requirements, the program will accept courses from these departments:
Behavioral Biology, Biology, Biophysics, Chemistry, Cognitive Science, Earth and Planetary Science, Neuroscience, Physics and Astronomy, Computer Science, Mathematics, Engineering (all (https://engineering.jhu.edu/education/academic-departments/) undergraduate programs, except the Center for Leadership Education). All courses must carry the Science and Data foundational ability tag.
Focus Areas, by Department
All tracks are four 3-credit courses for a total of 12 credits (unless otherwise noted), with two at the 100-400 level and two at the 300-400 level. Each track is in a single JHU humanities department or program and may have slightly different requirements. Below are the specific requirements for each track. Please see the Academic Catalog for full details of each focus area requirements.
Africana Studies
Students must successfully complete two core courses in Africana Studies and two electives in or cross-listed with Africana Studies at the 300-400 level. Core courses include:
| AS.362.111 | Introduction to African American Studies |
- One Africana Foundations course (select 1 course on the period of enslavement OR 1 course focused on the African continent)
- Two Africana Studies electives at the 300 level or higher; if the Africana Foundations course is at the 300+ level, a student may take one Africana Studies elective at the 100-400 level and one at the 300+ level.
Completion of two additional courses results in a minor in Africana Studies.
Anthropology
The Anthropology Department at Hopkins has regional and conceptual strengths that overlap with the mission of MSH to provide a pluralist conception of the historical development, practice, and infrastructure of medicine. The track in Anthropology consists of four courses of which two must be in the 300-400 level. These courses will be offered in four thematic areas that can be combined: medical infrastructures and institutions; patient centric medicine; ethics and morality within medical research and care; and relations between environment and disease. Appropriate courses will be listed on the MSH and Anthropology websites each semester, and will be tagged in SIS as ANTHRO-MSH.
Completion of two additional Anthropology core courses (AS.070.132 and AS.070.317) results in a minor in Anthropology.
Archaeology
Students must successfully complete one introductory course and three electives in Archaeology (ARCH-ARCH POS tag), two of which must be at the 300-400 level.
Suggested 300-400 level courses:
- Tombs for the Living (AS.010.398)
- Examining Archaeological Objects (AS.389.205)
- Origins of Civilization (AS.130.214)
- Geographic Information Systems in Archaeology (AS.130.357)
Bioethics
Students wishing to fulfill a track in Bioethics are required to complete two introductory courses:
- AS.150.219 Introduction to Bioethics
- AS.150.220 Introduction to Moral Philosophy
and at least two seminars at the 300-400 level offered by the bioethics program (AS.150.3xx+ with POS-Tag PHIL-BIOETH).
Completion of two additional bioethics courses (either with the POS-Tag PHIL-BIOETH or approved by the Bioethics program) and two additional specified science courses results in a minor in Bioethics. These courses can also be used to fulfill the MSH major electives requirement.
Classics
A track in Classics requires four courses from among the department’s offerings. At least two must be at the 300-400 level. Students are encouraged to take (1) an introductory course in Greek or Roman history, culture, or myth, and (2) AS.040.152 Medical Terminology.
Completion of two additional courses results in a minor in Classics.
East Asian Studies
A track in East Asian Studies requires four courses from those listed for EAS not including languages. At least two must be at the 300-400 level, and two at the 100-400 level.
Students are strongly encouraged to study an East Asian language to fulfill the language requirement of the MSH major. Students wishing to complete the EAS minor should continue their language study through the advanced level, and must complete two additional courses. Please check the EAS minor page for additional details.
English
Students must successfully complete four courses offered by the English Department (AS.060.xxx):
- AS.060.107 Introduction to Literary Study
- One period or theme course at any level
- Two electives at the 300-400 level, one of which could satisfy the period or theme course requirement
Completion of three additional courses results in a minor in English.
Film and Media Studies
Students must successfully complete:
- An introductory cinema course
- A 200-level course (POS tag FILM-CRITST). Students are strongly encouraged to take AS.061.226 Writing About Film to complete their 200-level requirement.
- Two 300-400 level critical studies courses (POS tag FILM-CRITST)
Completion of two to four additional courses results in a minor in one of the three minor tracks offered by Film and Media Studies.
German (Modern Languages and Literatures)
Students are required to take four German Program courses at the 300-400 level (AS.211.xxx or AS.213.xxx with German or German Advanced Language POS tag). Courses taken in fulfillment of the MSH Intermediate Language requirement may not count toward the core, though they may serve as prerequisites for 300-400 level courses.
Students are limited to one course taught in English (MLL-ENGL tagged courses).
Completion of two additional courses results in a German Minor.
History
Student must successfully complete:
- One introductory or 200-level history course (AS.100.1xx or AS.100.2xx)
- AS.100.293 Undergraduate Seminar in History (fall semester course only; MSH students need not take the second seminar in the spring)
- Two electives at the 300-400 level (AS.100.3xx-4xx)
Completion of two additional courses results in a minor in History.
History of Art
Students must successfully complete an introductory course (four credits) and three elective courses in History of Art, one of which must be at the 200-400 level and two of which must be at the 300-400 level (total 9 credits). The total number of credits for this track is 13 credits (four courses).
