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    Health Studies, BS

    Quick Links

    The Bachelor of Science in Health Studies program offers students who seek various occupations within the healthcare workforce the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree that leverages their previous educational and work experience to achieve personal and professional growth.

    A minimum of one clinical certificate is required for this program. Students must have completed a certificate in healthcare or a related field from a regionally accredited college or university or an accepted professionally accredited program. Students will receive block credit for their certificate program.

    For those who don’t have previous clinical experience, the program provides healthcare experience that is coordinated with the student’s career plans.

    Program Perks
    • The program is designed for individuals who work in healthcare or seek a strong foundation in healthcare.
    • Students can bring in up to 60 transferable credits.
    • Upper-level course pathways provide content knowledge and skills to help graduates of the program meet professional goals. Students choose between four pathways: Health and Wellness, Healthcare Leadership, Healthcare Language and Healthcare Profession Studies.
    • The curriculum integrates natural and applied science knowledge and understanding of human health for advanced education and/or entry-level role in a healthcare environment.
    • Students apply critical thinking and holism skills to assess healthcare issues.
    • Creates an understanding of intercultural responsiveness and action in one’s role as a change agent.

    Accreditation & Licensure

    Nebraska Methodist College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

    Admissions Information

    Criteria

    In order to be eligible for admission into our Bachelor of Science in Health Studies program, you must meet all of the following criteria. 

    • A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
    • High school and college transcripts.
    • Up to 60 transferable college credits or simultaneous enrollment in an associate degree program at NMC.

    Requirements

    To apply, the following items must be submitted to the Admissions Office:

    • Official transcripts from all colleges attended.

    Deadlines

    Prospective students may apply anytime and are accepted from deadlines throughout the year. Applications will be reviewed upon receipt, and students will be notified of their acceptance by letter or phone.

    Starting Term - Fall 2024

    Standard Deadline - Deadlines for Fall 2024 have been extended. Please contact admissions for more details.

    Costs & Financial Aid

    NMC is committed to helping you find every avenue to finance your education. View the Tuition by Program & Degree page for a comprehensive list of all fees.

    Cost Per Credit Hour

    $623

    Cost of Attendance

    NMC Scholarships

    NMC Scholarships consist of funds generously provided by the Methodist Hospital Foundation to assist our students.

    Student Grants or Loans

    Visit our Financial Aid page to learn more about what's available and how to apply.

    Employee Education Benefits

    Employees of Methodist Health System can find details on the MHS Intranet.

    External Scholarships

    Visit our Scholarships page to learn more.

    Calculate Your Net Price

    Nebraska Methodist College Net Price Calculator.

    Curriculum

    To receive a bachelor’s degree in Health Studies, students must earn a minimum of 120 credits.

    • The Educated Citizen: All students are required to complete requirements of the Educated Citizen Core Curriculum in Arts & Sciences. As an educated citizen, NMC graduates are competent practitioners and respond productively to the complex dynamics of the world, utilizing a diversity of disciplines and perspectives.
    • Fully Customized Career Pathway – Upper-Level Courses: Students are required to reflect upon their career pathway with their academic advisor. Students then customize and choose from one of four upper-level 300-400 level course pathways providing content knowledge and skills needed to be successful and meet personal and professional career goals.
      • Health and Wellness: Students customize with a selection of courses from upper-level respiratory care courses related to health coaching, wellness, and assessment. Prerequisite requirements must be met for 300-400 level courses selected
      • Healthcare Leadership: Students may customize with a selection of courses from upper-level healthcare management courses. Prerequisite requirements must be met for 300-400 level courses selected.
      • Healthcare Language: Students may customize their degree by applying the NMC Spanish minor course sequence toward the completion of their degree as part of the customized career pathway planning process. See Spanish for Healthcare Professionals. Advanced Healthcare Spanish I (COM 360), Advanced Healthcare Spanish II (COM 365), and Healthcare Spanish Community Engagement (COM 370) apply toward the 300-400 level course pathway provided other lower-level language requirements are met.
      • Healthcare Profession Studies: Students may customize their degree by choosing upper-level courses in nursing or allied health toward the completion of their degree. Selection of courses that are applicable to upper-level study on this pathway happens in dialogue with the Director of Advising or Dean of Arts & Sciences.
    • Other Requirements and Options
      • Healthcare Clinical Experience: For those who do not have prior certificate clinical experience or have not taken a clinical course within in a health profession degree program, it is required as part of the BS program of study. An HPS clinical course experience provides students first-hand experience of healthcare delivery and patient settings vital to a healthcare career pathway. Students may incorporate a single certificate or stack them up to 6 credits toward their degree. A minimum of one clinical certificate experience is required. Students must meet criteria and all prerequisite requirements of the certificate program at the time of enrollment. The healthcare clinical experience certificate requirement is waived as “met” for NMC students who have successfully passed an NMC course with embedded clinical experience.
      • NMC Partner Institution Courses - By permission of the Director of Advising or Program Director, a student may elect to take one or more courses with a consortium partner to enhance a career pathway if the course is not offered at Nebraska Methodist and aids customizing the degree for the student’s career need.
      • Math Placement: Following acceptance to the College, student math competency will be assessed. Minimally, students in this program must be competent at an intermediate algebra benchmark level to support higher order thinking.

