- Medicine
- Dentistry
- Veterinary medicine
- Public health
- Physician assistant studies
- Nurse practitioner
- Pharmacy
- Physical therapy
- Social work
- Speech-language pathology
The health science major offers students a solid academic and experiential foundation that positions them well to pursue graduate and professional school training in the following programs:
The health science major is also designed for students who are seeking a strong foundation for a career in health administration and in community-based health promotion and public health.
Please visit Bouvé College Learning Outcomes for the specific student learning outcomes for this program.
Complete all courses listed below unless otherwise indicated. Also complete any corequisite labs, recitations, clinicals, or tools courses where specified and complete any additional courses needed beyond specific college and major requirements to satisfy graduation credit requirements.
Universitywide Requirements
All undergraduate students are required to complete the Universitywide Requirements.
NUpath Requirements
All undergraduate students are required to complete the NUpath Requirements.
Public Health Core
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PHTH 1260 | The American Healthcare System | 4 |
| or PHTH 1261 | Comparative Healthcare Systems | |
| PHTH 2210 and PHTH 2211 | Foundations of Biostatistics and Recitation for PHTH 2210 | 4 |
| PHTH 2300 | Communication Skills for the Health Professions | 4 |
| or PHTH 2301 | Communication Skills for the Health Professions—Global | |
| PHTH 2350 | Community and Public Health | 4 |
| or PHTH 2351 | Community and Public Health - Global | |
| PHTH 2515 | Healthcare Policy and Administration | 4 |
| PHTH 4120 | Global Perspectives on Discrimination and Health | 4 |
| PHTH 4202 | Principles of Epidemiology in Medicine and Public Health | 4 |
| PHTH 4540 | Health Education and Program Planning | 4 |
Science Requirement
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 1111 and BIOL 1112 | General Biology 1 and Lab for BIOL 1111 | 5 |
| BIOL 1113 and BIOL 1114 | General Biology 2 and Lab for BIOL 1113 | 5 |
| CHEM 1161 and CHEM 1162 and CHEM 1163 | General Chemistry for Science Majors and Lab for CHEM 1161 and Recitation for CHEM 1161 | 5 |
| MATH 1241 | Calculus 1 | 4 |
| PSYC 1101 | Foundations of Psychology | 4 |
Selectives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete at least three courses from the groups listed below with at least two in one category. At least one of the courses must be at 2000 level or higher. Students may complete additional courses to fulfill a minor, such as global health, nutrition, and exercise science. | 9-13 | |
| Society and Health | ||
| Sport, Culture, and Society | ||
| Medical Anthropology | ||
| Psychology of Crime | ||
| The (in)Visibility of (dis)Ability in Society | ||
| Introduction to Health and Humanities | ||
| Introduction to Global Health | ||
or AFRS 1270 | Introduction to Global Health | |
| Environmental Health | ||
| Environmental Health | ||
| Health Advocacy | ||
| Global Health | ||
| Economic Perspectives on Health Policy | ||
| Sociology of Poverty | ||
| Environment and Society | ||
| Sociology of Gender | ||
| Drugs and Society | ||
| Sociology of Disability | ||
| Gender and Reproductive Justice | ||
| Environment, Technology, and Society | ||
| Sociology of Health and Illness | ||
| Environmental Justice | ||
| Gender, Race, and Medicine | ||
| Policy and Administration | ||
| Healthcare and Medical Economics | ||
| International Food Policy | ||
| Global Social Enterprise | ||
| Sexual Orientation and Gender Expression | ||
| Social Policy | ||
| Introduction to Law, Policy, and Society | ||
| Healthcare Management, Innovation, and Design | ||
| Organizational Behavior | ||
| Healthcare Management | ||
| Critical Issues in Health and Public-Health Policy | ||
| Evaluating Healthcare Quality | ||
| Economic Perspectives on Health Policy | ||
| Environmental Politics and Policy | ||
| Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues in Public Policy | ||
| Law and Social Justice | ||
| Violence and Society | ||
| Nutrition and Wellness | ||
| Introduction to Mindfulness | ||
| Personal Behavior Change | ||
| Health Psychology: An Introduction | ||
| Behavioral Assessment and Treatment of Health Problems in the 21st Century | ||
| Games for Change | ||
| Health Communication | ||
| Introduction to Exercise, Fitness, and Health | ||
| Exercise Physiology 1 and Lab for EXSC 4500 | ||
| Cardiopulmonary Physiology | ||
| Advanced Exercise Physiology | ||
| Human Nutrition | ||
| Contemporary Issues in Nutrition | ||
| Advanced Nutrition in Health and Disease | ||
| Public Health Nutrition in the Community | ||
| Drugs and Behavior | ||
| Digital Health | ||
| Fundamentals of Computer Science 1 and Lab for CS 2500 | ||
