Course Offerings and Descriptions

50:499:101 – Introduction to Health Sciences (3)
This course provides students with an overview of issues central to the health sciences and careers in the field of health. Issues addressed include public health initiatives, social influences on health, poverty and health, and health care systems in the U.S. and around the world. Through the discussion of classic and cutting-edge research, students develop an appreciation for the vast array of complex issues central to this emerging and applied field. Further, exposure to these topics will prepare students to make informed decisions about their future education and careers.  Sample syllabus.*

Health & the Individual courses

50:499:304 – Media and Health (3)
The media, including television, movies, magazines, book, social media/the internet, and music, strongly influences our health behaviors and outcomes. This course concentrates on a number of topics related to health and media, including body ideals, video games and violence, health coverage in the news, social media use and health, and advertising. The course focuses on how media influences individual as well as population health and well-being. Sample syllabus.*

50:499:360 – Social Relationships and Health (3)
This course draws upon theory and research in psychology and other fields to understand how social relationships influence health (and vice versa).  The focus of the course is on the structure and function of social relationships, different types of relationships throughout the lifespan, and gender and cultural differences in relationship dynamics.  Both physical and mental health outcomes are examined, and implications for future research, practice, and policy are considered. . Sample syllabus*

50:499:364 – Sleep, Health, & Behavior (3)
Sleep is a multidisciplinary field that integrates biology, medicine, and psychology to understand one of the most complex (and often underrated) human behaviors. This seminar course will introduce students to the field of sleep with the goal of helping students understand why we sleep, how sleep affects health, learning, and development, and what happens when we do not receive adequate sleep.

50:499:362 – Adolescent Health (3)
This course explores the physical, emotional, and social development of adolescents, focusing on their unique healthcare needs and challenges. Topics include mental health, sexual and reproductive health, substance use, nutrition, and the influence of family, peers, and culture on adolescent well-being. The course also emphasizes strategies for promoting healthy behaviors and preventing risk factors, with attention to diverse populations. Through case studies, research, and practical applications, students will develop the knowledge and skills to support adolescent health in clinical and community settings.Sample syllabus*

Health & Society courses

50:499:370 – Introduction to Public Health (3)
Public health is the science, art, and practice of promoting, protecting, and improving the health of all people and their communities. This course is designed to spark students’ continuing interest in public health, and to provide them with a basic foundation of the various topics and disciplines comprising public health, including epidemiology, health policy, health promotion and disease prevention, and healthcare systems. This course will explain how public health is done at the local, state, and federal levels; students will also learn how to interpret and understand what they hear in the news about public health, health policy, and other relevant current events. *Note: this course is also considered a “healthcare systems, policy, and administration” course.

50:499:372 – Health & Society (3)
This course examines the social determinants of health in the United States.  It explores how social, cultural, economic, political, and environmental factors shape health and illness. Rather than focusing only on biology or medicine, the course examines health as a social experience influenced by institutions, policies, inequalities, and everyday life.  The course addresses various factors – such as socioeconomic status, education, race, and gender – that impact individual and community health outcomes, as well as how these factors shape health disparities and impact public health.

Healthcare Systems, Policy, and Administration courses

50:499:330 – Introduction to Healthcare Administration (3)
Introduction to Healthcare Administration is an overview of the administrative theory to delivery of healthcare services, policy/procedure creation and implementation, and the operational processes necessary to ensure safe and optimal patient care through the healthcare delivery system. The course focuses on the application of learnt material through understanding how said learnt material applies to the healthcare administration field.

50:499:384 – Current Topics in Healthcare Systems and Policy (3)
This course focuses on current topics in U.S. healthcare systems and policy. The specific issues covered may vary by semester, but may include topics such as healthcare access and affordability, health insurance and payment systems, housing and health, public health policy, health equity, and the organization and delivery of care in the United States. Students will examine how social, political, and economic factors shape healthcare policy and influence health outcomes at the individual and population level. By the end of the course, students will have a better understanding of the current state of healthcare systems and policy in the United States and how these structures affect health and healthcare delivery.  

