Health Studies, BS

PNW General Education Core (30-31 Credits Minimum)

• English Composition (6 Credits): ENGL 10400 - English Composition I  and ENGL 10500 - English Composition II  
• Speech Communication (3 Credits): COM 11400 - Fundamentals of Speech Communication  
• Quantitative Reasoning (3 Credits): MA 15300 - College Algebra  or above - Select from the Quantitative Reasoning Core list  
• Natural Sciences (4 Credits): CHM 11500 - General Chemistry  or CHM 11900 - General Chemistry  
• Technology (3 Credits): HST 35300 - Health Care Informatics  
• Humanities (3 Credits): PHIL 11100 - Ethics  
• Social Sciences (3 Credits): PSY 12000 - Elementary Psychology  
• Additional Credits (3 Credits): SOC 10000 - Introductory Sociology  
• First-Year Experience (FYE) (3 Credit): HST 10800 - First Year Experience  

Major Core (33 Credits)

• COM 35400 - Introduction To Health Communication
• HST 20000 - Medical Terminology
• HST 30300 - Principles Of Health Insurance
• HST 22100 - Introduction To Pharmacology
• HST 31300 - Essentials of Nutrition
• HST 35800 - Cultural Diversity In Health And Illness
• PSY 25100 - Health Psychology
• SCI 10500 - Invitation To Human Biology (or replace with BIOL 21300 - Human Anatomy And Physiology I /BIOL 21400 - Human Anatomy And Physiology II  if following a pre-professional track)

•  

• Choose one:

• PSY 20100 - Introduction To Statistics In Psychology
• SOC 38200 - Introduction To Statistics In Sociology
• STAT 30100 - Elementary Statistical Methods
• STAT 31000 - Health Care Statistics

•  

• Choose one:

• HST 35200 - Human Lifespan Development
• HST 37800 - Aging In A Modern Society

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• Choose one:

• HST 30500 - Occupational Safety & Health
• OBHR 42700 - Occupational Safety And Health

Other Required Courses (56-57 Credits)

Students will take a minimum of 32 credits of Health Studies related course work towards the degree if they are following a general track (see below). Specific tracks are presented that provide course work important for entry into a career path (wellness/fitness, administrative/communication, gerontology, and global health) or a professional degree program in health studies (pre-physical therapy, pre-occupational therapy and pre-chiropractic). Our tracks focus on allied and public health, students should work in consultation with the department and academic advisor to identify an appropriate track. 

Free Electives (24-25 Credits)

Requirements

Minimum Grade and Grade Point Average (GPA):  2.0 GPA

Experiential Learning (EL):  One EL course required.  EL courses are noted by (e) next to the course title.  Most students fulfill this requirement by taking ENGL 10500. HST 30800 Health Studies Practicum will also fulfil this requirement. See the Experiential Learning Course List for additional courses meeting this requirement.

General Education Core:  General Education notations can be found within the course description.  Please click on a course to see if it meets a Gen Ed requirement.

Milestone Courses noted by (m) next to the course title have been identified as being critical to your success in this field of study. 

Courses that are only offered on one campus will be noted by an (H) for Hammond, or (W) for Westville.

Please see the Additional Information and Guidelines section below for more information.

Additional Information and Guidelines

Note 1: The plan of study shown is for a generalized health studies track. Students will take a minimum of 32 additional credits of Health Studies related course work towards the degree beyond the core if they are following a general track.

Note 2:  Area of studies courses will be different depending upon the track chosen and students should consult the list of suggested courses.

Note 3:  For students pursuing a pre-professional track (any track with pre-as a prefix) should take the BIOL 21300, BIOL 21400 sequence rather than SCI 10500.

Students in Health Studies take a core set of health studies courses (33 credits), general education courses (30-31 credits), and a minimum of 32 credits of Health Studies related course work. Four specific tracks are also available that provide course work important for entry into a career path (wellness/fitness, administrative/communication) or a professional degree program in health studies (pre-physical therapy, pre-occupational therapy). There are additional health-care pre-professional tracks listed under the B. S. in Biology that can be taken through the B. S. in Health Studies with the addition of some biology courses in the tracks. Tracks for additional health care fields of study can also be designed in consultation with the department and academic advisor.

At least 1 Area of Study courses must be classified as experiential learning courses. Students must take at least one credit of EL course work. Most students fulfill this requirement by taking ENGL 10500. HST 30800 Health Studies Practicum will also fulfill this requirement.

At least 8 credit hours of Area of Study courses must be 30000 level or higher.

Many Health Studies majors in the general plan of study seek a business or other minor which can be as much as 24 credits. Minors that may be of interest to Health Studies students include: Biology, Chemistry, Creative Writing as a Profession, Foods and Nutrition, Human Resource Management, Organizational Leadership, Psychology, Recreational Sports Management, Sociology, and Statistics. The Health Studies degree offers enough flexibility in elective requirements that it can accommodate a minor of this type. The maximum credit hour track is in pre-physical therapy with 41 additional credits of suggested course work.