How the Liberal Arts Improve Health and Well-being

What does it mean to be healthy, and who gets to be well? In CLA, we believe health and wellness are shaped not only by science and medicine, but by history, language, culture, policy, and human connection. From sociology to Spanish, music therapy to medical ethics, CLA students and faculty are using the tools of the liberal arts to address complex public health challenges and improve well-being across communities.

This story collection highlights how interdisciplinary liberal arts education contributes to healthcare innovation, health equity, and community well-being. Meet music therapists helping patients heal through sound, bilingual scholars bridging language gaps in healthcare access, and sociologists uncovering how racism impacts health outcomes. Learn how CLA students pursuing health careers build essential skills—like cultural competency, ethical reasoning, and critical thinking—through communication studies, anthropology courses, and more.

In a time when health issues demand broader thinking, the liberal arts offer powerful insights and solutions. Explore how CLA makes health and healing more human.

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A Destination for Pre-Health

The liberal arts are increasingly a pathway for careers in healthcare, and the University of Minnesota’s College of Liberal Arts provides the foundational skills for that journey.

 

Preparing the next generation of healthcare providers

A person in a lab coat sits on a stack of large books, working on a laptop. Book titles include anatomy, neurodiversity, medical anthropology, and sociology of women's health.

CLA Courses That Connect Health and Humanity

Planning your Fall 2025 schedule? Explore CLA courses that examine health, medicine, and well-being through the lens of culture, communication, ethics, and the environment—perfect for pre-health students, future policymakers, and anyone interested in how we care for ourselves and others.

Fall 2025 CLA Courses: Health in the Arts and Sciences

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Racial Health Disparities are No Accident

Sociologist Michael Esposito is challenging widespread misconceptions about racial health disparities—and showing how they are not accidental, but the result of deeply embedded systems. His research confronts the legacy of redlining, the limits of investment, and the urgent need to rethink who holds power in shaping health outcomes.

Mythbusting with Michael Esposito

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Translating Compassion: Medical Spanish Minor Launches in CLA

CLA’s new medical Spanish minor prepares students to bridge language and cultural divides in healthcare—equipping them with the skills and empathy to serve Spanish-speaking communities across Minnesota and beyond.

Speaking the Language of Care: Introducing the New Medical Spanish Minor

A woman strumming a guitar in a hospital room

Healing Through Evidence-Based Music Interventions

In the School of Music, music therapy students learn to transform lives using personalized, evidence-based approaches—combining rigorous training with hands-on clinical experience in a vibrant community setting.

Inside UMN’s Music Therapy Program

Health Begins Here

CLA is an excellent place to prepare for a health career! Whether you’re thinking about medical school, pharmacy, dentistry, or another branch of healthcare, you can find the resources you need as a CLA student.

With 65 majors to choose from in CLA, you can create your own custom-designed plan to complete the necessary prerequisite coursework for your intended professional program in healthcare. We provide opportunities for you to develop into a well-rounded candidate who is academically prepared, demonstrates initiative, contributes to the community, and creates meaning in your life’s work. A team of professionals is available to support you throughout this process.

CLA Pre-Health Advising

Ideas that Change the World

CLA faculty are at the forefront of groundbreaking research and thought leadership across diverse disciplines. From public health and bioethics to innovative approaches in dance and science, these stories showcase how the college’s scholars are shaping conversations and advancing knowledge that impacts both our local communities and the world.

Healthier. Here, There, and Everywhere.

At the University of Minnesota, we are uncovering the secrets to a healthy world. And we’re not afraid to go where the path of discovery leads us. Wherever the University of Minnesota reaches, healthier follows; for our state, our nation, and the world.

Healthier. Here, There, and Everywhere.

Trailblazers and Changemakers

CLA alumni are making a meaningful difference in their fields and communities—whether championing human rights on a global stage, leading healthcare innovation, or expressing profound experiences through art. Discover how graduates of the college continue to inspire, lead, and transform the world around them.

Where Disciplines Collide

Innovation thrives where disciplines intersect. These stories highlight collaborative CLA projects that blend arts, sciences, and humanities to explore new methods of understanding complex challenges—from using dance to model cancer therapies to theatrical productions that give voice to rare disease experiences.

 

Support Health and Healing in CLA

Support health and healing through the liberal arts. Your gift to these funds helps advance student success and innovative care in fields like music therapy, speech-language-hearing sciences, and healthcare more broadly.

Make A Gift

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