Health Sciences, Bachelor of Science (564)
Department website: http://www.wku.edu/publichealth
Program Coordinator
Grace K. Lartey, grace.lartey@wku.edu, (270) 745-3941
The major in Health Sciences, requires 58-68 health sciences credit hours, including a required concentration ranging from 21-27 hours. The Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences is designed for students who are interested in pursuing a health and human services related career. The program is an interdisciplinary program with three primary purposes:
- Allowing students with a general interest in Health Sciences to pursue a B.S. while obtaining a concentration in a specific area of Health and Human Services.
- Permitting students to prepare for post-graduate or professional health sciences programs.
- Providing an option for students with a health-related associate degree or appropriate Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) in a focused health area who wish to continue their education.
Concentrations
- Health Sciences Allied Health (AHAH)
- Preparatory Health Science (APHS)
- Health Services, Leadership & Management (ASLM)
Students pursuing the major are required to select one of the following concentrations: Preparatory Health Sciences, Health Services Leadership and Management, or Health Sciences Allied Health building on an Associate Degree or appropriate Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) in a focused health field (approved by the health science advisor). Students who transfer to WKU with an applied associate degree (e.g., Associate of Applied Science) from a health-related program and students with an appropriate MOS with American Council of Education (ACE) approved military credit receive a 12-hour waiver from the overall upper-level course requirement for the health science major; these students will need 23 hours in the major upper-division hour requirement.
Students must earn a “C” or better in each course in the major. Additionally, in accordance with university policy, an overall grade point average of 2.0 or better must be attained upon completion of required curriculum.
Program Requirements (58-68 hours)
A baccalaureate degree requires a minimum of 120 unduplicated semester hours. More information can be found at www.wku.edu/registrar/degree_certification.php.
Students who began WKU in the Fall 2014 and thereafter should review the Colonnade requirements located at: https://www.wku.edu/colonnade/colonnaderequirements.php.
Health Sciences Core
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| HMD 211 | Human Nutrition | 3 |
| PSY/PSYS 100 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| or PSY/PSYS 220 | Introduction to Lifespan Developmental Psychology | |
| or PSY/PSYS 440 | Abnormal Psychology | |
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| General Biology | ||
| Biological Concepts: Cells Metabolism and Genetics and Biological Concepts: Cells, Metabolism, and Genetics Lab | ||
| Human Anatomy and Physiology | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Fundamentals of General Chemistry and Fundamentals of General Chemistry Laboratory | ||
| Chemistry for the Health Sciences | ||
| Introduction to College Chemistry | ||
PHYS course | ||
| AH/HIM 290 | Medical Terminology | 2 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Kinesiology | ||
| Exercise Physiology | ||
| Motor Development | ||
| Wellness and Fitness Assessment | ||
| Health Assessment | ||
| Basic Marketing Concepts | ||
| Consumer Behavior | ||
| Services Marketing | ||
| Fundamentals of Public Relations | ||
| PH 381 | Public and Community Health | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Biostatistics in the Health Sciences | ||
| Social Statistics | ||
| Introductory Biostatistics | ||
| Introductory Probability and Applied Statistics | ||
| Statistics in Psychology | ||
| Introductory Statistics | ||
| PH 384 | Introduction to Epidemiology | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Human Values and the Health Sciences | ||
| Professional Ethics for Family Life | ||
| Biomedical Ethics | ||
| Social Ethics | ||
| Ethics and Critical Thinking | ||
| Ethical Issues and Dilemmas in Social Work | ||
| Leadership Ethics and Decision-Making | ||
| HCA 340 | Health Care Organization and Management | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Health Care Informatics and Information Systems Laboratory | ||
| Data Modeling and Analysis | ||
| Emerging Technologies with Artificial Intelligence | ||
| Electronic Health Record Systems | ||
| Select one of the following: | 2-3 | |
| Legal Aspects / Health Care | ||
| Legal Issues in Health Information Management | ||
| Legal Environment of Business | ||
| Business Law | ||