| Programming with Data and Data Science Programming Practicum | ||
| Information Presentation and Visualization | ||
| Introduction to Health Informatics and Health Information Systems | ||
| Theoretical Foundations in Personal Health Informatics | ||
| Personal Health Interface Design and Development | ||
| Principles of Information Science | ||
| Empirical Research Methods | ||
| Health Data Science | ||
| Ethnographic Field Experience | ||
| Social Network Analysis | ||
| Fundamentals of Qualitative Research | ||
| Introduction to Epidemiology | ||
| Research Methods in Political Science | ||
Capstone Requirement
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete one of the following options: | 4-8 | |
| Option 1: Health Science Capstone | ||
| Health Science Capstone Introduction | ||
Complete one from the following: | ||
| Health Science Capstone—Service | ||
| Health Science Capstone—Research | ||
| Health Science Capstone Seminar | ||
| Option 2: Honors Project | ||
| Junior/Senior Honors Project 1 | ||
| Junior/Senior Honors Project 2 | ||
Other Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| HSCI 1000 | College: An Introduction | 1 |
| HSCI 2000 | Professional Development for Bouvé Co-op | 1 |
| ENGW 1111 | First-Year Writing | 4 |
| ENGW 3306 | Advanced Writing in the Health Professions | 4 |
| PHIL 1165 | Moral and Social Problems in Healthcare | 4 |
Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete a minimum of 41 credits of general electives. Total elective semester hours required to meet degree completion requirement will depend on student's choice of selectives above. | 41 | |
Health Sciences Major Requirement
A grade of C or higher is required for all BIOL, CHEM, HLTH, HSCI, MATH, and PHTH courses.
Academic Policies and Procedures
Please visit Bouvé College of Health Sciences Undergraduate page for academic policies and procedures, including Academic Appeals.
Program Requirement
132 total semester hours required
In addition to the required courses for the Bachelor of Science in Health Science, students who are interested in clinical graduate school programs are encouraged to enroll in the following courses, utilizing available elective slots:
Premed Track
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SOCL 1101 | Introduction to Sociology | 4 |
| BIOL 2301 and BIOL 2302 | Genetics and Molecular Biology and Lab for BIOL 2301 | 5 |
| PHYS 1145 and PHYS 1146 | Physics for Life Sciences 1 and Lab for PHYS 1145 | 5 |
| PHYS 1147 and PHYS 1148 | Physics for Life Sciences 2 and Lab for PHYS 1147 | 5 |
| CHEM 2311 and CHEM 2312 | Organic Chemistry 1 and Lab for CHEM 2311 | 5 |
| CHEM 2313 and CHEM 2314 | Organic Chemistry 2 and Lab for CHEM 2313 | 5 |
| BIOL 3611 and BIOL 3612 | Biochemistry and Lab for BIOL 3611 | 5 |
Pre-PA Track
Each Physician assistant (PA) program is unique, and students must research prerequisite courses for the programs to which they plan to apply. Common courses students preparing for PA school take as their electives often include:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 3421 and BIOL 3422 | Microbiology and Lab for BIOL 3421 | 5 |
| BIOL 2217 and BIOL 2218 | Integrated Anatomy and Physiology 1 and Lab for BIOL 2217 | 5 |
| BIOL 2219 and BIOL 2220 | Integrated Anatomy and Physiology 2 and Lab for BIOL 2219 | 5 |
| CHEM 2311 and CHEM 2312 | Organic Chemistry 1 and Lab for CHEM 2311 | 5 |
| CHEM 2313 and CHEM 2314 | Organic Chemistry 2 and Lab for CHEM 2313 | 5 |
| PSYC 3404 | Developmental Psychology | 4 |
Pre-Pharmacy Track
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 2217 and BIOL 2218 | Integrated Anatomy and Physiology 1 and Lab for BIOL 2217 | 5 |
| BIOL 2219 and BIOL 2220 | Integrated Anatomy and Physiology 2 and Lab for BIOL 2219 | 5 |
| BIOL 3611 and BIOL 3612 | Biochemistry and Lab for BIOL 3611 | 5 |
| CHEM 2311 and CHEM 2312 | Organic Chemistry 1 and Lab for CHEM 2311 | 5 |
| CHEM 2313 and CHEM 2314 | Organic Chemistry 2 and Lab for CHEM 2313 | 5 |
| PHYS 1145 and PHYS 1146 | Physics for Life Sciences 1 and Lab for PHYS 1145 | 5 |
Pre-Physical Therapy Track*
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 2217 and BIOL 2218 | Integrated Anatomy and Physiology 1 and Lab for BIOL 2217 | 5 |
| BIOL 2219 and BIOL 2220 | Integrated Anatomy and Physiology 2 and Lab for BIOL 2219 | 5 |
| CHEM—take one additional chemistry course with lab | 5 | |
| EXSC 4500 | Exercise Physiology 1 | 4 |
| PHYS 1145 and PHYS 1146 | Physics for Life Sciences 1 and Lab for PHYS 1145 | 5 |
| PHYS 1147 and PHYS 1148 | Physics for Life Sciences 2 and Lab for PHYS 1147 | 5 |
| PSYC 3404 | Developmental Psychology | 4 |
*There is a priority application process for current Northeastern students who meet the required criteria. Visit the Doctor of Physical Therapy page for more information.
