Health Sciences Major (B.S.)

Health Sciences Major (B.S.)
UNH Health Sciences student working with a student athlete

The Health Sciences major at UNH provides a strong foundation for a career in healthcare. You’ll study a combination of core life sciences and evidence-based healthcare principles. Through tailored studies and experiential activities, you will be well-prepared to pursue an advanced clinical degree or to begin work that enhances individual and community well-being.


WHAT IS HEALTH SCIENCES?

health sciences program is for students concerned with the well-being of others and interested in a career in healthcare. Health sciences majors should possess a strong science aptitude and a passion for health and wellness. As healthcare has evolved in the U.S., degree programs in the allied health professions (athletic training, physical therapy, physician assistant, etc.) have moved to post-baccalaureate education. Individuals with career interests in allied health professions must first attain prerequisite knowledge to be prepared to study in these advanced degree programs. This rigorous academic program prepares students for graduate study in a variety of allied health disciplines including, but not limited to,physician assistant studies, physical therapy, chiropractic, athletic training and more.

WHY STUDY HEALTH SCIENCES AT UNH?

As a health sciences major at UNH, this program of study will prepare you for a range of careers in the large and interdisciplinary healthcare field. This versatile major provides the foundational, prerequisite knowledge for graduate education in health professions, and is general enough to give you flexibility to structure your program of study to your professional career interests. A health sciences student will have an academic advisor who understands the requirements and nuances of applying to advanced degree programs. Students will receive instruction in the life sciences, pharmacology, nutrition, culturally responsive healthcare, injury and disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment, kinesiology and health behaviors.

POTENTIAL CAREERS

  • Physician assistant
  • Physical therapy
  • Athletic training
  • Chiropractic
  • Medicine
  • Nursing
  • Occupational therapy
Contact

Clinical Associate Professor
Phone: (603) 862-2346
Office: UNH CHHS Kinesiology Department, New Hampshire Hall, Durham, NH 03824

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Curriculum & Requirements

The Health Sciences program is for those students who are concerned with the health and well-being of others, possess a strong science aptitude, and plan to pursue a career in healthcare.  As healthcare has evolved in the U.S., degree programs in the allied health professions (physical therapy, physician assistant, etc.) have moved to post-baccalaureate education. Individuals with career interests in allied health professions must first attain prerequisite knowledge to be prepared to study in these advanced degree programs. This rigorous academic program provides the foundational life science coursework and advanced elective course offerings to prepare students for graduate programs in the allied health sciences.

Admission to graduate study in medical or allied health professions is very competitive and requires applicants to demonstrate exemplary academic performance for admission.

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
FallCredits
BMS 507 Human Anatomy and Physiology I 4
BIOL 411 Introductory Biology: Molecular and Cellular 4
ENGL 401 First-Year Writing 4
Discovery/Elective (HU) 4
 Credits16
Spring
BMS 508 Human Anatomy and Physiology II 4
BIOL 412 Introductory Biology: Evolution, Biodiversity and Ecology 4
HS 501 Medical Terminology 2
PSYC 401 Introduction to Psychology 4
Discovery/Elective (FPA) 4
 Credits18
Second Year
Fall
HS 605 Exploration of Allied Health Professions (fall or spring) 2
CHEM 403 General Chemistry I 4
EXSC 620 Physiology of Exercise 4
KIN 585
585L
Emergency Medical Responder
and Emergency Medical Responder Lab
5
Discovery/Elective (ETS) 4
 Credits19
Spring
CHEM 404 General Chemistry II 4
NUTR 400 Nutrition in Health and Well Being 4
PSYC 402 Statistics in Psychology 1 4
Discovery Elective (WC) 4
 Credits16
Third Year
Fall
PHYS 401 Introduction to Physics I 4
HS 767 Pharmacology for Health Professions 4
Discovery Elective (HP) 4
Discovery Elective (see recommended electives under requirements) 4
 Credits16
Spring
PHYS 402 Introduction to Physics II 4
HS 656 Musculoskeletal Pathologies for Health Professions 4
HS 657 Musculoskeletal Pathologies for Health Professions Lab 1
KIN 652 Clinical Kinesiology 4
Discovery Elective (see recommended electives under requirements) 4
 Credits17
Fourth Year
Fall
Discovery Elective (see recommended electives under requirements) 4
Discovery Elective (see recommended electives under requirements) 4
Discovery Elective (see recommended electives under requirements) 4
Discovery Elective (see recommended electives under requirements)  
 Credits12
Spring
HS 717 Cultural Considerations in Health Care 4
Discovery Elective (see recommended electives under requirements) 4
Discovery Elective (see recommended electives under requirements)  
Discovery Elective (see recommended electives under requirements) 4
 Credits12
 Total Credits126

