School of Interdisciplinary Studies
Healthcare Studies (BS)
The Bachelor of Science degree in Healthcare Studies is designed for pre-health students who want to pursue careers in healthcare fields such as medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, optometry, physical therapy, health care administration, occupational therapy, physician assisting, and podiatry.
The School of Interdisciplinary Studies offers the degree, which provides the academic foundation for pre-health students to prepare for advanced study as well as the essential knowledge components in healthcare studies.
Science foundation areas within the degree include biology, chemistry, and physics. Healthcare studies areas include pre-health professional development, a healthcare internship, medical terminology, psychological aspects of health and illness, understanding of the U.S. healthcare system, patient education, and prevention.
Bachelor of Sciences in Healthcare Studies
Degree Requirements (120 semester credit hours)1
View an Example of Degree Requirements by Semester
Faculty
Professors: George W. Fair, Karen J. Prager, Lawrence J. Redlinger, Erin A. Smith
Professors of Instruction: Jillian Duquaine-Watson, Tonja Wissinger
Associate Professors of Instruction: Kathleen Byrnes, Patricia A. Leek
Assistant Professors of Instruction: Syed Naqvi, Neall Pogue, Azadeh Stark, Larissa Werhnyak
I. Core Curriculum Requirements: 42 semester credit hours2
Communication: 6 semester credit hours
COMM 1311 Survey of Oral and Technology-based Communication
RHET 1302 Rhetoric
Or select any 6 semester credit hours from Communication Core courses (see advisor)
Mathematics: 3 semester credit hours
Choose one course from the following:
MATH 2413 Differential Calculus3
Or select any 3 semester credit hours from Mathematics Core courses (see advisor)
Life and Physical Sciences: 6 semester credit hours
CHEM 1311 General Chemistry I3
CHEM 1312 General Chemistry II3
Or select any 6 semester credit hours from Life and Physical Sciences Core courses (see advisor)
Language, Philosophy and Culture: 3 semester credit hours
HUMA 1301 Exploration of the Humanities
Or select any 3 semester credit hours from Language, Philosophy and Culture Core courses (see advisor)
Creative Arts: 3 semester credit hours
ARTS 1301 Exploration of the Arts
Or select any 3 semester credit hours from Creative Arts Core courses (see advisor)
American History: 6 semester credit hours
Select any 6 semester credit hours from American History Core courses (see advisor)
Government / Political Science: 6 semester credit hours
GOVT 2305 American National Government
GOVT 2306 State and Local Government
Or select any 6 semester credit hours from Government/Political Science Core courses (see advisor)
Social and Behavioral Sciences: 3 semester credit hours
PSY 2301 Introduction to Psychology
Or select any 3 semester credit hours from Social and Behavioral Sciences Core courses (see advisor)
Component Area Option: 6 semester credit hours
BIOL 2311 Introduction to Modern Biology I3
STAT 2332 Introductory Statistics for Life Sciences3
or STAT 1342 Statistical Decision Making
Or select any 6 semester credit hours from Component Area Option courses (see advisor)
II. Major Requirements: 44 or 52 semester credit hours4
Foundation I: Scientific Foundation Studies: 15 or 23 semester credit hours beyond Core Curriculum (depending upon career track)4
All the following:
BIOL 2311 Introduction to Modern Biology I3
BIOL 2111 Introduction to Modern Biology Workshop I
BIOL 2312 Introduction to Modern Biology II
BIOL 2112 Introduction to Modern Biology Workshop II
CHEM 1311 General Chemistry I3
CHEM 1111 General Chemistry Laboratory I
CHEM 1312 General Chemistry II3
CHEM 1112 General Chemistry Laboratory II
or MATH 2413 Differential Calculus3
And either 8 or 16 semester credit hours of the following courses:
8 semester credit hours of the following (depending on career track):4
CHEM 2323 Introductory Organic Chemistry I
CHEM 2123 Introductory Organic Chemistry Laboratory I
CHEM 2325 Introductory Organic Chemistry II
CHEM 2125 Introductory Organic Chemistry Laboratory II
or
PHYS 1301 College Physics I
PHYS 2125 Physics Laboratory I
PHYS 1302 College Physics II
PHYS 2126 Physics Laboratory II
16 semester credit hours of the following (depending on career track):4
CHEM 2323 Introductory Organic Chemistry I
CHEM 2123 Introductory Organic Chemistry Laboratory I
CHEM 2325 Introductory Organic Chemistry II
CHEM 2125 Introductory Organic Chemistry Laboratory II
PHYS 1301 College Physics I
or PHYS 2325 Mechanics
