Alicia Ingargiola
Clinical Assistant Professor
Faculty
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Alicia Ingargiola
Clinical Assistant Professor -
Daniel Sedory
CLINICAL PROFESSOR
Health Sciences Major (B.S.)
Health Sciences Major (B.S.)
WHAT IS HEALTH SCIENCES?
The 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 athletic training, physical therapy and physician assistant.
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, personal and community health and welfare, nutrition, epidemiology, injury and disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment, fitness and exercise, and health behaviors.
POTENTIAL CAREERS
- Athletic training
- Chiropractic
- Medicine
- Nursing
- Physician assistant
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Osteopathic medicine
Contact
New Hampshire Hall, 124 Main Street
Durham, NH 03824
Phone: (603) 862-2071
Curriculum & Requirements
The Health Sciences program is for those students who are concerned with the well-being of others; and who also possess a strong science aptitude. 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 meets requirements for entry into graduate school for a career in athletic training, physical therapy, or physician assistant studies. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics anticipates a much faster than average job growth for most careers in health care.
Admission to graduate study in medical or allied health professions is very competitive and requires applicants to demonstrate exemplary academic performance for admission. 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 with a GPA below 2.85 will be excluded (removed) from the Health Sciences Major.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| BMS 507 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 |
| BIOL 411 | Introductory Biology: Molecular and Cellular | 4 |
| ENGL 401 | First-Year Writing | 4 |
| HS 406 | Introduction to Health Sciences | 1 |
| Discovery/Elective (HU) | 4 | |
| Credits | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| BMS 508 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II | 4 |
| BIOL 412 | Introductory Biology: Evolution, Biodiversity and Ecology | 4 |
| PSYC 401 | Introduction to Psychology | 4 |
| Discovery/Elective (FPA) | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| HS 605 | Exploration of Allied Health Professions (fall or spring) | 2 |
| INCO 403 | Healthcare Professions Seminar | 2 |
| CHEM 403 | General Chemistry I | 4 |
| EXSC 620 | Physiology of Exercise | 4 |
| PSYC 402 or SOC 402 or HHS 540 |
Statistics in Psychology or Statistics or Statistics for Health and Human Service Professionals |
4 |
| Discovery/Elective (ETS) | 4 | |
| Credits | 20 | |
| Spring | ||
| HS 605 | Exploration of Allied Health Professions (fall or spring) | 2 |
| CHEM 404 | General Chemistry II | 4 |
| NUTR 400 | Nutrition in Health and Well Being | 4 |
| KIN 585 | Emergency Medical Responder | 4 |
| Discovery Elective (WC) | 4 | |
| Credits | 18 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| PHYS 401 | Introduction to Physics I | 4 |
| AT 667 | Pharmacology for Athletic Training | 2 |
| Discovery Elective (HP) | 4 | |
| Discovery Elective (see recommended electives under requirements) | 4 | |
| Discovery Elective (see recommended electives under requirements) | 2-4 | |
| Credits | 16-18 | |
| 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 | |
| Credits | 17 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| SPST 780 | Psychological Factors in Sport | 4 |
| Discovery Elective (see recommended electives under requirements) | 4 | |
| Discovery Elective (see recommended electives under requirements) | 4 | |
| Discovery Elective (see recommended electives under requirements) | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| HS 717 | Cultural Considerations in Health Care | 4 |
| EXSC 722 | Applied Biomechanics | 4 |
| Discovery Elective (see recommended electives under requirements) | 4 | |
| Discovery Elective (see recommended electives under requirements) | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Total Credits | 136-138 | |
Major Requirements
Core courses required of all Health Sciences concentrations are:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AT 667 | Pharmacology for Athletic Training | 2 |
| BIOL 411 | Introductory Biology: Molecular and Cellular | 4 |
| BIOL 412 | Introductory Biology: Evolution, Biodiversity and Ecology | 4 |
| BMS 507 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 |
| BMS 508 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II | 4 |
| CHEM 403 | General Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM 404 | General Chemistry II | 4 |
| HS 406 | Introduction to Health Sciences | 1 |
| HS 605 | Exploration of Allied Health Professions | 2 |
| HS 656 | Musculoskeletal Pathologies for Health Professions | 4 |
| HS 657 | Musculoskeletal Pathologies for Health Professions Lab | 1 |
| HS 717 | Cultural Considerations in Health Care | 4 |
| EXSC 620 | Physiology of Exercise | 4 |
| EXSC 722 | Applied Biomechanics | 4 |
| INCO 403 | Healthcare Professions Seminar | 2 |
| KIN 585 | Emergency Medical Responder | 4 |
| KIN 652 | Clinical Kinesiology | 4 |
| NUTR 400 | Nutrition in Health and Well Being | 4 |
| PHYS 401 | Introduction to Physics I | 4 |
| PHYS 402 | Introduction to Physics II | 4 |
| PSYC 401 | Introduction to Psychology | 4 |
| SPST 780 | Psychological Factors in Sport | 4 |
| PSYC 402 | Statistics in Psychology 1 | 4 |
| 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 their selected Health Sciences concentration.
Athletic Training Concentration
This concentration is intended for students interested in pursuing a career as an athletic trainer. Students in this concentration develop knowledge and skills to prepare them for graduate study in a CAATE Accredited Master’s Degree in Athletic Training.
Requirements for the Athletic Training Concentration are those presented in the Major Requirements – Core Courses, above.
Physician Assistant / Physical Therapy / ‘Other’ Medical Professions Concentration
This concentration is intended for students interested in pursuing a career as a physician assistant, physical therapist, or other medical profession. Students in this concentration develop knowledge and skills to prepare them for graduate study in medical fields.
Requirements for the PA / PT / Other Medical Professions Concentration are those presented in the Major Requirements, above, and the Additional Required Courses and Electives listed below. These courses are intended to provide an individualized component of the Health Sciences curriculum to meet the needs and interests of the student pursuing their personal career path.
Additional Required Courses
Health / Medical topic classes (may meet Discovery category requirements) of the following classifications:
- 400/500-level classes – students must select 2 from this category
- 600-level class – students must select 1 from this category
- 700-level classes – students must select 2 from this category
Courses that meet these criteria are non-required Health Sciences courses; and 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.
Recommended Electives
A student’s plan of elective courses must be approved by a Health Sciences adviser.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BMCB 658/659W | General Biochemistry | 3 |
| BMS 503/504 | General Microbiology | 3 |
| CHEM 545/546 | Organic Chemistry | 3 |
| GEN 604 | Principles of Genetics | 4 |
| KIN 684/685 | Emergency Medical Care: Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) | 3 |
| HS 696W | Independent Study | 2-4 |
| KIN 706 | Neurology | 4 |
| PSYC 561 | Abnormal Behavior | 4 |
| PSYC 581 | Child Development | 4 |
- 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.
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