Degree Requirements

Minimum Credit Requirement: 128 credits
Minimum Residency Requirement: 32 credits must be taken at UNH
Minimum GPA: 2.0 required for conferral*
Core Curriculum Required: Discovery & Writing Program Requirements
Foreign Language Requirement: No

All Major, Option and Elective Requirements as indicated.
*Major GPA requirements as indicated.

Major Requirements

Students are required to have earned a minimum, cumulative, GPA of 2.85 by the end of their Sophomore/2nd Year in the Health Sciences Major. Students are also required to achieve a C- or better in all required courses in the major. Students with a GPA below 2.85 will be excluded (removed) from the Health Sciences Major.

Required Courses
BIOL 411Introductory Biology: Molecular and Cellular4
BIOL 412Introductory Biology: Evolution, Biodiversity and Ecology4
BMS 507Human Anatomy and Physiology I4
BMS 508Human Anatomy and Physiology II4
CHEM 403General Chemistry I4
CHEM 404General Chemistry II4
HS 501Medical Terminology2
HS 605Exploration of Allied Health Professions2
HS 656Musculoskeletal Pathologies for Health Professions4
HS 657Musculoskeletal Pathologies for Health Professions Lab1
HS 717Cultural Considerations in Health Care4
HS 767Pharmacology for Health Professions4
EXSC 620Physiology of Exercise4
KIN 585
585L
Emergency Medical Responder
and Emergency Medical Responder Lab
5
KIN 652Clinical Kinesiology4
NUTR 400Nutrition in Health and Well Being4
PHYS 401Introduction to Physics I4
PHYS 402Introduction to Physics II4
PSYC 401Introduction to Psychology4
PSYC 402Statistics in Psychology 14
or SOC 402 Statistics
or HHS 540 Statistics for Health and Human Service Professionals
1

Any UNH statistics course satisfies the requirement with adviser approval. 

Required University Courses

Candidates for a degree must satisfy all of the University Discovery requirements in addition to satisfying the requirements of the Health Sciences curriculum and any pre-requisite coursework needed to apply to the graduate programs they plan to pursue.

Recommended Electives

A student’s plan of elective courses should align with post-baccalaureate pursuits, and be approved by a Health Sciences advisor.

Recommended electives for future health professionals that are external to the Health Sciences courses may include course work in Communication Sciences & Disorders, Human Development & Family Studies, Health & Human Services, Health Management & Policy, Kinesiology, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Recreation Management & Policy, Social Work, and other coursework in the life sciences and health and human services. 

BMCB 658
BMCB 659W
General Biochemistry
and General Biochemistry Lab
5
BMS 503
BMS 504
General Microbiology
and General Microbiology Laboratory
5
CHEM 545
CHEM 546
Organic Chemistry
and Organic Chemistry Laboratory
5
GEN 604Principles of Genetics4
KIN 684
KIN 685
Emergency Medical Care: Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
and Emergency Medical Care: EMT Lab
6
HS 696WIndependent Study2-4
HS 770General Medical Conditions for Health Professions4
KIN 706Neurology4
PSYC 561Abnormal Behavior4
PSYC 581Child Development4

