Health Sciences, B.S. - CHHS, UNH

Undergraduate

Health Sciences

Explore multiple aspects of healthcare delivery—from core biological sciences to evidence-based clinical practices and community health promotion.
Degree
Bachelor of Science
Location
Durham, NH
Courses
23*
Credit
128 hrs*
Full-time
4 yrs.
Part-time
Varies
View course catalog
Athletic training student massaging a female student athlete

Kinesiology

The Health Science major at UNH offers comprehensive training in life sciences and healthcare principles for today's evolving medical field. Here you'll be able to explore multiple aspects of healthcare delivery—from core biological sciences to evidence-based clinical practices and community health promotion. 

With a focus on tailored studies, experiential learning, and practical applications, our program prepares you for advanced clinical degrees or immediate entry into healthcare careers. Through intensive coursework and hands-on experience, you'll develop the essential skills needed to enhance individual and community well-being in various healthcare settings.

*Number of courses and course credit hours may vary, please reach out to your academic advisor for exact requirements.

Department of Kinesiology

Key Links

Tuition Costs

Contact Cards

Lisa Waller
Clinical Associate Professor
Lisa.Waller@unh.edu
New Hampshire Hall, Durham, NH 03824
(603) 862-2346

WHAT IS HEALTH SCIENCES?

The health sciences program is for students concerned with the well-being of others and interested in a career in healthcare. Health sciences majors should possess a strong science aptitude and a passion for health and wellness. As healthcare has evolved in the U.S., degree programs in the allied health professions have moved to post-baccalaureate education. Individuals with career interest in a health profession must first attain prerequisite knowledge to be prepared to study in these advanced degree programs. This rigorous academic program prepares students for graduate study in a variety of health disciplines including, but not limited to medical school, physician assistant studies, physical therapy, nursing, athletic training and more.

WHY STUDY HEALTH SCIENCES AT UNH?

As a health sciences major at UNH, this program of study will prepare you for a range of careers in the large and interdisciplinary healthcare field. This versatile major provides the foundational, prerequisite knowledge for graduate education in health professions, and is general enough to give you flexibility to structure your program of study to your professional career interests. A health sciences student will have an academic advisor who understands the requirements and nuances of applying to advanced degree programs. Students will receive instruction in the life sciences, pharmacology, nutrition, culturally responsive healthcare, injury and disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment, kinesiology and health behaviors.

POTENTIAL CAREERS

  • Physician assistant
  • Physical therapy
  • Athletic training
  • Chiropractic
  • Medicine
  • Nursing
  • Occupational therapy

Curriculum & Requirements

01
Program Description
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The Health Sciences program is designed for students who are committed to joining the distinguished community of health care professionals. Students build essential academic and professional skills while completing rigorous prerequisite coursework that prepares them for advanced study in the health professions, particularly for those who aspire to become health care providers. As many professional programs now require post-baccalaureate training, the curriculum emphasizes the preparation needed to be competitive for admission to graduate or professional school. While many graduates pursue advanced training in fields such as physician assistant studies, medicine, physical therapy, nursing, and related health professions, others enter the workforce in hospital, clinical, or community-based health settings.

02
Degree Plan
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Sample Degree Plan

This sample degree plan serves as a general guide; students collaborate with their academic advisor to develop a personalized degree plan to meet their academic goals and program requirements.

