Curriculum

The Narrative Medicine graduate degree requires 38 points to complete. Those studying full-time can complete the program in one academic year plus the following summer, and for a few students, in one academic year. Students electing to study on a part-time basis can complete the degree in two years. The part-time option is designed to accommodate the professional obligations of students who are employed.

This is a rigorous and concentrated program that demands a serious commitment of time and energy. Students are expected to devote significant time to completing reading assignments, class assignments, and term projects outside of class.

Degree requirements include 30 to 34 points (depending on whether the student must take Research Methodology—see below) of coursework in Narrative Medicine, four to six points of elective courses chosen from other departments, and a two to four point practicum/independent study option, which may be a clinical field placement, capstone project or thesis work.

The core curriculum of this pioneering M.S. in Narrative Medicine combines intensive exposure to narrative writing and close reading skills, literary and philosophical analysis, and experiential work, with the opportunity to apply this learning in clinical and educational settings. Core courses provide the conceptual grounding for work in narrative medicine, and introduce the direct practice of teaching narrative competence to others.

Students combine core curriculum work with more focused study of important and current topics in the field. Focused seminars draw on the resources of more than one discipline. Courses rotate to reflect the current concerns, methodologies, and analytic approaches of narrative scholars and practitioners.

To allow students to individualize their professional education in narrative medicine, they may choose electives from among a wide range of offerings at the University, with advice and approval of the faculty adviser. Electives enable students to gain knowledge in academic disciplines they wish to pursue (e.g., medical anthropology) or in subject areas of special professional interest (e.g., aging).

The optional Capstone Project offers a wide range of opportunities for supervised or mentored work: a clinical placement, a program development and/or evaluation project, a scholarly thesis, or a writing project. It may combine independent work with a summer intensive workshop, such as the Columbia University Oral History summer workshop or an intensive writing workshop. The requirement can also be satisfied by clinical practicums that may include teaching, witnessing, or serving as a teaching assistant.

Research Methodology

All students who have not taken a graduate-level course in research methodology, with a focus on qualitative research and/or evaluative research, are required to take our Research Methods in Narrative Medicine course.