| Total Hours | 37-41 | |
One of the below-mentioned concentrations is required:
Preparatory Health Sciences Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select 24-27 hours of the following courses: | 24-27 | |
Biology: | ||
| Biological Concepts: Cells Metabolism and Genetics and Biological Concepts: Cells, Metabolism, and Genetics Lab 1 | ||
| Biological Concepts: Evolution, Diversity, and Ecology and Biological Concepts: Evolution, Diversity, and Ecology Lab | ||
| Human Anatomy and Physiology 1 | ||
| General Microbiology and General Microbiology Laboratory | ||
| Animal Biology and Diversity and Animal Biology and Diversity Lab 1 | ||
| Advanced Human Anatomy and Physiology | ||
Chemistry: | ||
| Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry and Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry Laboratory | ||
| Introduction to College Chemistry 1 | ||
| College Chemistry I and College Chemistry I Laboratory | ||
| College Chemistry II and College Chemistry II Laboratory | ||
| Biochemistry for the Health Sciences | ||
| Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry Laboratory I | ||
| Organic Chemistry II and Organic Chemistry II Laboratory | ||
Health Information Management: | ||
| Advanced Medical Terminolgy | ||
| Pharmacology and Laboratory Diagnostics | ||
Hospitality Management and Dietetics: | ||
| Advanced Nutrition | ||
| Life Stage Nutrition | ||
Math: | ||
| Trigonometry | ||
| Calculus I | ||
Nursing: | ||
| Pathophysiology for Nursing | ||
| Health Promotion and Disease Prevention | ||
| Mental Health Nursing | ||
| Complementary Health Care | ||
Psychological Sciences: | ||
| Introduction to Biopsychology | ||
Public Health: | ||
| Human Sexuality | ||
| Women’s Health | ||
| Sexuality Education | ||
Physics: | ||
| College Physics I 1 | ||
| Introduction to Physics and Biophysics I and Laboratory for Physics and Biophysics I 1 | ||
| Laboratory for Physics and Biophysics II and Introduction to Physics and Biophysics II 1 | ||
| University Physics I and University Physics I Lab 1 | ||
| Total Hours | 24-27 | |
- 1
Unduplicated.
Health Services Leadership & Management Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select 24-27 hours from the following: | 24-27 | |
Counselor Education: | ||
| Human Relations | ||
| Helping Skills | ||
Communication: | ||
| Interpersonal Communication | ||
Exercise Science: | ||
| Exercise and Aging | ||
Family and Consumer Sciences: | ||
| Management of Family Resources | ||
| Family Relations | ||
| Child and Family Stress | ||
| Seminar in Family Economics | ||
| Family Home Visiting | ||
Finance: | ||
| Personal Finance | ||
Gerontology: | ||
| Introduction to the Aging Experience | ||
| Person-Centered Dementia Management | ||
Health Care Administration: | ||
| Long-Term Care Administration | ||
| International Comparisons of Health Care Systems | ||
| Quality and Patient Safety in Long-Term Care | ||
| Health Care Informatics and Information Systems Laboratory | ||
Health Information Management: | ||
| Health Data Content and Structure | ||
| Healthcare Payment Systems | ||
| Advanced Medical Terminolgy | ||
| Pharmacology and Laboratory Diagnostics | ||
Hospitality Management and Dietetics: | ||
| Advanced Nutrition | ||
| Nutrition in Aging | ||
| Dietary and Herbal Supplements | ||
Interdisciplinary Studies: | ||
| Career Related Field Experience | ||
| Applications of Interdisciplinary Studies | ||
| Investigative Methods in Interdisciplinary Studies | ||
Leadership: | ||
| Introduction to Leadership Studies | ||
| Leadership Theory and Application | ||
| Leading Change | ||
| Leadership Ethics and Decision-Making 1 | ||
Management: | ||
| Legal Environment of Business 1 | ||
| Business Law 1 | ||
| Ethics and Critical Thinking 1 | ||
| Management of Nonprofit Organizations | ||
Public Health: | ||
| Personal & Public Health | ||
| Drug Abuse | ||
| Foundations of Public Health Education | ||
| Human Sexuality | ||
| Global Perspectives on Population Health | ||
| Health and Aging | ||
| Death, Dying and Bereavement | ||
| Women’s Health | ||
| Drug Abuse Education | ||
| Sexuality Education | ||
Psychological Sciences: | ||
| Cognitive Psychology | ||
| Psychology of Adult Life and Aging | ||
| Abnormal Psychology | ||
Sociology: | ||
| Aging in Society | ||
| Sociology of Health and Illness | ||
Special Education: | ||
| The Culture of Disability | ||
Social Work: | ||
| Foundations of Human Services | ||
| Diversity and Social Welfare | ||
| Human Behavior in the Social Environment | ||
| Services for the Older American | ||
| Case Management | ||
| Social Work Practice I | ||
| Military Social Work | ||
Other courses with advisor approval | ||
| Total Hours | 24-27 | |
- 1
Unduplicated.
