Health Services

The Bachelor of Science in Health Services (BSHS) includes a mix of academic and experiential training that meets the needs of public health and healthcare-related employers. The degree is designed to provide an efficient and flexible four-year degree, which allows students to pursue entry-level employment in health-related settings and/or prepare for graduate/advanced professional-level training programs. 

The Program

The BSHS program has broad requirements, and allows students flexibility to tailor their plan of study to meet their unique career interests. The core courses provide students an introduction to medical terminology, human disease, public health, the US healthcare system, health services research, and professional ethics. In addition to core courses, BSHS students are required to declare a public health minor, a business administration minor, or be admitted to an accelerated BS-MPH program. 

Students are required to meet with their academic advisor to create a plan of study that addresses all program requirements. The plan must be approved by the BSHS Academic Coordinator.

Health Services Degree Requirements1,2

Core courses (22 credits)

  • ASCI 125: Medical Terminology (1 credit)
  • ENGL 325: Writing in the Health Professions (3 credits)
  • PH 101: Introduction to Public Health (3 credits)
  • PH 190: Critical Thinking and Academic Success (3 credits)
  • PH 300: Introduction to the US Health Care System (3 credits)
  • PH 301: Research Methods in Health Services (3 credits)
  • PH 489: Health Services Capstone (1 credit)
  • PHIL 111: Professional Responsibility and Ethics (3 credits)
  • PHRM 170: Common Medicines and Diseases (2 credits) 

Field Experience3 (10 credits)

Major Elective Options (14-24 credits)

Students will need to select one of the options listed below to complete the requirements for the major. Options range in credit total from 14 to 24 depending on the option selected.

  1. Public Health Minor (20 credits4)
    • Students will need to officially declare the Public Health minor and they should refer to the official minor curriculum guide for course requirements.
  2. Business Administration Minor (24 credits)
    • Students will need to officially declare the Business Administration minor and they should refer to the official minor curriculum guide for course requirements. The minimum GPA of 2.5 for the courses included in the minor will also apply.
  3. Accelerated Master of Public Health - Community Health Sciences Option (14 credits)
    • Students will need to follow a formal process to apply for the BS/MPH accelerated program. See more accelerated BS/MPH information and eligibility on ndsu.edu/publichealth.
  4. Accelerated Master of Public Health - Epidemiology Option (14 credits)
    • Students will need to follow a formal process to apply for the BS/MPH accelerated program. See more accelerated BS/MPH information and eligibility on ndsu.edu/publichealth.

1 Students must meet existing prerequisities to enroll in any of these courses.
2 A grade of C or better is required in all coursework for the BS in Health Services.
3 All core courses (excluding PH 489) must be completed before a student will be eligible to register for Field Experience.
4 Only 14 Public Health minor credits count toward major electives. 6 of the 20 credits double count toward Health Services degree and Public Health minor.

 

Experiential Training

A core element of the BSHS degree is that students gain hands on learning experiences that prepare them for their own, unique health care career. Students must complete at least 10 credits of approved field experience, although students are highly encouraged to complete additional experiential credits. These experiences may be based in research, clinical work, or general internships. Students may complete field experience credits through NDSU or local health and public health settings. 

While students have tremendous flexibility in selecting their field experience, each site may have additional requirements to complete those credits. Students must meet with their academic advisor to ensure that all academic prerequisites and professional requirements necessary to enroll in their intended field experience credits courses are met.

 

For more information about the Health Services degree, contact:

ndsu.healthservices@ndsu.edu

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