Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree with a Major in Health Sciences
Program Learning Outcomes for the BA Degree with a Major in Health Sciences
Upon completing the BA degree with a major in Health Sciences, students will be able to:
- Understand the functions of health promotion, health education, and public health on human health and disease prevention. They will demonstrate fundamental knowledge of epidemiology, statistics, and theories and models of health behavior.
- Explain the role of socioeconomic, behavioral, biological, environmental, and other factors on human health, including personal health and public and community health.
- Read, select, and interpret important information from health sciences literature. They will be able to identify and understand appropriate methodologies in public health research studies.
- Collaborate with other professionals, staff, and communities in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of health promotion programs. They will be able to administer and manage health promotion programs, serve as a health education resource person, and communicate and advocate for health and health education.
- Promote public health education and promotion within the framework of legal, ethical, moral, and professional standards.
- Demonstrate an ability to work in a collaborative environment and deliver public health information effectively through written, oral, and media-based formats.
Requirements for the BA Degree with a Major in Health Sciences
For general university requirements, see Graduation Requirements. Students pursuing the BA degree with a major in Health Sciences must complete:
- A minimum of 14 courses (42 credit hours) to satisfy major requirements.
- A minimum of 120 credit hours to satisfy degree requirements.
- A minimum of 5 courses (15 credit hours) taken at the 300-level or above.
The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this major. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the major’s academic advisor, or where applicable, the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies. (Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the major's Official Certifier.) Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Health Sciences | 42 | |
| Total Credit Hours Required for the BA Degree with a Major in Health Sciences | 120 | |
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements 1 | ||
| HEAL 222 | PRINCIPLES OF PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY HEALTH | 3 |
| HEAL 313 | FOUNDATIONS OF HEALTH PROMOTION AND EDUCATION | 3 |
| HEAL 407 | EPIDEMIOLOGY | 3 |
| HEAL 422 | THEORIES AND MODELS OF HEALTH BEHAVIOR | 3 |
| HEAL 460 | PLANNING AND EVALUATION OF HEALTH PROMOTION AND EDUCATION | 3 |
| KINE 319 | STATISTICS FOR THE HEALTH PROFESSIONAL | 3 |
| Elective Requirements | ||
| Select 8 elective courses (see course list below) | 24 | |
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Health Sciences | 42 | |
| Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements * | 47 | |
| University Graduation Requirements * | 31 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 120 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| * | Note: University Graduation Requirements include 31 credit hours, comprised of Distribution Requirements (Groups I, II, and III), FWIS, and LPAP coursework. In some instances, courses satisfying FWIS or distribution requirements may additionally meet other requirements, such as the Analyzing Diversity (AD) requirement, or some of the student’s declared major, minor, or certificate requirements. Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements include general electives, coursework completed as upper-level, residency (hours taken at Rice), and/or any other additional academic program requirements. |
| 1 | Core Requirements include an introductory course designed to acquaint students with the fundamental concepts of personal health and models of health promotion, understanding and assessing community health needs, methods of understanding the disease process, a course that introduces statistics, a professional preparation course that introduces students to the profession, theories and models commonly used in health promotion research and practice, and an application course in which students plan a health promotion program. |
Course List to Satisfy Requirements
Elective Requirements
To fulfill the elective requirements for the Major in Health Sciences, students must complete a total of 8 elective courses (minimum of 24 credit hours) from the course list below. This list of electives is drawn from course offerings that are both within the Department of Kinesiology and, at present, more than 20 courses from other academic departments at Rice. In keeping with the university’s interest in an interdisciplinary approach to undergraduate education, this allows students to choose health-related courses from within the schools of natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Elective Requirements | ||
| Select 8 courses from the following: | 24 | |
| MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY | ||
| MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY OF FOOD AND HEALTH | ||
| ADVANCED TOPICS IN BIOMEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY | ||
| APPROPRIATE DESIGN FOR GLOBAL HEALTH | ||
| INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY I | ||
| HEALTH ECONOMICS | ||
| LITERATURE AND MEDICINE | ||
| MEDICINE AND MEDIA | ||
| ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO GLOBAL HEALTH | ||
| NUTRITION | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO HEALTH AND WELLNESS | ||
| MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY | ||
| CHEMICAL ALTERATIONS OF BEHAVIOR | ||
| CONSUMER HEALTH AND THE MEDIA | ||
| HUMAN SEXUALITY | ||
| UNDERSTANDING CANCER | ||
| VIOLENCE IN AMERICA: A PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE | ||
| THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC HEALTH | ||
| INTERNSHIP IN HEALTH SCIENCES | ||
| DISPARITIES IN HEALTH IN AMERICA | ||
| HEALTH CARE DELIVERY & POLICY IN THE UNITED STATES | ||
| INDEPENDENT RESEARCH IN HEALTH SCIENCES | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN HEALTH SCIENCES | ||
| HUMAN ANATOMY WITH LAB | ||
| HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY | ||
| PHYSICAL ACTIVITY EPIDEMIOLOGY | ||
| RESEARCH METHODS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO MEDICAL HUMANITIES | ||
| MEDICAL ETHICS | ||
| THE PHILOSOPHY OF MEDICINE | ||
| HEALTH POLICY | ||
| HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| STRESS AND HEALTH ACROSS THE LIFESPAN | ||
| DEMOGRAPHY | ||
| MEDICAL SOCIOLOGY | ||
| GENDER AND HEALTH | ||
| HEALTH CARE REFORM IN THE 50 STATES | ||
Transfer Credit
For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. The Office of Academic Advising maintains the university’s official list of transfer credit advisors on their website: https://oaa.rice.edu. Students are encouraged to meet with their academic program’s transfer credit advisor when considering transfer credit possibilities.
Departmental Transfer Credit Guidelines
Students pursuing the major in Health Sciences should be aware of the following departmental transfer credit guidelines:
- Requests for transfer credit will be considered by the program director (and/or the program’s official transfer credit advisor) on an individual case-by-case basis.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Department of Kinesiology website: https://kinesiology.rice.edu/
Academic Honors
The university recognizes academic excellence achieved over an undergraduate’s academic history at Rice. For information on university honors, please see Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and Distinction in Research and Creative Work. Some departments have department-specific Honors awards or designations.
Unique Programs
Rice-UTSPH Public Health Scholars
Rice undergraduate students interested in pursuing a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth School of Public Health (UTSPH)) may apply to the Rice-UT Public Health Scholars Program. This unique coordinated program enables accepted Rice students to earn credit towards their Rice undergraduate degree (BA or BS with any major), and to accelerate in the completion of their UTSPH Master of Public Health degree to within one year after completing their Rice undergraduate degree. For more information on the Rice-UTSPH Public Health Scholars Program, please see the Rice-UT Public Health Scholars Program tab on the Dean of Undergraduates website.
Rice-UTMB Physical Therapy Scholars
Beginning in Fall 2023, a program agreement is in effect between the Sports Medicine & Exercise Physiology (SMEP) program at Rice University and the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB). This unique Rice-UTMB Physical Therapy Scholars Program (Rice-UTMB PTS) offers an opportunity for qualified SMEP students who have identified physical therapy as a career choice to receive preference during the admission process into the UTMB Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. For more information on the Rice-UTMB Physical Therapy Scholars Program, please see the Department of Kinesiology website: https://kinesiology.rice.edu/.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Department of Kinesiology website: https://kinesiology.rice.edu/