HEALTH SCIENCE, BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (BS), 2026-2027
The Bachelor of Science degree in health science is a 54 credit-hour professional degree program that prepares graduates for admission to a clinical education program. Students complete a curriculum that provides a foundation in health services delivery, population health assessment, and leadership. Additional program content includes an introduction to public health, health services management, aging studies and ethics. This program requires a mix of science and mathematics courses that support admission requirements for a variety of clinical education programs.
HEALTH SCIENCE REQUIRED COURSES (33 credits)
These courses build a strong foundation in healthcare, covering healthcare systems, policy, quality, leadership, and culturally informed patient care. They equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in clinical education and provide high-quality patient care.
Each course requires a grade of C-/1.7 or higher.
| Course Number | Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PHS 1001 | Intro to Aging Studies | 3 |
| PHS 101 | Intro to Public Health | 3 |
| PHS 300 | Careers in Health Care | 3 |
| PHS 310 | Intro to U.S. Health Services System | 3 |
| PHS 3252 | Epidemiology | 3 |
| PHS 344 | Culturally Informed Healthcare | 3 |
| PHS 356 | Foundations of Healthcare Policy, Law, & Ethics | 3 |
| PHS 410 | IPE & Health Communication | 3 |
| PHS 428 | Healthcare Organization & Leadership | 3 |
| PHS 448 | Healthcare Quality & Analytics | 3 |
| PHS 613 | Health Education & Behavior | 3 |
1PHS 404 Psychology of Aging can fulfill the PHS 100 requirement for Health Science majors.
2Prerequisite for PHS 325 is MATH 111, 112, 123, 131, 144, 242, STAT 171 or STAT 370.
INTERDISCIPLINARY ELECTIVES
The interdisciplinary electives are drawn from a variety of disciplines that complement and enhance the Health Science curriculum. These courses give students the opportunity to deepen knowledge in their chosen career path, develop additional skills for roles in patient care or non-patient care fields, and strengthen professional competencies to improve overall career readiness.
Choose 2 courses for a total of 6 credit hours. Grade of C-/1.7 or higher required.
| Course Number | Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PHS 404 | Psychology of Aging | 3 |
| PHS 405 | Sociology of Aging | 3 |
| PHS 407 | Foundations of Healthcare Informatics | 3 |
| PHS 408 | Adaptive Leadership | 3 |
| PHS 485 | Healthcare Professionalism | 3 |
| PHS 518 | Healthcare Coordination | 3 |
| PHS 525 | Living with Death: Understanding Loss and Legacy | 3 |
| PHS 560 | Care Networks & Services | 3 |
| PHS 562 | Senior Living Operations | 3 |
| PHS 565 | The Medicare System | 3 |
| PHS 609 | Rural Healthcare Leadership | 3 |
| PHS 617 | Community Development Methods | 3 |
| PHS 623 | Public Health and Community and Aging | 3 |
| PHS 626 | Hospitality & Enrichment in LTC | 3 |
| ECON 231 | Business Statistics | 3 |
| HPS 328 | Kinesiology | 3 |
| HPS 440 | Concepts in the Prescription of Exercise | 3 |
| PHIL 327 | Bioethics | 3 |
| PSY 301 | Psychological Statistics | 3 |
| PSY 311 | Psychological Research Methods | 3 |
| PSY 324 | Psychology of Personality | 3 |
| PSY 325 | Developmental Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 344 | Psychological Disorders & Human Suffering | 3 |
| CJ 407 | Research Methods | 3 |
MATH AND NATURAL SCIENCES(15 credits)
Select a minimum of 15 credit hours from the following courses.
