Health Sciences (B.S.)
Health Sciences is an interdisciplinary program grounded in the liberal arts. The major is comprised of courses in Health Promotion, Nutrition, Addictions, Physical Activity, Biology, Chemistry and Psychology. Students learn environmental, socioeconomic, and personal factors that influence the health of individuals and populations while creating targeted interventions. To complete the Health Sciences major, students select one of four options: Pre-Health Professions, Nutrition and Dietetics, Health and Wellness or Addiction. All Health Sciences majors complete the Health Sciences core along with courses in their option. This major prepares students for a wide variety of health-related careers and pre-professional health programs. Prospective students should meet with a faculty advisor during their first semester. Specific requirements and standards are listed for each of the options.
Integrative Studies Requirements
40 credits minimum
Health Sciences: Pre-Health Professions Option
The Pre-Health Professions Option in Health Sciences is a flexible track that will allow students to complete elective courses that help to fulfill pre-requisites for pursuing advanced study in nursing, physician's assistant, chiropractic, occupational therapy, or other health-related professions.
Students interested in the Pre-Health Professions option should meet with a Health Sciences faculty advisor to declare. Students who pursue this option are encouraged to meet with a faculty advisor to discuss career goals and determine if additional coursework may be required for admission to post-baccalaureate professional programs.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements (64 credits) | ||
| Core Courses | ||
| ISHLSC-101 | Health and Wellness | 4 |
| INHLSC-175 | Essentials of Nutrition Sci | 4 |
| HLSC-245 | Intro to Research Methods | 4 |
| ISHLSC-285 | Health in Society | 4 |
| HLSC-380 | Addiction & Behavior Change | 4 |
| HLSC-482 | Counseling & Education Skills | 4 |
| HLSC-494 | Health Sciences Capstone | 4 |
| or HLSC-473 | Practicum | |
| Pre-Health Professions Option | ||
| Allied Discipline Requirements | ||
| Allied discipline courses are prerequisites for courses in the major. The BIO sequence should be started in the second semester of the first year. | ||
| BIO-230 | Human Anat & Phys I | 4 |
| BIO-332 | Human Anat & Phys II | 4 |
| INCHEM-111 | General Chemistry | 4 |
| Option Specific Requirements | ||
| MATH-141 | Introductory Statistics | 4 |
| HLSC-240 | Microbio for Health Profession | 4 |
| HLSC-325 | Leadership in Public Health | 4 |
| IIHLSC-330 | Resiliency for Well-Being | 4 |
| HLSC-360 | Physical Activity and Health | 4 |
| ISPSYC-312 | Lifespan Psychology | 4 |
| Total Credits | 64 | |
Health Sciences: Nutrition and Dietetics Option
The undergraduate Nutrition and Dietetics option is an ACEND (Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics) accredited dietetics program that prepares students to pursue careers in dietetics, food service management, community nutrition, and health promotion. Upon completion of the program, students will be qualified for entry-level work, application to graduate school, or dietetic internship with an advanced degree. To become an RD/RDN, which is mandatory for professional positions in healthcare, completion of a dietetic internship and an advanced degree are required to be eligible to take the Registration Exam for Dietitians. Students interested in the Nutrition and Dietetics option should meet with a Health Sciences faculty advisor to declare.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements (82 credits) | ||
| Core Courses (28 Credits) | ||
| ISHLSC-101 | Health and Wellness | 4 |
| INHLSC-175 | Essentials of Nutrition Sci | 4 |
| HLSC-245 | Intro to Research Methods | 4 |
| ISHLSC-285 | Health in Society | 4 |
| HLSC-380 | Addiction & Behavior Change | 4 |
| HLSC-482 | Counseling & Education Skills | 4 |
| HLSC-494 | Health Sciences Capstone | 4 |
| or HLSC-473 | Practicum | |
| Nutrition and Dietetics Option | ||
| Allied Discipline Requirements (Credit 16) | ||
| Allied Discipline courses are prerequisites for courses in the major. The BIO sequence should be started in the second semester of the first year. | ||
| BIO-230 | Human Anat & Phys I | 4 |
| BIO-332 | Human Anat & Phys II | 4 |
| INCHEM-111 | General Chemistry | 4 |
| MATH-141 | Introductory Statistics | 4 |
| Option Specific Requirements (40 Credits) | ||
| HLSC-215 | Nutrition Sci & Application | 4 |
| IIHLSC-216 | Food Culture in Communities | 4 |
| HLSC-225 | The Nutrition Profession | 2 |
| HLSC-240 | Microbio for Health Profession | 4 |
| INHLSC-310 | Food Science | 4 |
| HLSC-313 | Food Service Management | 4 |
| HLSC-318 | Lifespan Nutrition | 4 |
| HLSC-414 | Medical Nutrition Therapy I | 4 |
| HLSC-415 | Nutritional Biochemistry | 4 |
| HLSC-416 | Medical Nutrition Therapy II | 4 |
| Total Credits | 82 | |
Health Sciences: Health and Wellness Option
The Health and Wellness option offers two specializations: Nutrition and Wellness and Health Promotion. Students select one of the specializations and complete option and specialization requirements. Health and Wellness graduates work to change policies, environments, attitudes, and behaviors that affect health. The Nutrition and Wellness specialization includes courses in food science and culture, nutrition for healthy populations across the lifespan and the role of nutrition in chronic diseases. This specialization prepares students for careers in community nutrition, corporate wellness, the food and supplement industry, nutrition communication or graduate school. The Health Promotion specialization prepares students for professional careers in community health education/coordination, global health, or for graduate programs in public health or health education. Graduates may work for non-profits, public health departments, hospitals, schools, or private businesses. These specializations offer students an opportunity to pursue a second major.