    This list should only be used as a curriculum guide. Course listings and required curriculum are subject to change.

    Option 1: Health and Wellness Pathway - 300-400 level

    COM 430
    PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION
    DETAILS
    This course focuses on the particular ways in which writers apply the writing process to genres used regularly by healthcare professionals and utilize research to enhance patient outcomes. Writing assignments will develop students' skills in writing formal correspondence, completing proposals, including effective visual components in formal documents, and completing "Research Evaluation and Utilization Reports", which include recommendations for evidence-based practice in particular settings.

    RCP 320
    HEALTH EDUCATION
    DETAILS
    This course will provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to communicate health-related information among groups and individuals. Topics covered include adult learning styles, strategies for promoting healthy lifestyles, the importance of providing applicable health information, mechanisms used for distribution of information and methods for discussing the relationship between diseases and health behaviors.

    RCP 363
    WELLNESS COACHING FOR THE HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL
    DETAILS
    This course is designed to introduce the wellness coaching model to a healthcare professional. The major topics covered are defining a scope of practice, coaching relationships, and motivational interviewing. The course structure is designed around weekly themes that align with the course objectives. All course materials/assignments are required unless otherwise noted.

    RCP 371
    WELLNESS ASSESSMENT & DESIGN IN HEALTHCARE
    DETAILS
    This course is designed to introduce the needs assessment process and provide direction relative to conducting needs assessments with a variety of populations. The course will outline methods for assessing the health and development needs of the population. The student will identify at-risk populations and conduct research to identify specific processes and interventions necessary to address the needs identified.

    RCP 383
    WELLNESS IMPLEMENTATION & EVALUATION
    DETAILS
    This course will educate the student about developing goals, objectives and strategies to address specific population wellness needs. Students will learn to develop an action plan for reaching program goals including methods for evaluating program success and deficiencies.

    Option 2: Healthcare Leadership

    Suggested Pathway Courses: Choose 4
    DETAILS
    Suggested Pathway Courses: Choose 4 courses of career interest from the following BSH list:

    BSH 310

    Human Resources

    BSH 350

    Fundamental of HC Management

    BSH 360

    Org Behavior and Theory

    BSH 400

    Ethical Issues in Healthcare

    BSH 403

    Leadership in Healthcare

    BSH 414

    Principles of Org Leadership

    BSH 416

    Coaching in Organizations

    COM 430
    PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION
    DETAILS
    This course focuses on the particular ways in which writers apply the writing process to genres used regularly by healthcare professionals and utilize research to enhance patient outcomes. Writing assignments will develop students' skills in writing formal correspondence, completing proposals, including effective visual components in formal documents, and completing "Research Evaluation and Utilization Reports", which include recommendations for evidence-based practice in particular settings.

