Degree Requirements

The Boston University BS in Behavior and Health (BSBH) coursework includes the Sargent core curriculum courses as well as courses designed to provide a foundation in the basic biological and psychosocial sciences. By your senior year, you will identify a specific focus for your studies that includes courses that represent critical content in that area, a practicum/internship experience, and a senior seminar taken in conjunction with the practicum. This focus may include a related minor—e.g. deaf studies or women’s studies—be tied to a specific professional career goal, or represent a core area of interest that you propose to study in more depth.

Maximum Flexibility to meet Multiple Needs

The BSBH program provides a sound foundation of knowledge related to behavior and health in the twenty-first century. Customized course selections will help prepare you for advanced study in related behavioral health fields such as anthropology, sociology, or disability studies, as well as graduate professional preparation in counseling & behavioral medicine, social work, occupational therapy, special education, rehabilitation counseling, communication disorders, and law.

Summary of BSBH Requirements

  • A minimum of 128 credits is required for graduation.
  • A minimum GPA of 2.0 must be maintained.
  • Students must successfully complete (minimum grade of D) all of the required courses listed below.  If a grade of F or W is received in a required course, students may repeat the course only once to meet the requirement.
  • No more than 16 credits of D grade will be counted towards graduation.
  • For external transfer credit, a minimum grade of C is required. Please see Transfer Course Equivalency Form.

Check out a sample plan by year.

Minors and Study Abroad programs strongly encouraged. Popular minors include Psychology, Special Education, Public Health, Foreign Language, & Deaf Studies (check out Sargent’s Distinctive Academic Opportunities for more info).

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the Behavior & Health degree program, students will be able to:

  1.  Integrate and apply bio-psychosocial and ecological models to understanding and promoting health and wellbeing across the life course.
  2. Demonstrate cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills that support effective and sensitive interaction with a variety of cultures, populations & contexts
  3. Demonstrate the ability to effectively identify, locate, evaluate and ethically apply scientific information or credible evidence regarding a specific health or health care question.
  4. Demonstrate ability to apply therapeutic and professional communication skills to engage diverse stakeholders and audiences using different modes (oral, written and multi-media).
  5. Be proficient in identifying the key biological, psychosocial, and environmental factors that influence health and well-being.

Students transferring from BU College of General Studies

For students entering the BSBH program from Boston University’s College of General Studies (CGS), the following CGS courses satisfy BSBH curriculum requirements:

  • CGS-NS201 Biology I substitutes for CAS-BI105 Biology I.
  • CGS-RH101 English Composition & RH102 English Composition and Research complete the Writing requirement (CAS-WR100 & WR150).
  • CGS-HU201/202 Humanities III/IV complete the Humanities requirement.
  • CGS-SS101 Social Sciences I completes CAS-SO100 Principles of Sociology. SS101 and SS104 (CGS January first-year students) also may count for SO100.
  • Other courses fulfill general electives.
  • CGS students can petition out of CGS-NS202 Natural Science II and take CAS-BI106 Human Anatomy instead.

Questions?

Visit the BU Undergraduate Admissions website or contact a Sargent Academic Counselor (email sarugrad@bu.edu or call 617-353-2713).