The College of the Arts is allowing students to study medicine and music without getting degrees in those fields.
The college will begin expanding its certificate program by adding music and medicine to the other four certificates it currently offers.
The certificates were designed about three years ago to give students the opportunity to study in areas outside of their major without pursuing a degree in those fields, said Edward Schaefer, the associate dean of Academic and Student Affairs in the UF College of Fine Arts.
"These certificates are part of a very rapidly growing field (of combined arts programs)," Schaefer said.
He said the college wants to expand students’ opportunities by allowing them to study how the arts intersects with public health, medicine, dance and museums.
Currently, UF offers certificates in museum studies, arts and public health, arts and medicine, and dance and medicine. The music and medicine certificate is in the process of being added, Schaefer said.
Each certificate requires students take an average of 16-class credit hours and an internship, said Glenn Willumson, a UF art history professor. UF is implementing the arts and medicine certificate programs because many hospitals are starting to incorporate artists into their staff, Schaefer said.
UF anthropology master’s student Kelly Delancy will be graduating this Fall and is on course to become the second person to complete the museum studies certificate program. The 24-year-old said students should consider certificate programs.
"You can apply it to just about anything," she said.