Culture & Health courses

50:499:305 – Cultural and Global Competency in Healthcare (3; GCM gen ed distinction)
 This course explores cultural and global competency as it applies to health/human service professionals. Students review literature related to diversity and cultural competence as it relates to disparities in health status and access to quality care. Students will reflect on their own cultural background and how that shapes interactions with patients, and they will develop an action plan to promote diversity and awareness in healthcare settings. Sample syllabus.*

50:499:315 – Global Perspectives on Illness and Health (3; GCM gen ed distinction)
This course explores how people around the world understand, experience, and respond to sickness and healing. Students examine how cultural beliefs, social systems, and historical contexts shape the meanings of health, illness, suffering, and care. Through global case studies, personal interviews, and contemporary media, students will analyze how local traditions and global forces—such as inequality, migration, and modernization—intersect to influence health outcomes. Emphasizing cultural and interpretive approaches, the course draws on examples from the United States and across the globe, including childbirth, mental health, traditional healing, infectious disease, and modern healthcare systems. Students will engage directly with these issues through critical reading, reflective writing, and creative project.

Experiential Learning courses

50:499:350 – Community Health (3; ECL gen ed distinction)
This course is designed to introduce the fundamental principles and methods used in community/public health. Students explore theoretical concepts that are key to understanding community/public health, such as the concept of community and the ways that community/public health problems are analyzed and framed. These concepts are applied to specific areas of community/public health concern. Within each area, the social, political, economic, and biomedical aspects of health and illness are discussed. Programs, policies, and practices (or “interventions”) designed to improve population and community health are also explored.

50:499:490 – Health Sciences Research Capstone (3; XPL gen ed distinction)
 The goal of this class is to provide students with direct experience and focused reflection to increase knowledge, develop skills, and utilize theory in applied research. Students will be trained on survey building and data collection, data cleaning and analysis, and data presentation. At the end of this course, students will present their research in the form of a poster presentation session open to faculty and fellow Health Sciences students. Sample syllabus.*

50:499:493 – Applied Experiences in Health Sciences (3; XPL gen ed distinction)
This course is designed to help students learn about working in the healthcare setting and gain important experiences necessary for graduate school applications and their future careers. This learning will take place through students’ experiences at their placement, the supervision students receive, their own reflection about their experiences, and completing a final project relating to their work and graduate school/career goals. Students are encouraged to develop their own placements. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Sample syllabus.*

50:499:497 – Independent Study in Health Sciences (1-3; XPL gen ed distinction)
The student is required to undertake a term-long or year-long laboratory or library project under the supervision of a health sciences faculty member. *Note: Students must receive instructor approval and obtain a special permission number directly from the instructor before next semester’s registration to enroll in independent study. Most instructors require an application or other preliminary steps, and many also require students to meet a minimum GPA and other eligibility requirements. Sample syllabus.*

Elective courses

50:499:120 – Medical Terminology (3)
This course provides students with the foundation for building a medical vocabulary that is useful for careers across many health care occupations. Students will build on this vocabulary through a study of prefixes, suffixes, and root words used in the medical field, with an emphasis on correct pronunciation, spelling, and usage of medical terms. Students will apply this knowledge to the body’s various systems, diseases, and physiology.

50:499:201 – Careers in Health Sciences (3)
In this course, students will explore their own career strengths and interests, gain exposure to a variety of careers and graduate school paths open to people with Health Sciences degrees, and participate in professional development and graduate school preparation activities. Sample syllabus.*

50:499:456/457/458/459: Special Topics in Health Sciences (3)
An advanced course in health sciences that addresses a specific area of study. Intended to be taught as seminars. Topics to be discussed vary from semester to semester based on student and faculty interests. Topics covered include public health, community health, social relationships and health, adolescent health, and medical product development. 

*NOTE: Different instructors include somewhat different topics and assignments in their courses. Sample syllabi are provided merely to give students a sense of what they should expect if they enroll in the course.

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Course Catalog

For the most up-to-date courses, please visit the course catalog website.