    Option 3: Healthcare Language and Culture

    BSH 300-400, RCP 300
    Healthcare Leadership or Health and Wellness
    DETAILS

    Elect one course from Healthcare Leadership or Health and Wellness options to complete pathway

    COM 360
    Advanced Healthcare Spanish I
    DETAILS
    This course intensifies focus on advanced grammatical structures and specialized medical language. It explores complex terminology and detailed patient interactions, with a strong emphasis on cultural empathy. Students will enhance their ability to convey precise information and understand comprehensive medical discussions in Spanish, preparing them for challenging communication in diverse healthcare settings and communities.

    COM 365
    Advanced Healthcare Spanish II
    DETAILS
    This course enhances Spanish proficiency with a focus on medical communication. It encompasses cultural insights, practical interview questions, online videos of physician-patient exchanges, and clinical vignettes for real-world application. Complementing the medical focus, the course also explores literary works, offering a rich exploration of everyday Spanish language and culture, broadening students' linguistic and cultural comprehension beyond clinical settings.

    COM 370
    Healthcare Spanish Community Engagement
    DETAILS
    This capstone course focuses on the application of advanced Spanish language skills to promote healthy living among vulnerable minority populations through culturally sensitive communication and primary preventative strategies. Students will engage with population health concepts to identify and address health-related needs within Spanish-speaking communities. The culmination of the course involves demonstrating proficiency in healthcare language communication. This comprehensive approach ensures students not only consolidate their linguistic skills, but also apply them in meaningful ways to contribute to the health and well-being of Spanish-speaking populations.

    COM 430
    PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION
    DETAILS
    This course focuses on the particular ways in which writers apply the writing process to genres used regularly by healthcare professionals and utilize research to enhance patient outcomes. Writing assignments will develop students' skills in writing formal correspondence, completing proposals, including effective visual components in formal documents, and completing "Research Evaluation and Utilization Reports", which include recommendations for evidence-based practice in particular settings.

    Option 4: Healthcare Professional

    Partial upper-level 300-400 credit
    DETAILS

    This option is primarily meant for current NMC students who may apply partial upper-level 300-400 credit from their professional program courses. A student may choose additional courses from upper-level Division areas that contribute to their career goals and which are approved by their advisor. Review and approval are required by the Program Director

    COM 430
    PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION
    DETAILS
    This course focuses on the particular ways in which writers apply the writing process to genres used regularly by healthcare professionals and utilize research to enhance patient outcomes. Writing assignments will develop students' skills in writing formal correspondence, completing proposals, including effective visual components in formal documents, and completing "Research Evaluation and Utilization Reports", which include recommendations for evidence-based practice in particular settings.

    Core

    BIO/CHE/PHY/SCI/MAT
    DETAILS

    Courses are advised based upon student career objectives

    * At least one science course directly supportive of health science preparation with a lab equivalent of 1 credit/45 contact hours lab is required in core curriculum

    COM 101
    ENGLISH COMPOSITION
    DETAILS
    This course provides instruction and practice in writing, with emphasis on the recursive processes of generating, drafting, revising and editing. Students develop skills in producing and evaluating written communications in private and public contexts.

    COM 255/262
    LANGUAGE & CULTURE IN HEALTHCARE
    DETAILS
    Access to healthcare is greatly affected by one's command of language. Students in this course engage in the exploration of language and culture then apply these concepts to the healthcare environment through service-learning and community engagement. Students develop practical communication skills that enable effective cross-cultural work with health professionals and clients with backgrounds different from their own. This course lasts over the entire semester.

    COM 320
    HEALTHCARE COLLABORATION & LEADERSHIP
    DETAILS
    This course applies leadership concepts, conflict management, and assertive communication skills to the healthcare environment. Students will explore the concept of intercultural responsiveness by examining the role of race and gender in leadership. Students will also explore the role of civic engagement for future leaders in healthcare. This course will help students evaluate their leadership and communication capabilities in the context of their careers as future healthcare practitioners and Educated Citizens. The NMC portfolio is integrated throughout this course.

    Prerequisites: COM 101 and HUM 150 or HUM 152

    HUM 150
    THE WORLD OF IDEAS: CRITICAL REASONING AND RHETORIC
    DETAILS
    There is a strong relationship between thinking clearly and expressing thoughts in formal writing and public speaking. Using the skills of logic and critical thinking, students will examine ideas, analyze and evaluate the arguments of others, and advocate for their own ideas. Students will be introduced to the NMC Portfolio process. HUM 150 is to be taken in the first semester, unless designated in the second semester by the program of study.

