Health Science
BS in Health Science
The Health Science major is a Bachelor of Science degree program. This program offers students an interdisciplinary approach to study health sciences, public health, the broad perspective of health and wellness at the population level, and the exploration of health care systems. The curriculum is based on a strong foundation in the health sciences. The curriculum includes core courses in the biological and chemical sciences, including course options in anatomy, physiology, and microbiology, a humanities core, and a health care systems core. Students take advantage of courses in public health offered through the Boston University School of Public Health. Electives are offered throughout the four-year program. Electives may be employed to pursue further study in a discipline-specific health field, complete prerequisite courses for specific graduate programs, or to explore broader-based interests. During their final year of the program, students complete a practicum/internship experience at one of a selection of health care sites in the Boston area or at international sites through Boston University International Programs. Students who plan to apply to degree programs in medicine, dentistry, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner will take an alternate sequence of basic science courses to include graduate program prerequisite course requirements. Students will graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Science and, if selected, a minor in a specific health concentration or other discipline. Graduates from this program may pursue employment in the health care field (e.g., public health, governmental and community agencies, insurance industry, hospitals, or pharmaceutical industry) or may pursue graduate programs in public health or a clinical profession (e.g., physician assistant, nursing, physical therapy, pharmacy, or medicine), health administration, business, or law. Careful selection of available courses will optimize admission to desired graduate degree programs. Students registered in this program are eligible for the accelerated five-year Bachelor of Science and Master of Public Health degree (BS/MPH), offered in conjunction with Boston University School of Public Health. See Special Programs.
Degree Requirements
The minimum requirements to enter the junior year are 64 credits, a minimum GPA of 2.0, and the successful completion of the required courses (or transfer equivalents) specified in the freshman and sophomore curriculum. A course will not be accepted for external transfer if the grade is lower than a C. (A grade of C– is not acceptable.)
The minimum requirements for matriculation into the senior year are 96 credits and successful completion of the required and professional courses (or equivalents) specified in the junior year curriculum. A minimum of 128 credits is required for graduation. Each course in the specified curriculum must be successfully completed and included in the 128 credits. A cumulative grade point average of 2.0 must be achieved for graduation. This GPA must represent a record that contains no more than 12 credits of D grades. A student may repeat a course only once to meet this requirement. For further information about the Health Science program, please visit Bachelor of Science in Health Science.
Curriculum
Each course carries 4 credits unless otherwise indicated.
Freshman Year
First Semester
- CAS BI * Biology course I
- CAS CH 171 Life Sciences Chemistry I
- CAS WR 100 Writing Seminar
- SAR HP 151 Introduction to Health Professions (2)
- Humanities elective
Second Semester
- CAS BI * Biology course 2
- CAS MA 113 Elementary Statistics or
- CAS MA 115 Statistics I or
- CAS PS 211 Introduction to Experimental Design in Psychology
- CAS PS 101 General Psychology
- CAS WR 150 Writing and Research Seminar
Sophomore Year
First Semester
- CAS BI * Biology course 3
- CAS SO 215 Health and Society
- SAR HP 252 Health and Disability Across the Life Span
- SAR HS 210 Introduction to Critical Inquiry (2)
- Social science elective
- Humanities elective
Second Semester
- SAR HP 353 Organization and Delivery of Health Care Systems
- CAS EC 101 Introduction to Microeconomics
- Humanities elective
- General elective
Junior Year
First Semester
- SAR HS 300 Epidemiology I (either semester)
- CAS PH 251 Medical Ethics or
- SAR HS 422 Ethics in Health Care (Dublin program only)
- Health professions course
- Social science elective
Second Semester
- SAR HS 320 Genomics in Public Health
- CAS PH 452 Ethics of Health Care (in addition to or instead of CAS PH 251)
- Health professions course
- Minor/specialty area elective (4–8)
Senior Year
First Semester
- SAR HS 405 Health Science Practicum (either semester)
- SAR HS 352 Health Care Information Systems (2)
- Minor/specialty area elective (4–8)
Second Semester
- SAR HS 352 Health Care Information Systems (either semester)
- SAR HS 405 Health Science Practicum (either semester)
- SAR HS 470 Topics in Public Health or
- SAR HS 475 Disability Advocacy and the Law
- Minor/specialty area elective (4–8)
Where marked (*) all students are required to successfully complete either: CAS BI 105 Introduction to Biology or CAS BI 108 Biology II, plus two biology courses from the following course list:
- CAS BI 107 Biology I
- CAS BI 106 Human Anatomy
- SAR HS 369 Gross Human Anatomy
- CAS BI 211 Human Physiology
- CAS BI 315 Systems Physiology (for students who have taken BI 108, and CH 101, and 102)
- SAR HS 342 Exercise Physiology
- SAR HS 370 Neuroanatomy and Neurophysiology (prereq: SAR HS 369)
- CAS BI 203 Cell Biology (for students who have taken BI 108, CH 101, and 102)
- CAS BI 311 General Microbiology (for students who have taken BI 203)
- CAS BI 114 Human Infectious Diseases (microbiology with lab—formerly micro course for nursing school)
- CAS BI 206 Genetics (for students who have BI 108 or strong performance in BI 105 and CH 203 or CH 172)
- SAR HS 251 Human Nutrition Science.
Other biology courses may satisfy the requirement but must have prior approval of the Health Science Program Director.