Health Sciences Allied Health Concentration– (Health Related A.S. / A.A. / A.A.S. or MOS to Health Sciences Allied Health B.S. Concentration)
An associate degree in a focused health area or an appropriate military occupational specialty (MOS) in a focused health area with American Council of Education (ACE) approved military credit may fulfill the concentration requirement with the approval of a Health Sciences academic advisor. Students with a completed A.A. or A.S. degree from a KCTCS college will be considered to have completed the WKU Colonnade general education requirements. Twenty-one credit hours is required within the concentration.
In addition to completing the Health Sciences core, students need to fulfill all other appropriate major and degree requirements.
Finish in Four Plans
Health Sciences Preparatory Concentration
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ENG 100 | 3 | COMM 145 | 3 |
| HIM 290 or AH 290 | 2 | HIST 101 or HIST 102 | 3 |
| PSY 220, PSYS 220, PSY 100, or PSYS 100 | 3 | Colonnade: Arts & Humanities | 3 |
| MATH 116 | 3 | Major/Minor/Elective OR World Language (if needed) | 3 |
| BIOL 120 & BIOL 121 | 4 | Major/Minor/Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ENG 200 | 3 | Major/Minor/Elective | 3 |
| HMD 211 | 3 | Major/Minor/Elective | 3 |
| CHEM 109 or CHEM 116 | 3-4 | Major/Minor/Elective | 3 |
| Colonnade: Connections (Social & Cultural) | 3 | ENG 300 | 3 |
| Major/Minor/Elective | 3 | PH 383, SOCL 300, BIOL 382, STAT 301, PSY 313, PSYS 313, or MATH 183 | 3 |
| 15-16 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| PE 310, PE 311, PE 313, PH 390, NURS 335, MKT 220, MKT 323, or PR 255 | 3 | HCA 441, MGT 200, MGT 301, or HIM 225 | 2-3 |
| PH 381 | 3 | HCA 340 | 3 |
| PH 384 | 3 | Major/Minor/Elective | 3 |
| Major/Minor/Elective | 3 | Major/Minor/Elective | 3 |
| Colonnade: Connections (Local to Global) | 3 | Major/Minor/Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 14-15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| PH 447, HCA 247, PHIL 322, MGT 305, or SWRK 433 | 3 | HCA 446 & HCA 447 | 3-4 |
| Major/Minor/Elective | 3 | Major/Minor/Elective | 3 |
| Major/Minor/Elective | 3 | Major/Minor/Elective | 3 |
| Major/Minor/Elective | 3 | Major/Minor/Elective | 3 |
| Major/Minor/Elective | 3 | Major/Minor/Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15-16 | ||
| Total Hours 119-122 | |||
Health Sciences Allied Health Concentration
The Health Sciences Allied Health concentration is designed for students who have earned an associate degree in a focused health area or an appropriate military occupational specialty (MOS) in a focused health area with American Council of Education (ACE) approved military credit. In addition to completing the Health Sciences core, students need to fulfill all other appropriate major and degree requirements. Students should consult with an advisor in planning their four-year degree program.
