BA in Medical Humanities (Columbia College) in New York United States | Columbia University

ICLS offers key programs that enable eligible students to explore literature, culture, and society by drawing from multiple national traditions or combining literary studies with interdisciplinary approaches in the humanities and social sciences. With advice from the undergraduate studies director, participants choose courses from collaborating departments.

This curriculum caters to students with multilingual abilities, allowing them to engage comparatively across diverse national or regional cultures. Unlike conventional comparative literature programs, it stands out through its interdisciplinary focus and broader geographical scope, encompassing not only European but also Asian, Middle Eastern, African, and Latin American cultural contexts.

The program incorporates social science coursework, with core classes often co-taught by professors from various fields. This structure encourages students to examine cultural and literary works through multiple methodological and disciplinary lenses. Its interdisciplinary reach extends to visual and media studies, law and humanities, medical humanities, as well as spatial, urban, and architectural studies. As a major or concentration, this program aligns seamlessly with Columbia's Core Curriculum—which integrates literature, art, philosophy, and social thought—and consistently draws some of the university's most driven and globally-minded students.