Completion of two additional courses results in a minor in History of Art.
History of Science and Technology
Students must successfully complete one survey course and three elective courses in History of Science, Medicine and Technology. Electives may be from among the upper-level survey courses listed in the e-catalogue. Of the four total classes for the track, which should amount to 12 credits, at least two must be at the 300-400 level.
Completion of two additional courses results in a minor in History of Science, Medicine and Technology.
Italian (Modern Languages and Literatures)
Students must successfully complete
- Advanced Italian I (AS.210.351)
- Advanced Italian II (AS.210.352)
- One Italian Journeys course (either AS.214.362 or AS.214.363)
- One additional course (AS.211.200-499 with POS-Tag GRLL-ITAL or AS.214.200-499)
Completion of two additional courses results in a minor in Italian.
Latin American Studies
Students must complete one survey course and three electives cross listed in Latin American Studies, at least two of which must be at the 300-400 level. Students are encouraged to take either AS.210.313 Medical Spanish or AS.210.319 Spanish for Public Health.
Near Eastern Studies
Students are required to take four courses, at least two of which must be at the 300-400 level.
Students are encouraged to take at least one of the following survey courses:
- 130.101 Ancient Near Eastern Civilizations
- 130.140 Hebrew Bible / Old Testament
- 130.135 Pyramids, Temples, and Tombs
- 130.300 History of Ancient Mesopotamia
- 130.301 History of Ancient Syria-Palestine
- 130.328 Ancient Egypt / Africa
Students are encouraged to take at least one course relating to science in the Ancient Near East:
- 130.119 Ancient Medicine
- 130.124 Texts, Tablets, and Tweets: The Sociolinguistics of Writing
- 130.174 Scientists and Soothsayers: The Pursuit of Knowledge in Ancient Egypt
- 130.259 Ancient Science
- 130.420 Seminar in Research Methods in Near Eastern Studies: Religion and Science
Completion of two additional courses results in a minor in Near Eastern Studies.
Philosophy
Students must take four departmental courses, at least two of which must be at the 300-400 level. The courses should include at least one course in philosophy of science (as approved by the Philosophy Director of Undergraduate Studies) and at least one course in one of the following areas:
- History of philosophy, either ancient or modern
- Ethics, aesthetics, or political philosophy, or
- Philosophy of mind, theory of knowledge, philosophy of language, or metaphysics.
Either 150.111 Philosophic Classics or 150.112 Philosophic Problems, but not both, may count as one of the four courses. Neither is a required course.
Completion of three additional courses results in a minor in Philosophy.
Science and Technology Studies
- Two MSH listed courses at any level (AS.145.xx)
- One MSH listed course at the 300+ level
- New 300 level “Advanced Theory and Methods” course that builds on our required Theory and Methods course (AS.145.219)
Writing Seminars
A track in Writing Seminars for MSH majors requires students take:
- Introduction to Fiction and Poetry I (AS.220.105; Introduction to Fiction and Nonfiction AS.220.108 can substitute)
- Introduction to Fiction and Poetry II (AS.220.106)
- The Craft of Fiction (AS.220.200) or The Craft of Poetry (AS.220.201)
- Any 300-400 level course offered by the Writing Seminars (AS.220.xxx)
While not all upper-level courses have prerequisites, upper-level fiction workshops require having taken 220.200 and upper-level poetry workshops require having taken 220.201. Students may choose to concentrate in fiction, poetry, or nonfiction, or can study multiple genres.
MSH Honors Option
MSH Honors is an option to juniors with a minimum GPA of 3.5 in the MSH major. Honors projects are a two-semester endeavor, with the requisite MSH Capstone course being taken in the spring of junior year, and the research and writing occurring in the summer and fall semester of the senior year.
Honors research projects must be original thesis papers that are 6,500-8,000 words in length. Honors projects can be research-based creative projects, such as films, fiction writing, poetry, or otherwise; these projects must include a scholarly exegesis on the creative component of at least 2,500 words. This assumes that the creative piece and scholarly component together equal the number of working hours required to produce a text of 6,500-8,000 words. The length of any Honors project may be longer, in discussion with the thesis advisor. The topic should be closely related to the student’s humanities focus area, but can be outside of the focus area with approval from the DUS.
Students interested in the MSH Honors option apply to the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) before the end of their junior spring semester, and must have completed the MSH Capstone course in the spring of their junior year. The application requires development of an approved Research Proposal with an accompanying mentorship plan.
While writing the thesis, students must enroll in the MSH Independent Research course with their thesis supervisor (AS 145.510; 3 credits). These credits are taken in addition to the 12 credits of the normal major requirements and do not count as an elective or advanced course. The completed thesis is due by the end of the Intersession term. Please email the MSH DUS (nlabruto@jhu.edu) with questions.
Summary:
- MSH Capstone course (spring semester of junior year)
- Research proposal to MSH DUS (spring semester of junior year)
- Independent study (fall semester of senior year)
- Thesis (6,500-8,000 words, or equivalent project with explanatory text)
- Minimum 3.5 major GPA
For detailed information about the process, please see the MSH Honors Track Guidelines.
Honors students must follow the MSH Thesis Formatting Guidelines.