The major in Health Sciences is committed to preparing students to achieve the following learning objectives:
- To generate, analyze, and appraise research by distinguishing between quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods research, and discuss the merits of evidence-based health care.
- Identify ethical dilemmas in the form, function, and financing of healthcare systems and understand the structure of healthcare organizations and their legal and ethical role in compliance with state and federal health care policy.
- Develop effective communication skills by mastering basic interviewing micro skills and strategies for implementation in a responsive, developmentally appropriate, and culturally sensitive manner.
- Develop a thorough understanding of the social, psychological, economic, physical, medical, cultural, and other environmental factors faced by individuals and families and their impact on functional participation throughout the lifespan.
A major in Health Sciences prepares students for a broad range of career opportunities in the growing fields of health care with applications to administration, clinical practice, policy development, and research. The Health Sciences major is an interdisciplinary program with coursework in disease and disability, health care delivery and care models, and the natural sciences, as well as the economics, ethics, and policies that drive our global health care systems. Students are encouraged to customize their education by adding a concentration to their major, in close consultation with their advisor, which may help direct them toward the graduate program of their choice.