Health Science (35+ Credits)
The Health Science major is the choice for students who plan to enter the professional fields of Psychiatry, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Pharmacology, Optometry, or Dentistry or who want to pursue careers in Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, or as a Physician’s Assistant. All students taking this major will need a second major (NB: this major cannot be used with the Biology major, Education major, Mathematical Studies major, or Chemistry minor). This major is essentially the minimum core requirement for medical school according to the American Association of Medical Colleges (https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school/article/admission-requirements/). Not everyone who goes to Medical School is a Biology major, although Biology is the most frequent choice. Medical schools are looking for candidates with unique perspectives and broad understandings, so majoring in another discipline may garner more interest, all else being equal. For example, with 25% of the MCAT devoted to psychology and sociology, now with their own test section, these majors may be fruitful choices.
Students will work closely with advisors, including their designated major advisor, to ensure that their General Education (Liberal Arts Foundation) courses align with the other Pre-Health requirements such as English, Psychology, Social Science, and Mathematics, which vary with the profession and particular Pre-Health pathway.
Requirements
Required Core (32 Credits)
Electives (3-6 Credits)
Every health-related post baccalaureate program, from medical, veterinary, optometry, pharmacy, and dental school to graduate programs in physical therapy (PT), occupational therapy (OT), psychiatry, and physician's assistant (PA), requires courses beyond the minimal science core offered by the Health Science major. The particular requirements vary from program to program and even from school to school, but they all require at least one and usually two semesters of English, one semester of Mathematics (most often Statistics), and at at least one semester each of social science and psychology. Students can generally take these courses as part of their liberal arts core foundation ('Gen Ed').
Capstone and Internship Courses (9 Credits)
Students can choose which of their two majors’ capstone and internships courses to take. Most health professions emphasize the importance of volunteer or internship experience in the field during college or prior to entering professional school. If you choose to do these things in the Health Science major, then you would take
CNSCI 4550 Directed Research Capstone (3 credits) and a STEM-based Internship (
CNSCI 4100) for 6 credits.