Health Sciences, B.S.

Admission to Major

Any student who has been accepted by Cleveland State University and who is in good academic standing can choose to major in Health Sciences Health Promotion, Pre-Physician Assistant Science, General Interest, and Associate Degree/Bachelor of Science Completion Tracks.

Admission to the Pre-Therapy Track

Students who meet one of the following criteria may declare the Health Sciences Pre-­Occupational Therapy or Pre-Physical Therapy Tracks as their major.

1. Freshmen who meet the following requirements may declare the Health Sciences Pre-Therapy Track (pre-­OT or pre-­PT) as their major upon admission to CSU
   1. ​ACT 24 or SAT of 1180 or
   2. Accepted into CSU’s Honors or Scholars Programs OR
2. Students who have completed a minimum of 30 credit hours of postsecondary education at CSU may declare the Health Sciences Pre-­Therapy Track (pre-­OT or pre-PT) as their major if they have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher at CSU OR
3. Transfer students who have completed a minimum of 30 credit hours of postsecondary education at another accredited institution may declare Health Sciences Pre‐Therapy Track as their major upon admission if they have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. The Registrar’s Office calculates cumulative GPAs as part of the admission’s process.

Hours Required for Degree

Minimum hours required for major: Students must complete the core courses and 51 credit hours in an area of emphasis. Areas of emphasis for the Pre-Therapy track and Pre-Physician Assistant Science Track are described below. The courses of study for students in the General Interest and Completion Program for Allied Health Associate Degree Holders tracks are designed based on individual interests and must be approved by an academic adviser, an HSC adviser, or a COH adviser. 

Six tracks are offered: Bachelor’s Completion Program for Allied Health Associate Degree Holders​ Track for the student already holding an associate degree in a health-related field who wishes to complete a baccalaureate degree; General Interest for the student pursuing health careers for which we don’t have a specified track; Health Promotion for the student who plans to enter the community health or health promotion field; Pre-Occupational Therapy for the student planning to apply to the Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program; Pre-Physical Therapy for the student planning to apply to the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program; and Pre-Physician Assistant Science for the student planning to apply to a graduate program in physician assistant studies.

College Requirements

See college page  for college requirements.

Major Requirements

In addition to fulfilling the general course requirements of the university and the college, B.S. in Health Sciences majors are required to complete

1. the Health Sciences core
2. one Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) course approved for the major
3. 51 credits specific to an area of emphasis within one of six tracks: Bachelor’s Completion Program for Allied Health Associate Degree Holders, General Interest, Health Promotion, Pre-Occupational Therapy, Pre-Physical Therapy, or Pre-PA.

Special Requirement

Students pursuing a B.S. in Health Sciences must earn grades of “C” or above in order for courses to count toward satisfying the requirements for the health sciences major.

Areas of Emphasis

Students in all tracks are required to establish an Area of Emphasis.  Students in the Bachelor’s Completion Program for Allied Health Associate Degree Holders Track and General Interest Tracks work with an adviser to design an area of emphasis reflecting their particular interests and the skills required for the kinds of positions they wish to pursue. The Health Promotion, Pre-Occupational Therapy, Pre-Physical Therapy, and Pre-Physician Assistant Science Tracks have specific courses students must complete. However, students may need to select additional electives. Students are encouraged to explore with their HSC adviser minors and certificate programs that may be applied toward their area of emphasis. Highly recommended certificate programs are the Gerontology Studies Certificate; the Certificate in Culture, Communication and Health; and the Bioethics Certificate. The program has identified pre-approved electives and a listing of these is available on the Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences website or from the department. Students are required to update their program of study at least annually in collaboration with their adviser. Advising will be provided by the academic adviser or by faculty in the Department of Health Sciences and Human Performance or by an adviser in the College of Health Dean’s Office. Every student must have an approved program of study by the end of his or her first semester in the major.

Mandel Honors College Scholars

Accelerated Master’s Programs

The accelerated degree completion programs are designed for high-performing undergraduates in the General Interest or Associate Degree Completion (2+2) Tracks of the Health Sciences Major. These programs are designed to respond to the growing job opportunities in health-related settings by shortening the time for completion of a Masters degree. Students can jump-start their careers as professionals in health sciences by accelerating the completion of the two degrees. For more information, see the Health Sciences, Accelerated Master’s BS/MPH , Health Sciences, Accelerated Master’s BS/MS , and Health Sciences to Exercise Science, Accelerated Master’s BS/M.Ed.  pages.