Health Science (HSCI)

This course offers an overview of key issues promotion and disease prevention. Topics included are history of health promotion and the profession, measuring health, the social determinants of health, basic behavior change theories, philosophical foundations of health promotion, the roles and responsibilities of Health Education Specialists, and ethical considerations. The knowledge and skills needed to work with individuals and/or communities to improve existing health status will also be developed.

This course examines key theoretical models developed to explain and modify health behavior. The effectiveness of current health promotion and health education practices, applications of theory-driven health behavior change and best-practice frameworks are explored. Students will have opportunities to identify and apply the factors that are critical to motivate health behavior change in individuals and groups.

This course is designed to introduce the conceptual foundation of statistical analysis and statistical reasoning of health sciences data, and prepare the student to calculate, interpret, and utilize appropriate statistical analysis. Data analysis and interpretation; data type and scale of measurement; descriptive, correlation, and inferential statistics; measures of central tendency and dispersion; sampling and hypothesis testing will be discussed.

This course will focus on the ethical principles of autonomy, confidentiality, societal trust, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, veracity, fidelity paternalism and utility. The student will examine ethical issues as they pertain to health care providers and their patients. The ethical decision-making model/4 topic method will be applied to various case studies.

This course explores beliefs, practices, and traditions pertaining to cultural diversity, healing traditions, and effects on the care of individuals with different ethnic backgrounds. The course presents content that promotes increased awareness of the dimensions and complexities involved in caring for people from diverse cultural backgrounds. Students will be given the opportunity to observe, study, and participate in healthcare and other cultural/social experiences with a selected population at a local, state, or international site during this course.

This course explores the field of informatics and technology in healthcare. Students will have an enhanced understanding of how information systems and technology influence healthcare. Health information regulations, standards and ethical considerations will be emphasized. The course also examines the current and emerging use of technologies such as telemedicine/dentistry, the electronic medical record, computer physician/prescriber order entry systems, and simulation.

Humans have used drugs and alcohol throughout time from the creation of alcoholic beverages to the current opioid crisis in the United States. This course examines the causes and treatment of substance use disorders. Students will explore the prevalence of drug and alcohol use in current culture in the United States, the function of drugs in human life, and the effects of various drug classes on behavior. Students will learn about the effects of drugs on the brain and the reasons that some people abuse drugs, while others never become an addict. Topics may include current research, risks for drug addiction, identification of addiction patterns, treatments, social implications, and in some cases advocacy efforts to reduce substance abuse.

This course engages students in critical analyses of contemporary cultural and sociological issues and their interaction on the health and wellness (physical, social, emotional, psychological) of individuals and society as a whole. Students will actively examine contemporary societal issues from multiple vantage points in order to better understand their complexities and the impact they have on the well-being of all.

This course provides students the opportunity to pursue in-depth patient populations of special interest. Topics may include ethics and professional responsibility, inequities in healthcare delivery, and healthcare legislation.

This course introduces the importance of improving patient safety across the healthcare continuum. Students gain an understanding of the principles and methodologies in patient safety and explore how data and research contribute to the prevention of medical errors. Application of concepts, principles, practices, and tools utilized in patient safety science are emphasized.

This course provides the student with a broad understanding of policy, how healthcare systems are organized, dispensed, and how the health educators and professionals can better work in the system. This course examines concepts of legal, ethical, economic, and regulatory dimensions of health policy, and the roles, influences, and responsibilities of the different agencies and branches of government.

This course provides a foundation of the principles of teaching as they apply to health education. Emphasis will be placed on the fundamentals of teaching including the development and presentation of health education information. Students will explore various ways in which effective instructional skills may contribute to careers in health professions, health education, and health promotion. Learning experiences are designed to enable the student to develop these skills and to project their application to such areas as public-school systems, community health programs, higher education, and consumer education.

Variable Credit (1-10 semester hours credit). This course provides opportunities for an independent study on a topic selected by the student under the direction of a faculty member. The area of study may be related to the student’s long-term interest, future research interests, or professional goals. The student and faculty will determine the focus and course objectives at the beginning of the course.

Variable Credit (1-10 semester hours credit). This course provides opportunities for an independent study on a topic selected by the student under the direction of a faculty member. The area of study may be related to the student’s long-term interest, future research interests, or professional goals. The student and faculty will determine the focus and course objectives at the beginning of the course.

Variable Credit (1-10 semester hours credit). This course provides opportunities for an independent study on a topic selected by the student under the direction of a faculty member. The area of study may be related to the student’s long-term interest, future research interests, or professional goals. The student and faculty will determine the focus and course objectives at the beginning of the course.

This course introduces students to the foundations of health promotion and health education program design, implementation, and evaluation. Concepts include scientific literature reviews, primary and secondary data collection, conducting needs assessments, measurement instruments and sampling, program planning models and intervention strategies, resource allocation, and evaluation designs and approaches

This course will examine a range of current issues in health, frameworks for understanding these issues, and strategies for addressing these issues. Students are prepared to identify, analyze, and evaluate a variety of challenges currently facing community, state, national and global health environments. Topics and content covered in this course will vary.

This course will cover a variety of topics that are a part of healthy living, including principles of physical fitness, nutrition, and weight and stress management. Students will be introduced to alternative methods for improving wellness such as, but not limited to: aromatherapy, meditation, guided imagery, and mindfulness. In addition, this course will review strategies, exercise psychology, and human sociology.

This course offers an overview of the major topics of environmental health, including major environmental health issues. Emphasis is on the applications and domains of environmental health including air and water quality, food safety, waste disposal, occupational health, and ionizing and non-ionizing radiation.

HSCI 4700 Foundations of Research Prerequisites: HSCI 3315- Fundamental of Epidemiology and Biostatistics with a “C” or better This course provides an introduction to the research process and its application to scholarship. Students learn to be consumers of research through reviewing the literature, critiquing research, and identifying methods appropriate to study specific consumer and/or population/community health-related problems. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking, evidence-based practice, and quality improvement. Students receive credit toward graduation for only one of the following courses: HSCI 4700, DHYG 4030, or NURS 3297

This course provides an overview of concepts of leadership and management and their use in the professional setting. Emphasis is placed on organizational structure, management, and roles of healthcare providers, coordinators, and educators. Students are introduced to skills essential for effective management in their personal and professional roles. Areas of emphasis may include managerial planning and decision-making, fiscal issues, and career planning.

This course is designed to prepare healthcare students to apply the core competencies of interprofessional collaborative practice based on the core competencies established by the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC). Students will move beyond viewing the delivery of healthcare in traditional “silos” to explore the benefits of interprofessional collaborative practices which seek to provide safe, high-quality, accessible, patient-centered care. Students will learn about the values/ethics for interprofessional healthcare collaboration, the roles and responsibilities of various healthcare professionals, how to communicate with other healthcare professionals, and how to function as a part of an interprofessional team.

This course offers students an opportunity to integrate knowledge gained in the classroom with real-world problems. Students initiate and design a capstone project in health science in consultation with faculty and working professionals. This course is to be taken during the last semester of the program. The capstone is a student-focused course with mentorship provided by the course instructors.

Variable Credit (1-6 semester hours credit). This internship experience provides students the opportunity to engage in fieldwork in a chosen health profession. Fieldwork may include management, marketing, education and/or leadership in associations, government, non-profit, public health, and/or clinical practice.