  • Demonstrate understanding of core principles of biology, chemistry, physics, anatomy and physiology, psychology, and kinesiology.
  • Demonstrate comprehension of musculoskeletal evaluation and assessment techniques.
  • Demonstrate responsiveness to cultural considerations in healthcare. a.) Understand influence of age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, spirituality, socioeconomic status, and other aspects of diversity on individual healthcare needs and health-related quality of life.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of scientific research and writing. a.) Ability to identify and analyze scholarly literature. b.) Ability to synthesize and articulate research findings through writing.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of behaviors, scopes of practice, and legal and ethical standards for health professions.
  • Understand concepts of evidence-based practice and patient-centered care for health professions.

Explore Program Details

Q: I’m currently an undergraduate student at UNH. I’m interested in changing my major to Health Sciences (BS), how do I do that?

  • Students seeking to change their major to Health Sciences must complete an internal transfer application and complete all necessary steps as outlined in the instructions.
  • Health Sciences is a competitive major. Students seeking to transfer to the Health Sciences major must complete and submit an application. Applications will be accepted during the spring semester; the deadline is April 15th. Applicants are required to have successfully completed BMS 507 with at least a C or better and either completed or be currently enrolled in BMS 508, attained a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, and submit a letter of intent that explains your interest in the Health Sciences major. Students granted acceptance will be informed after the completion of the spring semester in which they applied and will begin in the major during the subsequent fall semester. These requirements reflect the minimum standards for eligible applicants; competitive applicants will exceed these benchmarks by showing proof of academic excellence.

Q: I’m currently a high school student and I want to become a physician assistant, physical therapist, or another health profession with a degree program at the post-graduate level (MS or higher). How can I achieve this goal by attending UNH?

  • The Health Sciences major will provide you with the coursework that are common pre-requisites for post-graduate study in physician assistant studies, physical therapy, athletic training, medicine, nursing, and many other health-related professional programs of study. UNH does not currently offer post-professional degree programs in all of the allied health disciplines listed above; it is the student’s responsibility to identify, make themselves eligible for, and ultimately apply to their desired post-graduate programs.
  • The Health Sciences major includes full years (2 semesters) in biology, chemistry, human anatomy and physiology, and physics.
  • The Health Sciences major also includes introductory coursework in epidemiology, general medical conditions, pharmacology, exercise physiology, orthopedic injury assessment, diagnosis, and treatment.
  • The Health Sciences major includes over 20 credits of elective/open coursework that students can use to design a curriculum that meets the specific pre-requisite requirements of their chosen field of professional education. The successful completion of pre-requisite coursework is the responsibility of the student. Students interested in specific allied health professional degree programs should research the eligibility requirements for those programs to which they intend to apply to ensure they meet all requirements for successful application and entry to those programs.
  • The Health Sciences major includes coursework that requires students to find observation experiences with practicing professionals in several allied health fields to assist students in making the appropriate career choice based on their interests.
  • The Health Sciences major is not a clinical education major, and there are no guaranteed clinical experiences or exposures for students in the major. Students seeking entry to professional post-graduate degree programs will learn discipline-specific clinical skills in those post-graduate programs. It is the student’s responsibility to take all pre-requisite coursework for the post-graduate programs in which they intend to pursue.

Health Sciences is a competitive major. Students seeking to transfer to the Health Sciences major must complete and submit an application. Applications will be accepted during the spring semester; the deadline is April 15th. Applicants are required to have successfully completed BMS 507 with at least a C or better and either completed or be currently enrolled in BMS 508, attained a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, and submit a letter of intent that explains your interest in the Health Sciences major. Students granted acceptance will be informed after the completion of the spring semester in which they applied and will begin in the major during the subsequent fall semester. These requirements reflect the minimum standards for eligible applicants; competitive applicants will exceed these benchmarks by showing proof of academic excellence.

Apply Now

Students interested in our Health Sciences major may also be interested in these advanced degree offerings:

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