About this Program
- College: Public Health and Health Professions
- Degree: Bachelor of Health Science
- Specializations: Applied Brain Science | Occupational Therapy Accelerated | Pre-Rehabilitation | Preprofessional
- Credits for Degree: 120
To graduate with this major, students must complete all university, college, and major requirements.
Department Information
The Bachelor of Health Science (BHS) program is for students whose career goal is to work in the health professions providing service to individuals and communities. BHS students are typically pursuing health related professions such as medicine, physician assistant, physical therapy, occupational therapy, audiology, speech-language pathology, dentistry, epidemiology, or public health.
Website
CONTACT
Email | 352.273.6379
1225 Center Drive, Suite 4101
GAINESVILLE FL 32610
Map
Curriculum
Related Programs
The program has two major goals: to teach foundational skills to students whose career goal is to work in health care, particularly for those who want to become health care providers and to teach foundational skills to students who want to work with individuals, groups, or communities who face social, economic, or health challenges. In addition, interested students have the opportunity to explore a combination-degree program in Public Health.
Specializations
The college offers four specializations. All specializations except Occupational Therapy Accelerated can be declared at the freshman or sophomore years.
Applied Brain Sciences
Offers a suggested prerequisite course sequence for students interested in pursuing training in clinical psychology and neuropsychology, applied human neuroscience, or brain-health focused medical specialties (e.g., psychiatry, neurology).
Occupational Therapy Accelerated
A combination-degree program that allows students to take first-year Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) Program courses during their junior and senior years in the health science program.
Pre-Rehabilitation
Accommodates students interested in rehabilitation health care fields (e.g., occupational therapy, physical therapy).
Preprofessional
For students pursuing careers in fields such as medicine, physician assistant, and dentistry, all of which require significant basic science prerequisites. This specialization is set up to integrate commonly required preprofessional courses with requirements for the health science major.
Course Sequence
While all specializations are designed for students interested in health care, students should select the specialization that most closely approximates their career plans and overall academic performance. Included in specific tracks are typical prerequisites for UF graduate and professional programs.
Each specialization incorporates General Education Mathematics and Writing Requirements and Health Science critical tracking courses. All specializations accept AP, IB, or AICE credit for any prerequisite course. However, many professional schools have their own policies regarding test credit, and it is the responsibility of the student to determine whether a course for which they have earned AP/IB/AICE credit must be retaken to meet professional school requirements. Students must earn a minimum of C in any BHS critical tracking course that is not satisfied by AP/IB/AICE credit unless otherwise specified.
Occupational Therapy Accelerated
Occupational therapy is a professional program. The Occupational Therapy Accelerated Program gives students the opportunity to learn core health science content while simultaneously completing the first-year professional-level coursework required for the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program at UF.
Competitive applicants to the Occupational Therapy Accelerated Program will have met the following requirements:
- Applicants must be Health Science majors in the Pre-Rehabilitation specialization.
- Applicants must have completed all 2000-level prerequisites required for the professional program in occupational therapy.
- A minimum cumulative 3.8 GPA for lower division (freshman and sophomore level) undergraduate college coursework.
- A minimum 3.7 GPA for all prerequisite courses with no grade lower than a C.
- All applicants are required to complete a total of 30 hours of observational hours in at least two diverse OT settings. Diverse settings are settings that service clientele are significantly different; inpatient, outpatient, long term care, school-based, elders, pediatrics, orthopedics, rehabilitation, etc.
- Applicants must submit three recommendations. One of the recommendations must be from a professional level OT. The other two should be from professionals, such as a present or former faculty member, academic advisor, or employer.
- Applicants must submit a personal statement that addresses why they selected OT as a career and how an Occupational Therapy degree relates to their immediate and long-term professional goals. They must describe how their personal, educational, and professional background will help achieve their goals.
Critical Tracking records each student’s progress in courses that are required for entry to each major. Please note the critical-tracking requirements below on a per-semester basis.
Equivalent critical-tracking courses as determined by the State of Florida Common Course Prerequisites may be used for transfer students.
Semester 1
- Complete PSY 2012 with a minimum grade of C
- 3.2 cumulative GPA on work from all institutions
Semester 2
- Complete BSC 2005 and BSC 2005L or BSC 2010 and BSC 2010L with minimum grade of C
- 3.0 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses, based on all attempts
- 3.4 cumulative GPA on work from all institutions
Semester 3
- Complete STA 2023 with a minimum grade of C
- Complete CLP 3144 with a minimum grade of C
- Complete APK 2100C with a minimum grade of C
- 3.6 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses, based on all attempts
- 3.6 cumulative GPA on work from all institutions
Semester 4
- Complete APK 2105C with a minimum grade of C
- Complete 60 cumulative credits
- 3.7 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses and minimum grades of C on all critical-tracking courses, based on all attempts unless otherwise noted.
- 3.8 cumulative GPA on work from all institutions
Semester 5
- Complete PHC 4101 with a minimum grade of C
- Complete HSA 3111 with a minimum grade of C
- Complete HSC 3057 with a minimum grade of C
- Complete OTH 6002 with a minimum grade of B
- Complete OTH 6722 with a minimum grade of B
- 2.0 UF GPA required
Semester 6
- Complete HSC 3502 with a minimum grade of C
- Complete OTH 6209 with a minimum grade of B
- 2.0 UF GPA required
Semester 7
- Complete HSC 3661 with a minimum grade of C
- Complete HSC 4064 with a minimum grade of C
- Complete OTH 6008C with a minimum grade of B
- Complete OTH 6419 with a minimum grade of B
- 2.0 UF GPA required
Semester 8
To remain on track, students must complete the appropriate critical-tracking courses, which appear in bold. These courses must be completed by the terms as listed in the Critical Tracking criteria.