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
FallCredits
BIOL 411 Introductory Biology: Molecular and Cellular 4
HMP 401 United States Health Care Systems 4
ENGL 401 First-Year Writing 4
Discovery/Elective 4
 Credits16
Spring
BIOL 412 Introductory Biology: Evolution, Biodiversity and Ecology 4
HS 501 Medical Terminology 2
PSYC 401 Introduction to Psychology 4
Discovery/Elective 4
Discovery/Elective 4
 Credits18
Second Year
Fall
HS 605 Exploration of Allied Health Professions (fall or spring) 2
KIN 585
& 585L		 Emergency Medical Responder
and Emergency Medical Responder Lab		 5
BMS 507 Human Anatomy and Physiology I 4
Discovery/Elective 4
 Credits15
Spring
NUTR 400 Nutrition in Health and Well Being 4
BMS 508 Human Anatomy and Physiology II 4
PSYC 402 Statistics in Psychology 1 4
Discovery Elective 4
 Credits16
Third Year
Fall
CHEM 403 General Chemistry I 4
HS 770 General Medical Conditions for Health Professions 4
HS 656 Musculoskeletal Pathologies for Health Professions 4
HS 657 Musculoskeletal Pathologies for Health Professions Lab 1
Discovery Elective (see recommended electives under requirements) 4
 Credits17
Spring
CHEM 404 General Chemistry II 4
HS 767 Pharmacology for Health Professions 4
HMP 744 Law and Ethics in Healthcare 4
HS 702 From Lab to Life: Interpretation of Research to Guide Clinical Practice 4
 Credits16
Fourth Year
Fall
HS 741 The Art and Science of Healthcare Practice: Integrating Clinical Knowledge with Professional Skills 4
PHYS 401 Introduction to Physics I 4
Discovery Elective (see recommended electives under requirements) 4
Discovery Elective (see recommended electives under requirements) 4
 Credits16
Spring
HS 717 Cultural Considerations in Health Care 4
Discovery Elective (see recommended electives under requirements) 4
Discovery Elective (see recommended electives under requirements) 4
Discovery Elective (see recommended electives under requirements) 4
 Credits16
 Total Credits130
03
Requirements for the Program
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Degree Requirements

Minimum Credit Requirement: 128 credits
Minimum Residency Requirement: 32 credits must be taken at UNH
Minimum GPA: 2.0 required for conferral*
Core Curriculum Required: Discovery & Writing Program Requirements
Foreign Language Requirement: No

All Major, Option and Elective Requirements as indicated.
*Major GPA requirements as indicated.

Major Requirements

Students are required to have earned a minimum, cumulative, GPA of 2.85 by the end of their Sophomore/2nd Year in the Health Sciences Major. Students are also required to achieve a C or better in all required courses in the major. Students with a GPA below 2.85 will be excluded (removed) from the Health Sciences Major.

Required Courses
BIOL 411Introductory Biology: Molecular and Cellular4
BIOL 412Introductory Biology: Evolution, Biodiversity and Ecology4
BMS 507Human Anatomy and Physiology I4
BMS 508Human Anatomy and Physiology II4
CHEM 403General Chemistry I4
CHEM 404General Chemistry II4
HS 501Medical Terminology2
HS 605Exploration of Allied Health Professions2
HS 656Musculoskeletal Pathologies for Health Professions4
HS 657Musculoskeletal Pathologies for Health Professions Lab1
HS 702From Lab to Life: Interpretation of Research to Guide Clinical Practice4
HS 717Cultural Considerations in Health Care4
HS 741The Art and Science of Healthcare Practice: Integrating Clinical Knowledge with Professional Skills4
HS 767Pharmacology for Health Professions4
HS 770General Medical Conditions for Health Professions4
KIN 585
& 585L		Emergency Medical Responder
and Emergency Medical Responder Lab		5
NUTR 400Nutrition in Health and Well Being4
PHYS 401Introduction to Physics I4
PSYC 401Introduction to Psychology4
HMP 401United States Health Care Systems4
HMP 744Law and Ethics in Healthcare4
PSYC 402Statistics in Psychology 14
or SOC 402 Statistics
or HMP 540 Statistics for Health and Human Service Professionals
1

Any UNH statistics course satisfies the requirement with advisor approval. 

Required University Courses

Candidates for a degree must satisfy all of the University Discovery requirements in addition to satisfying the requirements of the Health Sciences curriculum and any pre-requisite coursework needed to apply to the graduate programs they plan to pursue.

A student’s plan of elective courses should align with post-baccalaureate pursuits, and be approved by a Health Sciences advisor.

Recommended electives for future health professionals that are external to the Health Sciences courses may include course work in Communication Sciences & Disorders, Human Development & Family Studies, Health & Human Services, Health Management & Policy, Kinesiology, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Recreation Management & Policy, Social Work, and other coursework in the life sciences and health and human services. 

