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Requirements
Health Sciences
The Health Sciences program provides a streamlined pathway for students to complete prerequisite course requirements for many health professions schools, including Nursing, Physician’s Assistant/Associate, Physical Therapist, and others.
Students develop critical biology-, chemistry-, and psychology-based skills and knowledge required for scientific competency in healthcare professions, explore and evaluate research in the health sciences, build context to understand healthcare access and inequities with strategies for mitigation, and gain experience in healthcare settings through internships, shadowing, and other opportunities.
Majors
New Major: Students may declare this major after it has been approved by Beloit’s external accrediting bodies.
The Health Sciences major equips students with core and foundational knowledge in the natural and social sciences with key professional skills and experiences necessary to succeed in allied health fields and graduate-level health professions academic programs.
- Four units from social sciences, public health, and natural sciences courses, chosen appropriately to meet prerequisites for other requirements:
- One unit of introductory social science: Anthropology 100, Psychology 100, or Sociology 100.
- One unit of introductory public health: Health and Society 140.
- One unit of introductory chemistry: Chemistry 117.
- One unit of introductory biology: Biology 110, 111, 121, or 152.
- One unit in a statistical analysis course or math: Biology 247, Health and Society 201, Mathematics 110, or Sociology 205.
- Four units on the social determinants of health courses, at least one of which must be at the 300-level: Anthropology 262, 305, 306, 323, Biology 215, Greek, Latin, and Ancient Mediterranean Studies 215, Health and Society 235, 252, 308, Philosophy 221, Political Science 212, 230, 255, Psychology, 210, 215, 240, 252, 260, 265, 305, 365, 375, Religious Studies 205, or Sociology 225, 245, 275.
- Four units in the natural sciences courses, at least one of which must be at the 300-level: Anthropology 230, 330, Biology 208, 237, 256, 257, 289, 340, 365, 375 (when topic is appropriate), Chemistry 230, 235, 260, 360, 365, Health and Society 301, or Psychology 230.
Additional Information
Students with a 3.6 GPA or above in courses in the major may apply junior year for honors and develop a self-designed honors project.
- Bachelor of Science: Students majoring in health sciences may choose to receive the Bachelor of Science degree rather than the Bachelor of Arts degree by completing a minimum of 8 units in biology, chemistry, computer science, geology, mathematics, and/or physics.
- Experience requirement: Students interested in health sciences are encouraged to fulfill their Experience Requirement by engaging in the improvement of the health of neighborhoods, country, and/ or world. This engagement may occur during a research or internship, an E-designated course, and/or an approved study abroad experience.
- Study Abroad: Students majoring in health sciences may fulfill major requirements while studying abroad. Students should consult with a major advisor when preparing for studying abroad.
- Language study: Students interested in health sciences are strongly encouraged to develop fluency in a second language. Spanish fluency is valuable to students who will be health care practitioners in the United States, and a double major in Spanish, French, or Japanese is recommended.
- Writing/communication requirement: Writing in health sciences incorporates the multiple traditions that inform the study and delivery of healthcare services. Students are be exposed to a variety of writing styles in the natural science, social science, humanities, and interdisciplinary courses required for the major. Students are encouraged to identify a capstone course that provides opportunities to explore writing and speaking in ways that communicate to diverse audiences and write a reflective essay at the end of the major. Students are encouraged to present their experiences from study away, research, or internship at Beloit College student symposia.