MHS Service Learning provides an opportunity for students to design a program of community service associated with a set of learning objectives. The service component (294a) should benefit both the recipient and the provider of the service, offering the latter opportunities for self-reflection, self-discovery, and the development of values, skills, and knowledge. A central objective must be firsthand experience of the humanistic and social dimensions of medicine and health.

The other components—294b—consists of an independent study in the relevant discipline and must be closely linked to the issue(s) addressed in 294a. For example, a student may provide services to the elderly in nursing homes and use 294b to study how state and federal policies affect the delivery of health care and other services to nursing-home populations. If 294a is linked instead to another MHS-designated course, the student must be able to demonstrate its relevance to that course.

*In order to receive credit for 294a, students must sign up for 294b OR apply to take 294a concurrent with an MHS-designated course.
*All work for service learning must be completed during a single semester or summer.
*294a is variable credit and is taken pass/fall. 294b is a graded, 3-credit course.

      * Interested students should apply in the semester prior to the beginning of the internship, but must apply no later than the end of the first week of classes. The application includes a 1-page description of the service learning component; a 1-page description of the proposed research or readings project; and a letter of recommendation from the faculty member who has agreed to supervise the project. (For additional details, see the application form.)

      *Service learning (MHS 294a) involves approximately 3 hours of work a week for each hour of credit. Upon completing this course, the student must submit a thorough report to the supervisor of the service learning project. The course is graded Pass/Fail.

      *For MHS 294b the student writes a substantial research paper or an interpretive essay on a topic closely related to the service learning project. A research paper usually involves a student’s evaluation of empirical data (such as primary sources, interviews, laboratory research, etc.). This course is graded on a regular basis (A, B,). An interpretative essay usually involves a critical analysis of secondary sources. This course is graded on a regular basis (A, B ...).

      *The program is intended to be as flexible as possible to accommodate different disciplines and topics. The faculty supervisor and the student should feel free to design an appropriate research or readings project and to choose a format for the paper and the report on the service learning project. There is no required length for either the paper or the report.

      Applicants must be MHS majors. They should have attained a 2.90 grade point average and 6 hours of prior work in approved MHS courses.

      To apply, the student must already have found a faculty member willing to supervise the service learning project and research or reading component. A letter of recommendation from this faculty member must accompany the application. If the supervisor of 294a is different than the faculty member supervising 294b or teaching the MHS-designated course, then two letters are required. All service learning applications must be approved by the MHS Director or Associate Director.