Health, Science & Society (BA)
Health is central to the human experience and this degree offers students opportunities to explore the multifaceted nature of health, the U.S. healthcare system, health equity, and the biological and social determinants of health. This multidisciplinary major integrates the health sciences, natural sciences and social sciences to provide the overall context for both healthcare and community health. The major also promotes important skills to meet the national call for a broad healthcare workforce to address the biological determinants of health as well as issues related to health equity and social determinants of health, which are highly associated with physical health. The major includes a core of courses in public health, natural sciences, and human culture. Students may explore their interests in depth with the addition of multiple minors in the arts and sciences. The program utilizes engaged learning and community-based pedagogies throughout the curriculum but especially in the Senior capstone course, in which students work with faculty to write a proposal and implement a project or conduct research study in an area of interest.
The major will also allow students to engage in the broad areas of study that inform other health-related careers including public health, social work, health administration, medical anthropology or biological anthropology. Majors can potentially gain admission to graduate healthcare professions programs, with specific career advising for completing the necessary prerequisites. Options to explore are accelerated graduate nursing programs or allied health programs for professions such as dieticians, speech therapists, dental hygienists, or respiratory therapists.
Students may enter the program at the Freshman, Sophomore, or Junior transfer level
Program Learning Outcomes
- Apply knowledge of the biological, social, cultural, behavioral, and ethical determinants of health to the provision of healthcare and promotion of community wellbeing locally, nationally, and globally
- Assess the interconnections between health and social and community structural factors, including broad social, political and economic factors.
- Examine issues of health equity and the role of social determinants of health including race, gender and culture in determining health outcomes at the community, state, national and global levels.
- Use evidence-based research and data to evaluate health status and community health at the local, national and global levels.
- Demonstrate effective teamwork abilities, problem solving techniques, and group communication skills needed to be successful in health-related fields.
- Effectively communicate in oral, written, visual and digital forms to diverse audiences.
Bachelor of Arts Requirements
Lower Division
| HSS 1000 | Introduction to Health, Science & Society | 4.00 units |
| | |
| BIO 1000 | Organismal Biology | 3.00 units |
| BIO 1005 | Organismal Biology Lab | 1.00 unit |
| or | |
| BIO 1400 | Biological Foundations | 3.00 units |
| BIO 1400 | Biological Foundations | 3.00 units |
| Total Credit Hours: | 8 |
NOTE: BIO 1000/BIO 1005 and BIO 1100/BIO 1105 are CORE Equivalent Courses and may be substituted for the CORE Curriculum Course in the Science for Global Citizens (SCI) category.
NOTE: BIO 1400/BIO 1405 meets the requirements for the CORE Curriculum Courses in the Science for Global Citizens (SCI) category.
Upper Division:
| CASC 3405 | Community Engaged Research Methodology and Project Design | 4.00 units |
| or | |
| GPH 3350 | Health Research Methods | 4.00 units |
| or | |
| PSY 3049 | Advanced Experimental Design | 2.00 units |
| | |
| HSS 4001 | Senior Capstone 1 | 2.00 units |
| HSS 4002 | Senior Capstone 2 | 2.00 units |
| HSS 4996 | Internship: Health, Science, & Society | 1.00 unit |
| Total Credit Hours: | 7-9 |
Major Electives:
Students should work with their advisor to select 8 units from each of the three categories (Population Health, Natural and Physical Sciences, and Human Culture and Behavior) for a total of 24 units. Other courses not listed may also meet the requirement with the permission of your advisor. Not all courses are offered every semester.
Population Health Category
| GPH 1000 | Introduction to Public Health | 4.00 units |
| GPH 2300 | Determinants of Health | 4.00 units |
| GPH 2600 | Principles of Global Health | 4.00 units |
| GPH 3100 | Women's Health | 4.00 units |
| GPH 3300 | Health Education and Promotion | 4.00 units |
| GPH 3330 | Applied Biostatistics | 4.00 units |
| GPH 3340 | Epidemiology | 3.00 units |
| GPH 3345 | Epidemiology Lab | 1.00 unit |
| GPH 3500 | Global Environmental Health | 4.00 units |
| GPH 4100 | Emerging Challenges in Global Public Health | 4.00 units |
| GPH 4150 | Global Health Issues in Violence and Social Justice | 4.00 units |
| GPH 4210 | Comparative Health Policy | 4.00 units |
| Total Credit Hours: | 8 |
NOTE: GPH 3330 may not be taken as an elective if it meets the CORE- QL(statistics) requirement
Natural and Physical Sciences Category
Human Culture and Behavior Category
| ARTH 1013 | Indigenous World Art | 4.00 units |
| ARTH 1014 | Global Visual Cultures: Seeing the World | 4.00 units |
| BUS 1005 | Economics | 4.00 units |
| CMS 3612 | Intercultural Communication | 4.00 units |
| CRIM 1000 | Introduction to Criminology | 4.00 units |
| CRIM 3001 | The Criminal Justice System | 4.00 units |
| ENGL 3038 | Feminist Disability Ethics in Literature | 4.00 units |
| ENGL 3107 | Governing Bodies: Body Text and Contexts | 4.00 units |
| LALS 3000 | SL: Latino Studies & US Community Contexts | 4.00 units |
| HIST 3723 | U.S. Immigration, 1776 - Present | 4.00 units |
| PHIL 2104 | Ethics from the Margins | 4.00 units |
| PHIL 2105 | Ethics of Housing and Homelessness | 4.00 units |
| POL 1000 | California for All I | 4.00 units |
| PSY 3048 | Cross Cultural Psychology | 4.00 units |
| PSY 3160 | Social Psychology | 4.00 units |
| Total Credit Hours: | 8 |
NOTE: Honors versions of any Category course will also be accepted.
Total Credit Hours: 24
Total Credit Hours: 39-41