Centre for the Social History of Health & HealthcareOur teaching & training

Training and teaching are at the heart of our activities. Students first encounter the history of health and healthcare as History undergraduates and they have the opportunity to conduct their own research into the subject area through Honours level dissertations.

The MSc. in Health History is ideal for those with a first degree who are looking to seek a more detailed history of the health challenges facing modern societies and to broaden their skills for personal research in the field.  The Ph.D. programme sees candidates make the step to conducting book-length studies of their own in topics as diverse as health during times of war, drinking and drunkenness in British society, and the historical understandings of conditions such as acne and diabetes.

Our centre has a long track record in securing funding to enable students to join our teaching and training programmes. Please get in touch for more information.

For further information, contact Prof. Matt Smith

Ph.D Programme

Since the foundation of the Centre for the Social History of Health & Healthcare Glasgow the Wellcome Trust, the UK’s research councils and both the University of Strathclyde and Glasgow Caledonian University have invested over £1 million in doctoral students at the Centre.  All academic members of our centre are available to supervise projects so get in touch with them if you are thinking about research in their fields.

Our Ph.D Students

Students make up a thriving postgraduate community at our centre, and are also members of the Graduate School in Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Strathclyde and have access to the resources of both the Scottish Graduate School for the Arts and Humanities and the Scottish Graduate School for the Social Sciences.

 

M.Sc. in Health History

Established in 2008, this degree can be taken full-time or part-time.  It provides training for students planning to progress to a doctoral research degree, but it is also ideal for those with a general interest in health and history, for those in the health professions keen to explore the origins of their disciplines, and for those in education roles looking for fresh ways to deliver teaching and learning related to health.

For further information, contact Prof Matt Smith, the director of the course.

 

 

 

Undergraduate Studies

Both the University of Strathclyde and Glasgow Caledonian Universities include history of health and medicine pathways in their undergraduate History programmes.  Click on the link to download class handbooks.

Dangerous Drugs and Magic Bullets

Disease and Society 

Madness and Society from Ancient Times to the Present

Libraries and Archives

Our guide will help you discover a wide range of resources to support your assignments, projects, dissertations and research.

University Archives

The official records of the University of Strathclyde from 1796 to the present day. Includes the records of the University’s predecessor institutions as well as the papers of many former staff and students and associated organisations.  The University archives are an outstanding resource for the study of education, science and society in Scotland.


Deposited Archives

A diverse range of archives which have been acquired by gift or deposit to support the University’s teaching and research. Our main strengths are education, town planning, investigative journalism, shipping, the iron and coal industries, environmental health and art. Our archive collections are a unique source for all kinds of historical research.


Special Collections

Rare or significant printed material and books, including the Anderson Collection (the personal library of John Anderson, 1726-1796, natural philosopher), plus over 30 other collections spanning the 16th to the 21st centuries.

Archives and Special Collections is open to all staff and students of the University of Strathclyde as well as to members of the public, free of charge. It is advisable to contact us in advance of your visit, so that material can be looked out from store, and a place reserved for you in the reading room. 

The History of Health and Healthcare: Curriculum for Excellence Resource

The History of Health and Healthcare: Curriculum for Excellence project is a joint venture between historians working in the Centre for the Social History of Health and Healthcare and local schools. We regularly visit secondary schools to introduce history of medicine materials to pupils working at S1 to S3 levels.

Our online resource allows teachers to access lesson plans, teaching guides and activities for use in the classroom

Wellcome Trust Website
Glasgow Caledonian University

Discover more about our research

The History of Health and Healthcare: Curriculum for Excellence Resource

A joint venture with the Centre and local schools.

Current PhD students are researching projects in China, India, Korea, Myanmar, the UK and the US