PHYS 2125 Physics Laboratory I
PHYS 1302 College Physics II
or PHYS 2326 Electromagnetism and Waves
PHYS 2126 Physics Laboratory II
Foundation II: Healthcare Foundation Studies: 14 semester credit hours
HLTH 1100 Career Explorations for the Health Professions
HLTH 3101 Medical Terminology
HLTH 3300 Pre-Health Professional Development
HLTH 3305 The U.S. Healthcare System
HLTH 3315 Issues in Patient Education
HLTH 4304 Health Professions Internship
Foundation III: Multidisciplinary Healthcare Studies: 15 semester credit hours
Required (3 semester credit hours):
BIS 3320 The Nature of Intellectual Inquiry
Required (3 semester credit hours from the following):
HLTH 3301 Issues in Geriatric Healthcare
HLTH 4305 Public Health
HLTH 4380 Special Topics in Healthcare
Required (3 semester credit hours from the following):
PSY 4328 Health Psychology
PSY 4343 Abnormal Psychology
And choose 6 semester credit hours from among the following courses:
ECON 3330 Economics of Health
GEOG 3357 Spatial Dimensions of Health and Disease
HLTH 3310 Health Care Issues: Global Perspectives
HMGT 3301 Introduction to Healthcare Management
HLTH 3306 Gender in Healthcare
PHIL 3328 History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine
PHIL 3320 Medical Ethics
PHIL 4321 Philosophy of Medicine
SOC 4371 Mental Health and Illness
SOC 4372 Health and Illness
III. Guided Elective Requirements: 26 or 34 semester credit hours4
Required for all freshmen: 1 semester credit hour
UNIV 1010 Freshman Seminar
BIS 1100 Interdisciplinary Studies Freshman Seminar
Guided Electives: 25 or 33 semester credit hours4
Students interested in pursuing entrance into health professional fields (such as medical, dental, pharmacy, physician assistant, physical therapy, optometry, etc.) should seek advising on additional courses required for entrance into the particular professional school of their interest. A subset of the following courses should be considered essential and should be taken as part of their elective credits.
BIOL 2281 Introductory Biology Laboratory
BIOL 3301 Classical and Molecular Genetics
BIOL 3101 Classical and Molecular Genetics Workshop
BIOL 3302 Eukaryotic Molecular and Cell Biology
BIOL 3102 Eukaryotic Molecular and Cell Biology Workshop
BIOL 3361 or CHEM 3361 Biochemistry I
BIOL 3161 Biochemistry Workshop I
BIOL 3362 or CHEM 3362 Biochemistry II
BIOL 3162 Biochemistry Workshop II
BIOL 3455 Human Anatomy and Physiology with Lab I
BIOL 3456 Human Anatomy and Physiology with Lab II
BIOL 3520 General Microbiology with Lab
BIOL 3370 Exercise Physiology
BIOL 4310 Cellular Microbiology
BIOL 4345 Immunobiology
BIOL 4350 Medical Microbiology
BIOL 4V40 Special Topics in Molecular and Cell Biology
HLTH 1301 Introduction to Kinesiology
HLTH 1322 Human Nutrition
HLTH 3306 Gender in Healthcare
HLTH 4306 Health and Sport
HLTH 4307 Climate Change in Healthcare
HLTH 4V01 Health Professions Independent Study
ISIS 3309 Dental Anthropology
ISIS 4V89 Special Topics in Interdisciplinary Studies
NSC 3361 Introduction to Neuroscience
NSC 4366 Neuroanatomy
NSC 4351 Medical Neuroscience
Students must complete a total of 51 semester credit hours of upper-division coursework to graduate. A minimum of 45 semester credit hours must be taken at UT Dallas. All the coursework in the final semester must be taken at UT Dallas.
1. Incoming freshmen must enroll and complete requirements of UNIV 1010 and the corresponding school-related freshman seminar course. Students, including transfer students, who complete their core curriculum at UT Dallas must take UNIV 2020.
2. Curriculum Requirements can be fulfilled by other approved courses from institutions of higher education. The courses listed are recommended as the most efficient way to satisfy both Core Curriculum and Major Requirements at UT Dallas.
3. A required major course that also fulfills a Core Curriculum requirement. Semester credit hours are counted in the Core Curriculum.
4. Students may take either 8 semester credit hours of Organic Chemistry or 8 semester credit hours of Physics or 16 semester credit hours of Organic Chemistry and Physics. Please consult your advisor for additional information.
IS Policy on Healthcare Studies Change of Major
All students wishing to change majors to IS Healthcare Studies after enrollment should carefully consider the consequences of excessive hours and time to degree completion.
Change of Major Application Minimum requirements:
All of the following requirements must be met:
- Applicant must have a cumulative UT Dallas GPA of 2.5.
- Applicant must have no grade lower than a C- in a science course.