This semester plan represents an example progression through the major. Actual courses and course order may be different depending on the student's academic record and scheduling availability of courses. Prerequisites still apply.
| Semester One | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| Quest 1 (Gen Ed Humanities) | 3 | |
| ENC 1101 | Expository and Argumentative Writing (Critical Tracking; State Core Gen Ed Composition; Writing Requirement) | 3 |
| PSY 2012 | General Psychology (Critical Tracking; State Core Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences) | 3 |
| Gen Ed Mathematics | 3-4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15-16 | |
| Semester Two | ||
| ANT 2000 or SYG 2000 |
General Anthropology (Gen Ed Social Sciences) or Principles of Sociology |
3 |
| Select one: | 4 | |
| Biological Sciences and Laboratory in Biological Sciences (Critical Tracking; State Core Gen Ed Biological Sciences; only if pre-OT) |
||
| Integrated Principles of Biology 1 and Integrated Principles of Biology Laboratory 1 (Critical Tracking; State Core Gen Ed Biological Sciences) |
||
| ENC 1102 | Argument and Persuasion ( Gen Ed Composition; Writing Requirement) | 3 |
| Civic Literacy course | 3 | |
| State Core Gen Ed Humanities with International or Diversity | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Semester Three | ||
| APK 2100C | Applied Human Anatomy with Laboratory (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Biological Sciences) | 4 |
| CLP 3144 | Abnormal Psychology (Critical Tracking) | 3 |
| STA 2023 | Introduction to Statistics 1 (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Mathematics) | 3 |
| 6000-word Gen Ed writing course with International or Diversity; Writing Requirement | 3 | |
| Elective | 1 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Semester Four | ||
| Quest 2 | 3 | |
| APK 2105C | Applied Human Physiology with Laboratory (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Biological Sciences) | 4 |
| 6000-word writing course (Writing Requirement) | 3 | |
| Electives | 5 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Semester Five | ||
| HSA 3111 | US Health Care System (Critical Tracking) 1 | 3 |
| HSC 3057 | Research Methods and Issues in Health Science (Critical Tracking) 1 | 3 |
| HSC 3537 | Health and Medical Terminology | 3 |
| OTH 6002 | Founda Occupa Therapy (Critical Tracking) 2 | 3 |
| OTH 6722 | Professional Devt Ot (Critical Tracking) 2 | 1 |
| PHC 4101 | Public Health Concepts (Critical Tracking) 1 | 3 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Semester Six | ||
| HSC 3502 | Survey of Diseases and Disability (Critical Tracking) 1 | 3 |
| OTH 6209 | Appl Lifespan Hum Dev (Critical Tracking) 2 | 3 |
| Electives | 8 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Semester Seven | ||
| HSC 3661 | Therapeutic Communication Skills with Patients, Families and the Health Care Team (Critical Tracking) 1 | 3 |
| HSC 4064 | Wearable Technology, Robotics, and Artificial Intelligence for Health (Critical Tracking) 1 | 3 |
| OTH 6008C | Neurosci Human Occupa (Critical Tracking) 2 | 5 |
| OTH 6419 | Pathophys Cond in Ot (Critical Tracking) 2 | 3 |
| Elective | 1 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Semester Eight | ||
| OTH 6242 | Clinical Kinesiology (Critical Tracking) 2 | 3 |
| OTH 6423 | Clin Musc Anatomy (Critical Tracking) 2 | 5 |
| OTH 6539 | Occupational Therapy Theory (Critical Tracking) 2 | 3 |
| SPA 4106 | Neuroplasticity and Rehabilitation (Critical Tracking) 1 | 3 |
| Elective | 1 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
- 1
Minimum grade of C required.
- 2
Minimum grade of B required.
Students can complete missing coursework in the summer, but all first-year tracking criteria must be completed by the end of the Summer term.
The Bachelor of Health Science prepares students for a career in health care systems or organizations that provide health or general human services to individuals/communities with health concerns. Students will learn the foundational interprofessional skills necessary to succeed in the dynamic healthcare environment and/or enter postbaccalaureate academic programs such as medicine, physical therapy, and public health.
Before Graduating Students Must
- Receive a satisfactory grade (S) in the BHS capstone portfolio.
- Complete requirements for the baccalaureate degree, as determined by faculty.
Students in the Major Will Learn to
Student Learning Outcomes | SLOs
Content
- Describe key elements of the US healthcare system.
- Comprehensively describe major chronic illnesses and disabilities.
- Describe the core functions of public health.
Critical Thinking
- Develop and apply critical analysis skills to contemporary health issues.
Communication
- Apply effective basic communication skills for health professionals.
Curriculum Map
I = Introduced; R = Reinforced; A = Assessed
| Courses | SLO 1 | SLO 2 | SLO 3 | SLO 4 | SLO 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HSA 3111 | I, R | ||||
| HSC 3057 | I, R, A | ||||
| HSC 3502 | I, R | I | |||
| HSC 3661 | I, R | ||||
| OTH 3416 | 1, R | ||||
| PHC 4101 | I, R | I, R | |||
| Capstone Exam | A | A | A | A | A |
Assessment Types
- Assignment
- The Bachelor of Health Science (BHS) capstone exam in the final semester