Four Years, Two Co-ops in Summer2/Fall
| Year 1 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| HSCI 1000 | 1 | PSYC 1101 | 4 | PHTH 2300 | 4 | vacation | |
| PHTH 1260 | 4 | Elective or Selective | 4 | Elective or Selective | 4 | ||
| MATH 1241 | 4 | BIOL 1113 and BIOL 1114 | 5 | ||||
| BIOL 1111 and BIOL 1112 | 5 | CHEM 1161 and CHEM 1162 and CHEM 1163 | 5 | ||||
| ENGW 1111 | 4 | ||||||
| 18 | 18 | 8 | 0 | ||||
| Year 2 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| Elective or Selective | 8 | HSCI 2000 | 1 | PHTH 2515 | 4 | Coop | |
| PHTH 2350 | 4 | PHTH 2210 and PHTH 2211 | 4 | Elective or Selective | 4 | ||
| PHIL 1165 | 4 | Elective or Selective | 12 | ||||
| 16 | 17 | 8 | 0 | ||||
| Year 3 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| Coop | ENGW 3306 | 4 | PHTH 4540 | 4 | Coop | ||
| Elective or Selective | 4 | PHTH 4202 | 4 | Elective or Selective | 4 | ||
| Elective or Selective | 8 | ||||||
| 4 | 16 | 8 | 0 | ||||
| Year 4 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||||
| Coop | PHTH 4120 | 4 | |||||
| Elective or Selective | 4 | Capstone Course | 4 | ||||
| HSCI 4700 | 0 | Elective or Selective | 8 | ||||
| 4 | 16 | ||||||
| Total Hours: 133 | |||||||
Four Years, Two Co-ops in Spring/Summer 1
| Year 1 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| HSCI 1000 | 1 | BIOL 1113 | 4 | PHTH 2350 | 4 | Vacation | 0 |
| PHTH 1260 | 4 | BIOL 1114 | 1 | Elective | 4 | ||
| PSYC 1101 | 4 | MATH 1241 | 4 | ||||
| BIOL 1111 | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| BIOL 1112 | 1 | CHEM 1161 | 4 | ||||
| ENGW 1111 | 4 | CHEM 1162 | 1 | ||||
| CHEM 1163 | 0 | ||||||
| 18 | 18 | 8 | 0 | ||||
| Year 2 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| HSCI 2000 | 1 | Coop | Coop | PHTH 2300 | 4 | ||
| PHTH 2515 | 4 | Elective | 4 | PHIL 1165 | 4 | ||
| PHTH 2210 and PHTH 2211 | 4 | ||||||
| Electives | 8 | ||||||
| 17 | 4 | 0 | 8 | ||||
| Year 3 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| ENGW 3306 | 4 | Coop | Coop | PHTH 4540 | 4 | ||
| PHTH 4202 | 4 | Elective | 4 | Elective or Selective | 4 | ||
| Elective | 4 | ||||||
| Selective | 4 | ||||||
| 16 | 4 | 0 | 8 | ||||
| Year 4 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||||
| HSCI 4700 | 0 | Capstone Course | 4 | ||||
| PHTH 4120 | 4 | Elective or Selective | 12 | ||||
| Elective or Selective | 12 | ||||||
| 16 | 16 | ||||||
| Total Hours: 133 | |||||||
- 1
Credit count of selective/elective is dependent on credit count of selective/elective in same term, to avoid unintended credit overload.