Bachelor of Science in Health Science
Program Description
The Bachelor of Science in Health Science (BSHS) is a baccalaureate degree designed for students completing an Associate degree in a health program. It is designed to provide Associate degree graduates the opportunity to pursue work and training related to health studies, complete a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree, and satisfy many of the prerequisites for a variety of health science related graduate programs
Certificates & Degrees
- Bachelor of Science in Health Science
BSHS Requirements
Students pursuing the Bachelor of Science in health Science should be in or have graduated from an Associate degree program that has been approved by the Idaho State Board of Education.* Students may transfer up to a maximum of 50 credits from this degree (all lower division credits).
General Education Requirements
Some credits of which may have been completed in the associate degree: Minimum of 37 credits. Students may need more depending on the results of placement testing.
Academic Coursework
30-35 credits from specific courses listed below.
Upper Division Credits
A total of 36 upper division credits is required to complete a Bachelor of Science Degree.
Total Minimum Credits Required (including transfer credits from the Associate Degree)
128 credits.*
| CHEM 0111 | General Chemistry & Lab | 5 credits |
| CHEM 0112 | General Chemistry & Lab | 4 credits |
| OR these three courses: | ||
| CHEM 0101 | Introduction to General Chemistry | 3 credits |
| CHEM 0102, 0103 | Introduction to Organic and Biochemistry, and Lab | 4 credits |
| BIOS 0301 | Anatomy & Physiology | 4 credits |
| BIOS 0302 | Anatomy & Physiology | 4 credits |
| PHYS 0111 & 0113 | General Physics & Lab | 4 credits |
| PHYS 112 & 114 | General Physics & Lab | 4 credits |
| OR | ||
| PHYS 0100 | Essentials of Physics | 4 credits |
| PSYC 0301 | Abnormal Psychology | 3 credits |
| ENGL 0307 | Professional Writing | 3 credits |
| MATH 0253 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 credits |
| TOTAL Credits | 30-35 credits | |
Upper Division Credit Choices and Electives:
A student may choose from a variety of upper division courses on campus that will facilitate the career goals and opportunities in the health sciences area. There are some upper division classes listed that require a lower division prerequisite or permission of the instructor. The student will be responsible for obtaining the correct level of permission to take these courses.
The BSHS is a multi-disciplinary/interdisciplinary degree and allows freedom for students to pursue areas of student in health sciences that will best meet their professional or graduate school goals. The student will use the following to formulate his/her degree plan. This plan will be approved by the Bachelor of Science in Health Science degree committee. Students are urged to meet regularly with their assigned advisor.
Students MUST complete a minimum of three (3) upper division Biology credits. It is expected that the student will complete a minimum of one course out of three of the areas listed below. The BSHS committee will approve the selection of these upper division credits to assure coherence in the degree plan.
A student must have a minimum of 36 upper division credits to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Health Science.
Areas of Study: (Student should complete a minimum of one course out of three of the areas listed below.)
| Any of the upper division courses in the Biological Sciences are appropriate | 3 credit MINIMUM |
| ANTH 407 | Cross-Culture Health and Healing | 3 credits |
| ANTH 408 | Special Topics in Medical Anthropology | 3 credits |
| PSYC 225 | Child Psychology | 3 credits |
| PSYC 302 | Abnormal Psych II | 3 credits |
| SOC 301 | Principles of Sociology | 3 credits |
| SOC 366 | The Community | 3 credits |
| SOC 413 | Mind, Self, and Society | 3 credits |
| HE 332 | Community and Public Health | 3 credits |
| HE 340 | Fitness and Wellness Programs | 3 credits |
| HE 383 | Epidemiology | 2 credits |
| HE 420 | Health Planning and Evaluation | 3 credits |
| HE 460 | Health Lifestyle Management | 2 credits |
| PE 300 | Movement Theory | 4 credits |
| PE 301 | Physiology of Exercise | 4 credits |
| PE 302 | Human Kinesiology | 3 credits |
| PE 322 | Psychology of Sport | 2 credits |
| PE 470 | Care and Prevention of Athletic Injuries | 3 credits |
| PE 494 | Special Physical Activity | 4 credits |
| CHEM 301 & 303 | Organic Chem I and Lab I | 4 credits |
| CHEM 302 & 304 | Organic Chem II and Lab II | 3 credits |
| PHYS 312 | Introduction to Biophysics | 4 credits |
A student MUST have a MINIMUM of 128 total credits for a Bachelor of Science in Health Science degree.
* Out-of-state degrees must be evaluated for meeting Idaho State Board of Education standards. If the degree is over 5 years old, it must be evaluated for currency.
** Any general education classes incorporated into the Associate degree will be counted here.
All BSHS student must earn a minimum of 2.0 GPA in academic course work for graduation. Upper division academic coursework must be related to the student's approved goal statement. It is recommended that 24 academic credits be completed after degree plan approval.
After completing 15 credit hours of BSHS general education requirements and at least one semester of an Associate degree program in a health related field, the BSHS student develops an individualized degree plan in consultation with an advisor assigned to the BSHS Committee Chair. Based on the student's concise and clearly written goal statement, the individualized degree plan will list the specific approved courses that meet the above described degree requirements. The BSHS Committee must approve the goal statement and the degree plan.
Cost of Attendance
Fees apply to the current Idaho State University fee schedule which includes mandatory student health insurance. Students with existing health insurance coverage may waive student health insurance. Waivers are available at http://www.isu.edu/stuhlth/insurance/.
Paying for College
You may apply for financial aid, scholarships, grants, and loans to help finance your college education. When you pay registration fees, you are a student of Idaho State University with the privileges and responsibilities of a college student.