Health Science, B.S.

The Bachelor of Science (BS) in Health Science program is a non-clinical, general degree program that provides students with the opportunity to gain well-rounded, holistic knowledge of various subject areas surrounding health, health care, and populations utilizing the health care system. In addition to promoting the “team concept” in healthcare, the curriculum blends technical and humanistic theories to give graduates a solid foundation for a variety of professions related to health.

Students enrolled in the program represent a variety of academic and professional backgrounds and because of this; the Health Science program has two program tracks to meet the needs of students.

Special graduation requirements:

A minimum grade of C or better for successful completion of major requirements, including major electives.

Health Science, Focus

Students completing a focus in Health Science must choose (4) 400-500 level HSC or HHS prefixed courses. Alternate courses may be considered but must be approved by the Health Science Program Director. It is strongly encouraged to seek approval prior to taking a course that is not HSC or HHS prefixed for the focus. Any course used towards a Health Science Focus must have an earned grade of “C” or higher to be accepted for the focus.

Health Care Industry Certification Examinations:

Students who hold credentials in a health-related field, earned outside of their academic record, should contact the health science program director to see if additional academic credit can be awarded. For example, advanced/secondary credentials in radiologic technology or nuclear medicine (for example, CT, MRI, cardiovascular imaging, PET, etc.) or respiratory care (for example, polysomnography) may be awarded up to six hours of coursework at the 300 level or above that may be used toward credit hour total. Students holding other medical certifications may also be eligible. Credentials must have been awarded by a recognized national organization. The process for receiving credit is found at (http://testing.nku.edu/CPL.html). Student who have industry credentials not listed on the CPL website should contact the health science program director for evaluation of certification.

Prior learning credit is also available for radiographers who have graduated from an accredited radiography program, but who may not have coursework that transfers to NKU or radiographers who were trained at a hospital-based program. Students must have passed the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists national examination, have maintained their certification and can provide documentation of current certification. These students may be awarded up to 49 hours of radiography professional coursework, dependent on year of initial certification; award of credit will be posted to the student’s transcript upon completion of the process found at (http://testing.nku.edu/CPL.html). Credit hours earned under this policy may not be used to satisfy the residency requirements for graduation. Students who earn these credit hours must meet all prevailing university and program requirements for graduation.

♦ Indicates prerequisite.

Degree Completion Track

This track is designed for students who have an earned associate’s degree in a health discipline looking to complete a bachelor’s degree. Students in this track already have a foundation in a respective healthcare field but choose this track for career mobility in areas of leadership, education/training, research, and/or the degree can serve as a stepping-stone to a graduate program. The Degree Completion track is delivered in an asynchronous accelerated online format. While students in this track typically have extensive college credit, students must additionally meet all university graduation requirements, in addition to the major requirements for the track. An associate of applied science (AAS) degree or equivalent from an accredited institution serves as an imbedded minor for the degree completion track.

Admission Requirements for the Degree Completion Track

Admission to NKU
Associate’s degree in a specific health discipline
Minimum college GPA of 2.30

Major Requirements for the Degree Completion Track (33 credit hours)

B.S. in Health Science - Transdisciplinary Track

This track is a general degree program designed for students who want to work in some aspect related to health and/or health care, but do not wish to complete an undergraduate clinically-based program. This track can also serve as a pre-professional program for those planning to complete a clinical or non-clinical graduate level program. Students completing this track will graduate with an extensive understanding of our complex health care industry, the diverse population it serves, and how to effectively communicate between the two. The multidisciplinary coursework will also provide students with the knowledge to understand the various components that contribute to wellness and the challenges that present when working to achieve positive health outcomes. Students in this track are required to complete a minor relative to their career goals or in an area that will further enhance their desired skill set. Students enrolled in the transdisciplinary track can complete the program in either a hybrid format (both online and face-to-face courses) or entirely online with proper course selection.

Admission Requirements for the Transdisciplinary Track of the Health Science Program

Admission to NKU
No academic deficiencies
Minimum GPA of 2.50 (high school or 1-29 hours of college coursework) (4.0 scale)
Minimum GPA of 2.30 (> 30 hours college coursework) (4.0 scale)

Transdisciplinary Track - Major (79-83 credits)

Electives (15 credits)

Elective options are divided into categories to help with course selection, based on interest area(s). Student will choose 15 credit hours of electives from any of courses listed below. Students who would like to use a different course(s) other than what is listed must contact the health science program director for approval prior to taking the course(s).