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Graduate Program in Medical Anthropology at Northwestern

Academic research in medical anthropology draws on diverse theoretical approaches, with a shared emphasis on increasing our understanding of the diverse ways in which cultural, social, and biological factors influence human experiences of pain, illness, suffering, and healing in different settings.  The medical anthropology program at Northwestern is a highly integrated program that draws on the broader strengths of our department in political-economic analysis, global health, and human biology to focus on the intersection of health with forms of social and political inequality across race, class, gender, and generation. The program combines a focus on the social and political-economic forces that affect the epidemiology and phenomenology of health and illness, with an emphasis on the physical processes and mechanisms through which such forces become embodied.  

Areas of specialization

Concentration options

Other departments and programs at the University provide additional academic resources for students interested in medical anthropology, including: