Health Sciences, B.S.

Two students in splinting lab exercise wearing blue scrubs.

Prepare for a rewarding career in healthcare.

As a health science major, you’ll develop the knowledge and skills you need to enter a professional healthcare career or a graduate program. Our core curriculum builds on a foundation of pre-requisite sciences and a rigorous course of study grounded in patient-centered care and team-based problem-solving. You’ll benefit from a personalized program of study that focuses on your career path. 

Available Concentrations:  

Clinical
Our health science degree is designed to prepare you for graduate study in specific healthcare majors such as Physician Assistant, Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist, Prosthetics, or Public Health.  

Community Health 
You’ll be prepared for diverse careers within in-demand healthcare settings working in community health departments, medical settings, long-term care facilities, wellness environments, or healthcare management patient care departments.  

Gerontology 
Develop a better understanding of the physical, social, and psychological aspects of aging. You’ll learn the skills you need to work with an older population. The courses in the concentration are designed to help you prepare for careers within long-term care facilities or go into graduate school for specialized training in healthcare and/or gerontology. 

Occupational Therapy Assistant
Explore our innovative Occupational Therapy Assistant concentration, supported by Candidacy Status from ACOTE, ensuring a high-quality education. Immerse yourself in hands-on experiences across various settings, from hospitals to schools, collaborating with professionals to craft personalized treatment plans. Develop vital communication skills for effective patient care coordination.

Program Highlights

  • Choose from multiple concentrations
  • Career ready upon graduation
  • Gain on-the-job skills through community experiences

Get prepared for a career in the ever-changing medical field with a health science major. 

Focus on patient wellness as you develop the skills you need for an in-demand career in healthcare settings.

Our highly ranked health science program sets you up for success.

  • Two students wearing scrubs, stethoscopes, and gloves practice on a medical mannequin.

    Simulation labs that mimic real situations

    Westfield State University’s simulation lab uses progressive hands-on teaching methods to replicate patient care situations. You’ll work with high-tech mannequins that simulate symptoms, diseases, and conditions you’ll see in a real patient care setting. 

  • Student at Career Fair

    Personalized plan for grad school or career 

    With our rigorous core competency courses, including chemistry, anatomy, physiology, medical ethics, research methods, and public health intervention, you’ll develop a solid foundation of knowledge. You can then choose from a variety of targeted elective classes to shape your future—whether it’s entry into the healthcare workforce or graduate school, you’ll be well prepared for what’s ahead.

  • Splinting lab featuring two health science students in blue scrubs with WSU logos testing how to splint on eachother.

    Clinical-focused research learning 

    As a health science major, you’ll experience courses that focus on case-based, problem-based instruction and simulation. You get hands-on experience with individual research projects and team-based problem-solving grounded in patient-centered care. Collaborate with clinical care centers to prepare to work in a healthcare environment.

Program Details

Program Mission

The Health Sciences Program offers inter/multidisciplinary coursework and clinical experiences leading to a major on the undergraduate transcript. 

The mission of the Health Sciences program is to prepare students for entry into professional healthcare careers or graduate programs through a rigorous course of study grounded in patient-centered, team-based problem-solving and pre-requisite sciences. Interdisciplinary collaboration and community engagement are fundamental processes, as faculty and students collaborate with other campus departments and clinical and community care centers to address public health problems in Western Massachusetts and beyond. 

In addition to aligning with the University’s mission, the Health Sciences program is well-positioned to prepare students for the new healthcare environment. A shift from an illness to a wellness model emphasizes prevention as a key component in optimizing health. Westfield State University is recognized by the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Medical Association as a Silver Level Exercise in Medicine campus. An essential goal of this initiative is to connect clinical care (hospitals, clinics, etc.) and community care (fitness centers, schools, senior centers, individual community members, etc.) teams. 

The program’s intentional addition of wellness theory, its application for disease prevention and treatment, along with the pedagogy of interprofessional education make it unique to similar programs. The pedagogical approach utilized throughout the core curriculum is grounded in interprofessional education values—teamwork, conflict resolution, and effective use of informatics. All program core courses involve group work with case-based, problem-based pedagogy and simulation. The integration of information literacy and multiple disciplinary perspectives is emphasized. 

After successfully completing the program, our graduates may accept positions in a wide variety of graduate programs: exercise science, physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician assistant, athletic training, public health, nursing, health education, and epidemiology, to name a few. Our graduates may also work in numerous settings: cardiac rehabilitation, echocardiogram technology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician assistant, biotechnology, health informatics, healthcare management, community health, and nursing. 

