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.