Healthcare Studies, B.S. - STEM Foundations for Nursing

The program course outline and graduation requirements for this catalog year are listed below. To graduate, a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 must be achieved, and a total of 120 credits is required. This total includes both the required courses for the program and any free electives selected. The department website provides an overview of the program, admission requirements for the major (when applicable), faculty biographies, learning outcomes, and careers: https://www.southernct.edu/academics/hsi/programs. 

GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS (46 Credits)

All bachelor’s degree programs include liberal education (LEP) and writing (W) course requirements. To review more detailed information, please visit General Education (LEP) Degree Requirements.   

MAJOR REQUIREMENTS (43 Credits)

Up to three courses in the major/cognate may also satisfy LEP requirements and will be indicated below; no more than two courses in the same subject may be used towards LEP Explorations.

Core Requirements (25 Credits)
HLS 100 – Introduction to Healthcare Professions
HLS 180 – Introduction to Research and Writing in Healthcare
HLS 210 – Principles of Person Centered Healthcare
HLS 220 – Healthcare Communication
HLS 310 – Electronic Health Information
HLS 315 – Healthcare Systems & Policy
HLS 330 – Case Studies in Healthcare Ethics or PHI 325 - Bio-Medical Ethics
HLS 410 – Medical Insurance and Billing

Select one:
HLS 260 – Medical Terminology of Body Systems and Diseases  OR
PCH 265 – Illness and Disease  AND  HLS 101 – Essentials of Medical Terminology

STEM Foundations for Nursing Concentration (18 Credits)
HLS 440 – Research Methods for Evidence-Based Healthcare

Experiential (select one):
HLS 490 – Career Skills for the Health Professional
HLS 497 – Internship in Healthcare Studies

Health Equity and Populations (select two): 
HLS 150 – Introduction to Aging Studies
HLS 350 – Interventions and Support in Dementia Care
HLS 370 – Perspectives in LGBTQ+ Healthcare Practices
HLS 380 – Cultural Humility for the Healthcare Professional
PCH 320 – Health Disparities and Social Justice
REC 307 – Disabilities in Society

Select two additional courses in HLS 

COGNATES & NURSING PREREQUISITES (31 Credits)

'B-' or better required in all Cognate Requirements

BIO 200 – Human Anatomy & Physiology I (T2LE)
BIO 201 – Human Anatomy & Physiology II
BIO 120 – Microbiology (T2LE)
CHE 125 –Introduction to General, Organic and Biochemistry (T2PR)
MAT 107 – Elementary Statistics (T1QR)
PCH 200 – Introduction to Nutrition
PSY 100 – Introduction to Psychology (T2MB)
PSY 219 – Lifespan Development

Select one:
MAT 108 – Mathematics for the Natural Sciences 
MAT 112 – Algebra for Business and the Sciences
MAT 120 – College Algebra 
MAT 122 – Precalculus 
MAT 124 – Finite Mathematics 
MAT 139 – Short Course in Calculus 
MAT 150 – Calculus I 
MAT 151 – Calculus II

ACCELERATED PATHWAY OPTION (12 Credits)

Students with a 3.0 GPA and at least 90 credits may be eligible to complete an accelerated pathway during their senior year to earn dual credit towards both their current undergraduate program and future graduate program of interest. Approval to start graduate coursework does not guarantee admission to the graduate program.

Students will meet with their faculty advisor to prepare a Graduate Course Plan (500-level courses or higher), with a maximum of 6 credits per semester, based on their graduate program of interest. Approval from both the Program Department Chairperson and the Graduate Coordinator is required. Programs may have higher requirements, and seat availability in certain graduate programs may be limited.    

Courses completed with a grade of 'C' or higher will earn dual credit for both undergraduate and graduate transcripts. Graduate programs may have higher grade requirements in place for certain courses which may require the student to retake the course for a higher grade letter.