Health Studies B.S.
Total Semester Credit Hours = 120
The mission of the B.S. Degree Program in Health Studies is to prepare students for professional careers or advanced studies in health-related fields. The Program provides two tracks, the Community and Health Education Track and the Health Policy Track. Both tracks share a core of courses that provides graduates with an understanding of a wide range of health-related topics, including:
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diseases and their causes, distributions, risk factors and prevention;
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various systems of health care delivery; and
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assessment and evaluation of health programs.
In addition, the Community and Health Education Track emphasizes health education and promotion in the community/global setting, and the Health Policy Track emphasizes administrative aspects of health care and health promotion. The B.S. Heath Studies Program may be used (a) to prepare for or to advance careers related to health care and health promotion in various public and private, clinical and non-clinical settings, or (b) to prepare for graduate studies in areas such as public and community health, health promotion, design and evaluation of health-related programs, and quantitative and qualitative data analysis.
To earn the B.S. Degree in Health Studies, the student must:
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complete the University’s general baccalaureate degree requirements;
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complete the Departmental curriculum requirements (shown below); and
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be awarded a grade of C or better in all courses used to meet degree requirements.
In addition, completion of the Community and Health Education Track requires taking the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) examination. The CHES examination is offered twice each year, in April and October. A student expecting to complete the degree curriculum in May or August should take the CHES exam in April; a student expecting to complete the curriculum in December should take the CHES exam in October. More information about the CHES exam is available in the Office of the Department of Health and Kinesiology.
A student in this program is expected to commit to lifelong learning about medical, psychological, and social innovations, appreciate factors that positively influence health, model a personal commitment to a healthy lifestyle, nurture a desire to educate others about health, and develop high ethical standards.
Curriculum
University Core (42 hours)
The student must complete 8 hours of lab science in biology, chemistry, or physics (in addition to anatomy and physiology). The 2 hours of credit for these labs are not required to meet the University’s core requirements but are a Departmental requirement. In the Language, Philosophy and Culture Area, PHIL 1301: Introduction to Philosophy is recommended.
Departmental Lower-Division Requirements (13 hours)
| ALHS 1300 | Personal and Community Wellness | |
| BIOL 2301 | Anatomy and Physiology I [TCCN: BIOL 2301] | |
| BIOL 2101 | Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory [TCCN: BIOL 2101] | |
| BIOL 2302 | Anatomy and Physiology II [TCCN: BIOL 2302] | |
| BIOL 2102 | Anatomy and Physiology II Laboratory [TCCN: BIOL 2102] | |
| BIOL CHEM or PHYS Labs (2 hrs.) | |
Health Studies Core Courses (40 hours)
Community and Health Education Track Required Courses (25 hrs.)
- MCOM 2311 Writing for Mass Media
- Three hours selected from the following: SPCM 3322, SPCM 3325, SPCM 4326 or SPCM 4331
- Four hours of Kinesiology courses selected from the following: KINE 3311 / KINE 3112; KINE 3331 / KINE 3132; or KINE 3334 / KINE 3135
- Prescribed electives with approval of advisor (15 hours)
Health Policy Track (25 hrs.)
- MCOM 2311 Writing for Mass Media
POLS 3340 Introduction to Public Administration
POLS 3345 Urban and Municipal Government
POLS 4335 Comparative Health Systems
POLS 4345 Public Policy Analysis
- Three hours selected from the following: SPCM 3322, SPCM 3325, SPCM 4326 or SPCM 4331
- Four hours of Kinesiology courses selected from the following: KINE 3311 / KINE 3112; KINE 3331 / KINE 3132; or KINE 3334 / KINE 3135
- Prescribed electives with approval of advisor (3 hours)
Teacher Certification
Health is an option for all-level (EC-12) teacher certification in Texas. For further information see advisors in the Department of Health and Kinesiology and the School of Education.