Health Sciences
The Bachelor of Science degree in Health Sciences is an interdisciplinary introduction to the health sciences that is well-suited for those interested in a wide range of careers within the allied health professions, including, but not limited to, occupational therapy, athletic training and physical therapy. Students can also use the Health Sciences degree to pursue careers in healthcare administration, public health or public health informatics. It may also serve as an alternative route for students who entered the nursing program, but who no longer wish (or are unable) to pursue a nursing career. Students in each track may complete many, and in some cases all, of the prerequisite courses required for a number of professional allied health graduate programs.
Note: All students in the Health Sciences program must achieve a minimum grade of C in all HL classes, regardless of track.
Degrees and Certificates
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Health Science - General Track, B.S. -
Health Science - Pre-AT Track, B.S. -
Health Science - Pre-OT Track, B.S. -
Health Science - Pre-PT Track, B.S. -
Health Sciences - Public Health Concentration, B.S. -
Health Sciences –Public Health Informatics and Technology (PHIT) Concentration, B.S.
Courses
HL 101: Emergency Medical Preparedness & Response
Credits 1HL 111: Religion, Spirituality, and Healthcare
Credits 1HL 150: History of Public Health
Credits 3HL 201: Introduction to Health Care & Health Professions
Credits 3HL 202: Intro to Public Health Informatics and Technology
Credits 3HL 210: Lifespan Human Development
Credits 3This course provides students with a solid foundation in human development across the full lifespan, from prenatal development through the end-of-life. The course will focus on the major physical, cognitive, social, and emotional developments of each stage of life; articulate the major changes that mark transitions from one stage to another; and allow students to comprehend and critically discuss the impact of ethnic, gender, and cultural factors on human development and implications within the health and social sciences.
This course cannot be used by Psychology majors to fulfill program requirements.
HL 225: Advanced Writing/Composition in the Health Sciences
Credits 3HL 240: Health Psychology
Credits 3HL 301: Medical Terminology
Credits 3HL 302: Data Literacy & Health Information Exchange
Credits 3This comprehensive course serves as a foundational exploration into the world of data literacy, encompassing key aspects of the data analytic process, public health informatics, business intelligence, excel visualizations, and basic SQL skills. Students will develop a fundamental understanding of the role data plays in contemporary society, gaining insights into its sources and applications across various domains. Students will complete a final research project using data sets to create presentations to explain trends and findings through context, data visualization, and interpretation on a public health or business topic.
HL 311: Promotion of Health and Disease Prevention
Credits 3HL 312: Epidemiology
Credits 3This course is designed to introduce students to the basic principles and practice of epidemiology to better understand, characterize and promote health at a regional, national or international level. Topics include disease surveillance, frequency measurement, risk factor evaluation, and analyses of epidemiological data.
HL 321: Crafting Health: Craft and Creative Media
Credits 3HL 332: Kinesiology
Credits 3An in-depth study of the human body as a machine for the performance of work. Encompasses biomechanics, musculoskeletal anatomy, and neuromuscular physiology. Laboratory exercises will help the student gain insight into the nature and complexity of human motion.
HL 338: Exercise Physiology
Credits 3Examines response of various body regulation systems to exercise. Measurement of various factors affecting the response of the body to exercise. Response of body tissues to aging, trauma, inflammation, and the wound healing process.
HL 355: Health Services
Credits 3Health Services, the means by which healthcare is provided, is a critical concept in Public Health that impacts all of us. This course will introduce you to the modern hisotyr of healthcare in high, middle, and low income countries and explore the evolution of health services. Students will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of particular systems and policies and examine their ideal version of a health service in the context of current events.
This online class has optional live sessions.
HL 401: Professionalism within the Health Sciences
Credits 3HL 411: Health Information Management
Credits 3HL 421: Health Sciences Seminar and Research
Credits 3HL 422: PHIT for Emergency Preparedness & Surveillance
Credits 3This course explores the ways in which better data can aid emergency preparedness response at the local, state, and national level. Analysis will include types of hazards and threats, advanced preparations to identify individuals at risk in a crisis, resources, used to mitigate threats, and creating information bridges between community-based partners and the healthcare and emergency preparedness system. The role of public health agencies to health service continuity in emergency situations will be explored. In addition, this course will include an overview of the role of epidemiology and surveillance in the public health emergency response and will introduce some of the informatics tools used in surveillance.
HL 450: Public Health Studies I
Credits 3HL 451: Public Health Studies II
Credits 3HL 471: Internship in the Health Sciences
Credits 3Health Sciences majors are encouraged to complete a semester-long internship which is designed to enhance their understanding of the health sciences field or to obtain required clinical observation hours required by professional programs.
Students will generally undertake an internship in their junior or senior year.