BMCB 658
& BMCB 659W		General Biochemistry
and General Biochemistry Lab		5
BMS 503
& BMS 504		General Microbiology
and General Microbiology Laboratory		5
CHEM 545
& CHEM 546		Organic Chemistry
and Organic Chemistry Laboratory		5
EXSC 620Physiology of Exercise4
GEN 604Principles of Genetics4
KIN 652Clinical Kinesiology4
KIN 684
& KIN 685		Emergency Medical Care: Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
and Emergency Medical Care: EMT Lab		6
KIN 706Neurology4
PHYS 402Introduction to Physics II0
PSYC 561Psychopathology4
PSYC 581Child Development4
04
Student Learning Outcomes
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Program Learning Outcomes
  • Demonstrate understanding of core principles of biology, chemistry, physics, anatomy and physiology, psychology, and kinesiology.
  • Demonstrate comprehension of musculoskeletal evaluation and assessment techniques.
  • Demonstrate responsiveness to cultural considerations in healthcare. a.) Understand influence of age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, spirituality, socioeconomic status, and other aspects of diversity on individual healthcare needs and health-related quality of life.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of scientific research and writing. a.) Ability to identify and analyze scholarly literature. b.) Ability to synthesize and articulate research findings through writing.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of behaviors, scopes of practice, and legal and ethical standards for health professions.
  • Understand concepts of evidence-based practice and patient-centered care for health professions.

From the CHHS Blog

Explore Program Details

01
FAQ
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Q: I’m currently an undergraduate student at UNH. I’m interested in changing my major to Health Sciences (BS), how do I do that?

  • Students seeking to change their major to Health Sciences must complete an internal transfer application and complete all necessary steps as outlined in the instructions.
  • Health Sciences is a competitive major. Students seeking to transfer to the Health Sciences major must complete and submit an application. Applications will be accepted during the spring semester; the deadline is April 15th. Applicants are required to have successfully completed BMS 507 with at least a C or better and either completed or be currently enrolled in BMS 508, attained a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, and submit a letter of intent that explains your interest in the Health Sciences major. Students granted acceptance will be informed after the completion of the spring semester in which they applied and will begin in the major during the subsequent fall semester. These requirements reflect the minimum standards for eligible applicants; competitive applicants will exceed these benchmarks by showing proof of academic excellence.

 

Q: I’m currently a high school student and I want to become a physician assistant, physical therapist, or another health profession with a degree program at the post-graduate level (MS or higher). How can I achieve this goal by attending UNH?

  • The Health Sciences major will provide you with the coursework that are common pre-requisites for post-graduate study in physician assistant studies, physical therapy, athletic training, medicine, nursing, and many other health-related professional programs of study. UNH does not currently offer post-professional degree programs in all of the allied health disciplines listed above; it is the student’s responsibility to identify, make themselves eligible for, and ultimately apply to their desired post-graduate programs.
  • The Health Sciences major includes full years (2 semesters) in biology, chemistry, human anatomy and physiology, and physics.
  • The Health Sciences major also includes introductory coursework in epidemiology, general medical conditions, pharmacology, exercise physiology, orthopedic injury assessment, diagnosis, and treatment.
  • The Health Sciences major includes over 20 credits of elective/open coursework that students can use to design a curriculum that meets the specific pre-requisite requirements of their chosen field of professional education. The successful completion of pre-requisite coursework is the responsibility of the student. Students interested in specific allied health professional degree programs should research the eligibility requirements for those programs to which they intend to apply to ensure they meet all requirements for successful application and entry to those programs.
  • The Health Sciences major includes coursework that requires students to find observation experiences with practicing professionals in several allied health fields to assist students in making the appropriate career choice based on their interests.
  • The Health Sciences major is not a clinical education major, and there are no guaranteed clinical experiences or exposures for students in the major. Students seeking entry to professional post-graduate degree programs will learn discipline-specific clinical skills in those post-graduate programs. It is the student’s responsibility to take all pre-requisite coursework for the post-graduate programs in which they intend to pursue.
02
Transfer Students
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Health Sciences is a competitive major. Students seeking to transfer to the Health Sciences major must complete and submit an application. Applications will be accepted during the spring semester; the deadline is February 1st. Applicants are required to have successfully completed BMS 507 with at least a C or better and either completed or be currently enrolled in BMS 508, attained a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, and submit a letter of intent that explains your interest in the Health Sciences major. Students granted acceptance will be informed after the completion of the spring semester in which they applied and will begin in the major during the subsequent fall semester. These requirements reflect the minimum standards for eligible applicants; competitive applicants will exceed these benchmarks by showing proof of academic excellence.

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03
Advanced Degree Programs
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Students interested in our Health Sciences major may also be interested in these advanced degree offerings:

More to Explore

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