    HUM 210/213
    ETHICS COURSE
    DETAILS
    Students must choose to take either: HUM 210 INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS: Introduction to Ethics introduces students to theories and practices of individual, communal and societal obligations. Moral inquiry in the course proceeds from a philosophical basis. HUM 213 PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF ETHICS: This course introduces students to theories and practices of individual, communal and societal obligations. Moral inquiry in the course proceeds from a philosophical basis, with an emphasis on varied professional codes of ethics in healthcare disciplines. Students will explore codes of ethics and how they relate to traditional Western philosophies.

    HUM 220-229 or 270-279
    World of Ideas: Humanities Elective (Arts or Human Connection)
    DETAILS

    Students may choose a World of Ideas elective course. The course must be categorized within one of the following three sections: The World of Ideas: Human Connection or The World of Ideas: The Arts. See All Humanities Course Descriptions for specific course information. 

    HUM 220-279
    World of Ideas: Humanities Elective (Any)
    DETAILS

    Students may choose a World of Ideas elective course. 

    HUM 250-259
    THE WORLD OF IDEAS: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES
    DETAILS
    Students critically analyze the impact of history on contemporary society. Historical methods of inquiry inform students' perspectives on societal and institutional development. Most undergraduate students must take one course from this group. HUM 255 HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES HUM 256 THE HISTORY OF WESTERN MEDICINE HUM 257 U.S. HISTORY: PAST, PRESENT, AND PROMISE: A SEARCH FOR THE TRUTH BY CHALLENGING THE PRESENT & DEMANDING A NEW FUTURE HUM 258 WORLD HISTORY TO 1800 HUM 259 HISTORY OF SCIENCE: THE CREATION OF A BIOMEDICAL WORLD

    PSY 101/215
    PSYCHOLOGY COURSE
    DETAILS
    PSY 101     INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY This course offers students an engaging introduction to the essential topics in the field of psychology. Throughout this scientific study of human behavior and the mind, students will survey and gain insight into the history of the field of psychology, as well as explore current theories and issues in areas such as wellness, emotion, cognition, motivation, perception, consciousness, social and personality, and memory. PSY 215     LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT The Lifespan perspective involves several basic contentions: development is life-long, multidimensional, multi-directional, plastic, historically embedded, multi-disciplinary and contextual. Three imperative developmental issues are explored: maturation and experience, continuity and discontinuity and stability and change. Students study how humans develop and how they become who they are.

    SSC 235
    THE SOCIOLOGY OF CULTURE
    DETAILS
    This course explores the ways in which human beings make and remake the meaning of their social world through the production of culture. It employs sociological methods to explore the construction of the dominant, white subculture in the United States. The same methodologies are employed to examine the construction of subcultures in the United States, including those based on race, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation.

    SSC 325/370
    Applied Analysis of Research or Research Methods
    DETAILS

    SSC 325 - Applied Analysis

    Evidence-based practice is an important component of effective clinical management. This course allows students to develop skills in applied statistics and research while learning to critically examine healthcare information from a variety of sources, including but not limited to professional journals, governmental reports and public media.

     

    SSC 370 - Research Methods

    This course is designed to assist the student in developing an understanding of the research process in qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods designs. The student learns to selectively apply the steps of research and to critically analyze research studies culminating in formal, oral and written projects.

    SSC 465
    CAPSTONE: THE EDUCATED CITIZEN
    DETAILS
    This course is based in the social sciences and is designed to assist students in the integration of their roles as healthcare professionals and educated citizens. The focus of the class is on deepening students’ understanding of and facility with social and political systems that impact the health and wellbeing of the community.Students demonstrate their preparation to act as educated citizens through the presentation of their portfolio within the context of this capstone course.

    Meet the Faculty

    Our faculty are highly experienced and credentialed in their own fields, giving you constant real-world insight you can use. While any instructor can recite from a textbook, ours go a step further and draw from vast personal and professional experiences. Instructors here care as deeply about their students as they do the subject matter and it shows.

    Meet the Full-time Faculty