While working on the Health related Associate degree at KCTCS or WKU, students are encouraged to complete the following courses as a foundation for the Health Sciences major. KCTCS Courses: i) NFS 101; ii. (PSY 110 or PSY 223); iii. (MATH 146 or 150 or higher); iv. (CHE 130 or 140 or PHY ***); v. (AHS 115 or CLA 131); and vi. (BIO 112/1121/1122/1123/1124, or BIO 114/115, or BIO 150/151, or BIO 135 or 137 or 139). Corresponding WKU Courses, if not completed at KCTCS: i. HMD 211; ii. (PSY 100 or PSYS 100); iii. (MATH 109 or MATH 116 or higher); iv. (CHEM 105/CHEM 106, or CHEM 109, or CHEM 116, or PHYS ***); v. (HIM 290 or AH 290); and (BIOL 113 or BIOL 120/BIOL 121 or BIOL 131). WKU Associate Degree seeking students are also encouraged to complete ENG 100 (FW-1) and Arts & Humanities (E-AH) in the first two years.
| Third Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| PE 310, PE 311, PE 313, or PH 390 | 3 | PH 383, SOCL 300, BIOL 382, STAT 301, PSY 313, PSYS 313, or MATH 183 | 3 |
| PH 381 | 3 | HCA 340 | 3 |
| Upper Level Elective/Major/Minor | 9 | Upper Level Elective/Major/Minor | 9 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| HCA 441, MGT 200, MGT 301, or HIM 225 | 2-3 | HCA 446 & HCA 447 | 3-4 |
| PH 384 | 3 | PH 447, HCA 247, PHIL 322, PHIL 323, MGT 305, or SWRK 433 | 3 |
| Upper Level Elective/Major/Minor | 9 | Upper Level Elective/Major/Minor | 9 |
| 14-15 | 15-16 | ||
| Total Hours 59-61 | |||
Health Services Leadership and Management Concentration
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ENG 100 | 3 | COMM 145 | 3 |
| HIM 290 or AH 290 | 2 | HIST 101 or HIST 102 | 3 |
| PSY 220, PSYS 220, PSY 100, or PSYS 100 | 3 | Colonnade - Arts & Humanities | 3 |
| MATH 116 | 3 | Major/Minor/Elective or World Language (if needed) | 3 |
| BIOL 113 | 3 | Major/Minor/Elective | 3 |
| BIOL 114 | 1 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ENG 200 | 3 | Major/Minor/Elective | 9 |
| HMD 211 | 3 | ENG 300 | 3 |
| CHEM 105 | 3 | PH 383, SOCL 300, BIOL 382, STAT 301, PSY 313, PSYS 313, or MATH 183 | 3 |
| CHEM 106 | 1 | ||
| Connections - Social & Cultural | 3 | ||
| Major/Minor/Elective | 3 | ||
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| PE 310, PE 313, PH 390, MKT 220, MKT 321, MKT 323, or PR 255 | 3 | HCA 441, MGT 200, MGT 301, or HIM 225 | 2-3 |
| PH 381 | 3 | HCA 340 | 3 |
| PH 384 | 3 | Major/Minor/Elective | 9 |
| Major/Minor/Elective | 3 | ||
| Connections - Local to Global | 3 | ||
| 15 | 14-15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| PH 447, HCA 247, PHIL 322, PHIL 323, MGT 305, or SWRK 433 | 3 | HCA 446 & HCA 447 | 3-4 |
| Major/Minor/Elective | 12 | Major/Minor/Elective | 12 |
| 15 | 15-16 | ||
| Total Hours 120-122 | |||