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History
- Policy Number: SP.11.003
- Version: Original
- Drafted By: Ching-Hua Wang, Harley Baker, A.J. Bieszczad, Karen Jensen, William Wagner III, Daniel Wakelee
- Approved By: Richard R. Rush
- Approval Date:
- Effective Date:
- Supercedes:
Purpose
Prepare students for graduate programs or professional careers in private and public health services that aim to enhance the health status of individuals and populations.
Background
Health Science is a multidisciplinary field, directed toward understanding factors affecting health and improving the health status of populations and individuals. Bachelor of Science in Health Science is an interdisciplinary degree program that is designed to prepare students for professional careers in private and public health services that aim to enhance the health status of individuals and populations. The program combines the knowledge and skills from multiple disciplines to provide rigorous training in health science with course work and experiential learning in general health science, gerontology and health informatics. The program includes a set of core courses and several elective courses. Our approaches include in-class discussions, group work, case studies, service, experiential, and online learning.
Along with an option to complete a general BS in Health Science degree program, students can also choose to complete a BS in Health Science with an Emphasis in Gerontology, or a BS in Health Science with an Emphasis in Health Informatics. Students can also choose to complete one of the emphases without completing the entire Bachelor of Science in Health Science degree program. They will then receive a certificate instead of a diploma upon successful completion of the requirements for the certificate program.
Gerontology is the study of human lifespan which explores the biological, psychological, sociological, political, philosophical, medical and financial aspects of adult life. Health Informatics is an emerging specialization in the healthcare industry that joins the disciplines of information technology, communications, and health care. Together with the general health science option, they provide students with the increased knowledge and scientific advancements that contribute to a more effective health care industry and public health systems, leading to a more productive and extended human lifespan.
The healthcare industry is 1/6th of the entire US economy. The workforce demand for healthcare workers is growing rapidly. In information distributed at the 2010 Academic Planning Summit sponsored by the CSU Office of the Chancellor, ‘health care and social assistance’ was ranked the highest among all employment sectors in the projected number of new jobs anticipated between 2008 and 2018. Currently, we have four academic programs at CI aiming at producing graduates for the healthcare industry: BS in Nursing, RN to BSN, BS in Biology with an Emphasis in Clinical Laboratory Science and BS in Biology with an Emphasis in Medical Imaging. Each year, we have hundreds of students unable to gain entry into the above programs, especially the BS in Nursing program, due to program capacity and have to leave for healthcare related programs elsewhere. Consequently, the workforce development needs in the region are not met.
The current health care system in the US is focused on acute or in-patient care and treatment. It is costly and it depends on professional and insurance industry prerogative. It relies on individual professionals who provide traditional practice. Information is used as record and patient passivity is the rule. Over the next decades, the US health care system will change itself. These aforementioned dimensions of the US health care system will not disappear entirely, but they will increasingly be modulated to chronic prevention and management, ambulatory care at homes and in local communities, rendered by teams of health care workers. The future health care workers will be cost competitive and consumer responsive. They will provide evidence-based practice and use information as tools for health management. These health care workers will be engaged with their health customers and patients and will be accountable to their services.
By 2050, nearly 2 billion people worldwide will be age 60 or older. In the coming decade, Seventy-six million Americans who were born between 1945 and 1964 (Baby Boomers) will join the aging population in the US, representing a cohort that is significant on account of its size alone. Baby Boomers control over 80% of personal financial assets and more than 50% of discretionary spending power. They are responsible for more than half of all consumer spending, buy 77% of all prescription drugs, 61% of OTC medication, and spend $500 million on vacations per year and 80% of all leisure travel. Hence, the impact of this population on the US economy is enormous. In the coming years, the vast and complex medical information will be modernized into digital format and will be used by the health care industry and public health systems to provide effective care and management of individuals and populations. Both fields of gerontology and health informatics will be in dire need of well-educated and trained individuals to join the workforce to meet the staggering demand in the nation.
In light of the changing health care landscape, CI plans to offer a BS in Health Science program aiming at the current and future needs in the industry. The design of the curriculum is based on extensive study of the health care industry and input from our advisory board members and the experts in community health organizations. The target populations of the degree program are students who are interested in joining the service workforce provided by the health care industry and community health and public health organizations.
The degree program features a general health science program as well as two emphases on Health Informatics and Gerontology, representing the two high growth areas in the region, the state and the nation. All students in the degree program will be required to engage in community health practices as their service learning component and will be required to complete a senior capstone project before graduation. The curriculum is highly interdisciplinary, utilizing courses from multiple disciplines and meshing them into the degree program.
Policy
Accountability
Arts and Science of Academic Affairs
Applicability
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Definition(s)
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Text
Bachelor of Science in Health Science is an interdisciplinary degree program that is designed to prepare students for professional careers in private and public health services that aim to enhance the health status of individuals and populations. The program combines the knowledge and skills from multiple disciplines to provide rigorous training in health science with course work and experiential learning in general health science, gerontology and health informatics. The program includes a set of core courses and several elective courses. Our approaches include class work, service, experiential, and online learning. Along with an option to complete a general BS in Health Science degree program, students can also choose to complete a BS in Health Science with an Emphasis in Gerontology, or a BS in Health Science with an Emphasis in Health Informatics. Students can also choose to complete one of the emphases without completing the entire Bachelor of Science in Health Science degree program. They will then receive a certificate instead of a diploma upon successful completion of the requirements for the certificate program.
Gerontology is the study of human lifespan which explores the biological, psychological, sociological, political, philosophical, medical and financial aspects of adult life. Health Informatics is an emerging specialization in the healthcare industry that joins the disciplines of information technology, communications, and health care. Together with the general health science option, they provide students with the increased knowledge and scientific advancements that contribute to a more effective health care industry, leading to a more productive and extended human lifespan.
Exhibit(s)
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