2023-2024 BSC Catalog Updated_UG ONLY_FINAL[82]

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
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Healthcare professionals deliver care through identifying, assessing, preventing and
treating disease; advising healthy choices in diet and lifestyle; assisting with
rehabilitation; and managing health systems. Due to the rapidly evolving nature of the
healthcare industry, students seeking to be professionals will benefit from the critical
thinking, quantitative, and problem solving skills that are central to a liberal arts
education.
The health sciences major is designed to help students master the core competencies and
concepts of human biology, and to expose them to advanced content in disciplines central
to human biology. To achieve these goals, the program stresses a core foundation in the
natural sciences, with an additional emphasis on the social sciences.
Students choose electives based on their individual interests and career goals, and they
should consult with the College’s health professions program advisor to ensure that they
complete all of the requirements needed to prepare for entry into professional programs
of interest after graduation. An optional experiential learning experience allows students
to apply their academic knowledge through research, internship, or service learning. The
major culminates in a capstone experience investigating the latest trends in the health
sciences to be presented by the student during the senior conference.
This major is suitable for students pursuing post-graduate training in allied health and
related careers, including nursing, physical therapy, pharmacy, occupational therapy,
pathology assistant, physician assistant, genetic counseling, medical technology, medical
assistant, nutritionist, clinical laboratory research assistant and more. Alternatively,
students interested in such careers can earn a different major and take the necessary
preparatory courses for allied health careers as free electives. Students seeking careers
with an emphasis on the prevention of disease, injury, or illness at the societal level could
also consider earning a distinction in public health. The health sciences major is not
appropriate for students pursuing entry into medical, dental, veterinary, optometry, or
graduate school; these students typically need different courses and research experience
to be qualified and competitive for these programs. Students earning a health sciences
major may not also earn a biology minor.
Upon completion of the health sciences major, students will be able to
• apply core concepts of natural and social science to human biology and
healthcare
• apply the scientific method to answer health-related questions
• analyze and interpret health-related data
• integrate social and natural science perspectives when describing issues in the
field of human biology and healthcare
Birmingham-Southern College Catalog 2023-2024