Bachelor's of Science in Health Science (BSHS)

Students will:

• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the theoretical and practical aspects of the health care delivery system from a historical, comparative, economic, cultural, and ethical perspective.

• Employ a variety of business and management skills and techniques including marketing, financial management, law, and information management to effectively and efficiently advance the goals of the organization.

• Demonstrate creativity in defining, negotiating, and solving problems.

• Communicate and educate, using the most current information and communication technology.

All of the following requirements MUST be completed and turned into the appropriate personnel located in IH 317 BEFORE the practicum is begun. Students who do not have the following completed will not be able to participate in HLSC 4680.  To download requirements, rationale, and instructions please CLICK HERE.

Joint Commission, the health care institutional accrediting body, requires care-giving institutions to follow specific guidelines for staff and students including but not limited to:

• 2008/2009 Standard: IC.1.10 1. An organization wide IC program is implemented.
• 2008 Standard IC. 1.10 The risk of development of a health care-associated infection is minimized through an organization wide infection control program.
• 2005 Standard HR.1.20 for staff, students, and volunteers who work in the same capacity as staff who provide care, treatment, and services, at EP 5 states criminal background checks are verified when required by law and regulation and organization policy  

The Texas Department of State Health Services has specific immunization requirements for students involved with direct patient contact and are stated in the Texas Administrative Code, Title 25, Part 1, Chapter 97, Subchapter B, Rule 97.64, include the following: (for additional information, please see the Texas Administrative Code, Title 25, Part 1, Chapter 97, Subchapter B. 

Direct patient care is defined by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), for purposes of this rule, as students whose coursework involves contact with patients in a manner that can result in direct contact with blood, blood-contaminated body fluids, or other bodily fluids from the patient. This definition is available at within the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Disease Prevention and Immunization Policy Statement. 

HLSC student practicum experiences are to assist the student in meeting program goals as identified above. Direct patient care that would involve contact with patient body fluids is neither warranted nor appropriate.

To meet the organizational requirements and facilitate student progress toward goal attainment through practica experiences in a health care system, the following are required prior to beginning the practica experience:

• DRIVERS LICENSE
  • Date Verification (No Numbers please)

• HEALTH INFORMATION
  • Date of Last PPD (Within the Past Year)
  • Hepatitis B Vaccine Confirmation Date
  • Declined Date of Hepatitis B
  • MMR Immunizations
  • Varicella Titer Or Positive History Date

• EDUCATION
  • City Wide Orientation Completion Date AND/OR Hospital Orientation Date
  • BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION
    • Social Security Number Date Verification (No SNN’s to be released)
    • Criminal Search Date: Up to 7 years, or Up to 5 searchers
    • Date of HHS/OIG/GSA List of Excluded Individuals
    • Date of Texas HHS List of Excluded Individuals
    • Date of Violation Sexual Offender & Predator Registry

Verification of completion of the above must be presented by the student to the personnel in IH 317 prior to beginning HLSC 4680 - Practicum.

BSHS Degree Requirements

*Students generally have all core curriculum and supporting courses completed before admittance into the program. This includes a completed Core Curriculum, 18-22 hours of a specialization area, and 14-18 hours of other electives.

BSHS Major Courses

HLSC 3300 - The Health Care System 

HLSC 3310 - Epidemiology 

HLSC 3320 - Health Care Marketing 

HLSC 3330 - Financial Management in Health Care 

HLSC 3340 - Quantitative Methods in Health Care 

HLSC 3350 - Information Systems and Technology in Health Care 

HLSC 3370 - Complementary and Alternative Medicine 

HLSC 4300 - Management and Organization Behavior in Health Care 

HLSC 4310 - Health Law 

HLSC 4340 - Quality Management and Evaluation in Health Care 

HLSC 4680 - Practicum 

Total 36 hrs. 

Students may complete a designated Specialization Area (minor) in the following areas:

Geographic Information Systems 22 sem. hrs.

Computer Science 22 sem. hrs.

Mathematics 18 sem. hrs.

Business Administration 18 sem. hrs.

Accounting 18 sem. hrs.

Economics 18 sem. hrs.

International Business 18 sem. hrs.

Management Information Systems 18 sem. hrs.

*With approval, students can design a degree plan with an interdisciplinary area of specialization (22hrs) or use to satisfy pre-professional school requirements. 

Sample Degree Plan

Sample Minor in Health Sciences