Program Vision

The Westfield State University Health Sciences program intends to educate a diverse student body of highly motivated and culturally aware undergraduate students who wish to continue their careers in healthcare or continued academics to pursue graduate programs within the healthcare field. With a strong emphasis on academic excellence and diversity, Westfield State University’s Health Science Program reflects the mission of the University.

Learning Outcomes

1. Increase student flexibility to explore a variety of aspects of healthcare.

  • Provide academic and clinical experiences to all HS students.
  • Didactic and Clinical partnerships in a variety of health professions.

2. Utilize a multidisciplinary approach to problem solving and patient care.

  • Provide instruction and clinical experiences in team based care.
  • Didactic and benchmarked clinical partnerships in a variety of health professions.

3. Prepare students to be leaders in the new model of healthcare.

  • Leadership project opportunities for each student.
  • Leadership projects embedded in course assignments.

4. Provide education and experience in communicating and managing widely diverse patients.

  • Educational content in coursework and clinical experiential learning in diverse settings.
  • Assignment to clinical settings with diverse patients.

5. Increase relevance of university curriculum.

  • Provide prerequisite coursework for admission to graduate HS programs.
  • Graduate survey and acceptance outcomes data collection and analysis.

6. Increase accessibility of graduate school prerequisites.

  • Provide prerequisite coursework for admission to graduate HS programs within the students academic major and timeline.
  • Student survey and progression data collection and analysis.

7. Increase marketability of students as they apply to graduate schools and professional positions.

  • Provide adequate UG experiences to allow an 80% acceptance rate to graduate HS programs.
  • Monitor student and graduate data for admissions and student success in graduate HS programs.

8. Broaden teaching service and scholarship opportunities for faculty members.

  • Increase faculty research and scholarship opportunities by 25%.
  • Include research and scholarship projects for HS students with faculty mentorship.

9. Promote interdepartmental collaboration.

  • 80% of the curriculum will be taught by interdepartmental faculty and departments.
  • Monitor faculty workload and assignments to HS courses.

 

What can you do with a health science degree?

With a Bachelor of Science in health science, you’ll be prepared for a wide variety of career fields as well as various graduate programs — like exercise science, physical therapy, occupational therapy, or physician assistant. 

Our health science major can help you build your career in:

  • Cardiac rehabilitation
  • Community health
  • Community health educator
  • Healthcare administration
  • Health Coach
  • Health science writer
  • Health informatics
  • Healthcare management
  • Medical or pharmaceutical sales
  • Patient advocate
  • Public health
Students at White Coat Ceremony

Ready to learn more?

Get big school features with small school advantages.  

We offer high-quality academics, unique learning opportunities, and a welcoming campus—and we have small classes, accessible faculty, and one-on-one support. 

You'll join fellow motivated students ready to make the most of the college experience through active participation. Become part of a caring and committed community that understands and embraces the bridge between academic study and civic responsibility.

  • 87%

    of students receive financial aid

  • 92%+

    of faculty hold doctorates

  • 84%

    of grads are employed in their field

Personalized attention from dedicated faculty.

All our faculty hold graduate degrees in the subjects that they teach. You’ll get personalized attention and experience using a multidisciplinary approach to problem-solving and patient care. Your professors are committed to increasing your knowledge of healthcare through a combination of relevant coursework and individual leadership project opportunities.

Health Sciences Faculty Member Group Photo

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to submit SAT/ACT scores or an essay when I apply?

Westfield State University does not require an application essay, SAT and/or ACT scores, or letters of recommendation (except for special program admissions).     

All first-year applicants are reviewed for admission based on their high school record. First-year applicants must meet the minimum eligibility requirements established by the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education (DHE) in order to qualify for admission to a state university.   

Learn more about the application process and admissions here.

How much does Westfield State University cost?

Westfield State University offers a comprehensive university experience at an affordable cost—with many options for financial aid. Visit our Cost and Aid page to learn more. 

Will I receive academic support?

We’re invested in your success. Whether you need a little help adjusting to college, study strategies, tutoring, or disability services, the team at the Academic Achievement Department is ready to help. Our mission is to provide you with the tools to explore academic opportunities as well as to plot strategies for continued growth. 

Learn more about our student support services here.

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Health Sciences, B.S.