Each course requires a grade of C-/1.7 or higher.
| Course Number | Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| HPS 490 | Physiology of Exercise | 3 |
| HPS 762 | Statistical Concepts in HPS | 3 |
| MLS 303 | Medical Terminology | 3 |
| MLS 311 | Biochemistry | 3 |
| MLS 405 | Medical Immunology | 3 |
| PHS 331 | Principles of Diet and Nutrition | 3 |
| PHYS 111 | Introductory Physics | 4 |
| PHYS 213 | General College Physics I | 5 |
| PHYS 214 | General College Physics II | 5 |
| PHYS 313 | Physics for Scientists I | 4 |
| PHYS 314 | Physics for Scientists II | 4 |
| PHYS 315 | University Physics Lab I | 1 |
| PHYS 316 | University Physics Lab II | 1 |
| PSY 301 | Psychological Statistics | 3 |
| STAT 370 | Elementary Statistics | 3 |
| BIOL, CHEM, HS, MATH | Any course numbered 100 or higher | 3+ |
OPEN ELECTIVES (31-51 credits)
Students must complete sufficient credits to fulfill graduation requirements. These credits can include, but are not limited to the following:
- Additional science prerequisite coursework required for graduate program
- Courses toward a minor area of study (consider Health Management or Public Health)
APPLIED LEARNING PORTFOLIO
Health Science majors are required to complete an applied learning portfolio prior to graduation. This portfolio represents activities that meet the learning outcomes of their degree program:
- Foundational Clinical Knowledge
- Evidence-Based Practice
- Healthcare Administration
- Public Health and Education
- Safe and Informed Care
- Interprofessionalism
GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS (34-35 credits)
The General Education Program at Wichita State follows the 34-35 credit-hour KBOR systemwide GE program framework. Kansas transfer students who have the “KS Systemwide General Education Completed” notation on their transcript do not need additional general education courses (outside of pre-program requirements) at Wichita State. Additional credit hours (open electives) to fulfill graduation requirements (see below) may be necessary.
The general education coursework below is waived for students who have earned a prior bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.
| Discipline Area (Bucket) | Course Number | Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGLISH (Bucket 1) | ENGL 101 | College English I | 3 |
| ENGLISH (Bucket 1) | ENGL 102 | College English 2 | 3 |
| COMMUNICATION1 (Bucket 2) | COMM 111 | Public Speaking | 3 |
| MATH & STATISTICS (Bucket 3) | MATH 111 | College Algebra | 3 |
| NATURAL & PHYSICAL SCIENCES-lab required (Bucket 4) | Choice | 4-5 | |
| SOCIAL & BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES (Bucket 5) | PHS 310 | 3 | |
| SOCIAL & BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES (Bucket 5) | PHS 408/PSY 413 | 3 | |
| ARTS & HUMANITIES (Bucket 6) | PHIL 327 | 3 | |
| ARTS & HUMANITIES (Bucket 6) | (Choice-Subject 2) | 3 | |
| INSTITUTIONAL DESIGNATED-DIVERSITY2 (Bucket 7) | PHS 100 | 3 | |
| INSTITUTIONALLY DESIGNATED-FIRST-YEAR SEMINAR3 (Bucket 7) | (Choice-First Year Seminar or other GEN ED) | 3 |
1Interpersonal communication courses taken during or after summer 2015 at a Kansas
Board of Regents (KBOR) public institution can satisfy the communications requirement
for Wichita State’s general education program. However, interpersonal communication
courses completed at Wichita State or at non-KBOR institutions will not meet the communications
requirement for Wichita State’s general education program, except in the cases where
a student then completes the Kansas Systemwide General Education curriculum at a KBOR
institution outside of Wichita State and the transcript is notated as such.
2If a diversity-designated course is complete, select another general education course (your choice) to fulfill “other Gen Ed”.
3If you are not required to take a first-year seminar, select another general education course (your choice) to fulfill “other Gen Ed”.
GRADUATION REQUIRMENTS
- Earn credit for 120 cumulative hours.
- Earn a minimum of 45 credit hours of upper-division coursework (numbered 300 or higher) at a 4-year institution (university).
- Complete a minimum of 30 credit hours at Wichita State.
- Complete all general education requirements.
- Maintain an overall GPA and WSU GPA of 2.00 or higher.
- Your last 24 of 30 credits or last 50 of 60 credit hours must be taken at Wichita State.
- Complete an Application for Degree two semesters before you plan to graduate.
- All transcripts of other college work must be sent to WSU before a degree is posted, even if these courses are not needed to meet WSU degree requirements.