Students interested in the Health and Wellness option should meet with a Health Sciences faculty advisor to declare the major.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements (52-56 credits) | ||
| Core Courses | ||
| ISHLSC-101 | Health and Wellness | 4 |
| INHLSC-175 | Essentials of Nutrition Sci | 4 |
| HLSC-245 | Intro to Research Methods | 4 |
| ISHLSC-285 | Health in Society | 4 |
| HLSC-380 | Addiction & Behavior Change | 4 |
| HLSC-482 | Counseling & Education Skills | 4 |
| HLSC-494 | Health Sciences Capstone | 4 |
| or HLSC-473 | Practicum | |
| Health and Wellness Option | ||
| Allied Discipline Requirements | 4-8 | |
| Allied Discipline courses are prerequisites for courses in the major. The BIO sequence should be started in the second semester of the first year. | ||
| Cells and Molecules | ||
| OR | ||
| Human Anat & Phys I and Human Anat & Phys II | ||
| Select one of the following specializations- | 20 | |
| Nutrition and Wellness Specialization (20 credits) | ||
| Nutrition Sci & Application | ||
| Food Culture in Communities | ||
| Food Science | ||
| Lifespan Nutrition | ||
| Physical Activity and Health | ||
| OR | ||
| Health Promotion Specialization (20 credits) | ||
| Epidemiology | ||
| Leadership in Public Health | ||
| Resiliency for Well-Being | ||
| Physical Activity and Health | ||
| Select one of the following: | ||
| Women and Health | ||
| Human Sexuality | ||
| International Health | ||
| Practicum | ||
| Total Credits | 52-56 | |
Health Sciences: Addiction Option
The Addiction option at Keene State College is an academic program that provides a foundation for further studies in the field of addiction or entry-level employment in addiction. Students will take courses such as alcohol and other drug fundamentals, counseling skills, addiction theory, co-occurring disorders, and apply to an internship. This area of study helps prepare students to work in community behavioral health settings limited to pre-professional roles such as entry-level addiction professionals, case manager, residential counselors, research assistants, and other related jobs.
Students will learn what is necessary to obtain licensure and certification in substance use disorders/addiction for the state of New Hampshire or where to find this information for other states. Most states require a Master’s level counseling degree that includes Master’s level addiction and related courses, along with other requirements, to be eligible to apply for a Master’s level addiction counseling license. In some states, the courses in this option may be applied toward becoming a Bachelor’s licensed or certified alcohol and drug abuse professional. However, there are other requirements. This process for licensure or certification is pursued separately through the student’s State Bureau of Substance Use Disorder/Addiction Prevention and Treatment Services. Students must officially declare their major through a faculty advisor in Health Sciences.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements (60 credits) | ||
| Core Courses | ||
| ISHLSC-101 | Health and Wellness | 4 |
| INHLSC-175 | Essentials of Nutrition Sci | 4 |
| HLSC-245 | Intro to Research Methods | 4 |
| ISHLSC-285 | Health in Society | 4 |
| HLSC-380 | Addiction & Behavior Change | 4 |
| HLSC-482 | Counseling & Education Skills | 4 |
| HLSC-494 | Health Sciences Capstone | 4 |
| or HLSC-473 | Practicum | |
| Addiction Option | ||
| Allied Discipline Requirements | ||
| Allied Discipline courses are prerequisites for courses in the major. The BIO sequence should be started in the second semester of the first year. | ||
| BIO-230 | Human Anat & Phys I | 4 |
| BIO-332 | Human Anat & Phys II | 4 |
| INCHEM-111 | General Chemistry | 4 |
| MATH-141 | Introductory Statistics | 4 |
| HLSC-360 | Physical Activity and Health | 4 |
Highly recommend HLSC-473 Practicum | ||
| Option Specific Requirements | ||
| ISHLSC-200 | AOD: The Fundamentals | 4 |
| HLSC-491 | Addiction: Critical Issues | 4 |
| HLSC-493 | Co-Occurring Disorders | 4 |
| Total Credits | 60 | |
Electives
Select courses to reach a total of 120 credits for the degree.
Degree Requirements
120 credits
40 credits at the upper-level
Upon completion of the Health Sciences B.S. degree, students will be able to:
- Apply evidence-based knowledge in health science.
- Find and critically evaluate health information through the application of information literacy skill.
- Use research methods to complete scholarly work.
- Effectively communicate health and wellness information.
- Discuss the relationship between health, disease and public policy.
- Apply behavior change theories.
- Identify and assess the effects of social determinants, such as race, culture, economics, environment, gender, sexual orientation, and politics on personal and community health and wellness.
- Create effective health education programs.
- Identify and apply ethical principles.
- Demonstrate academic and professional preparedness for careers in the health sciences.