The Bachelor of Science in health sciences program is designed to prepare the student to enter allied health and other health related fields. The health sciences program focuses on providing the student with a strong foundation through general education and health science-based curriculum with a focus on healthcare leadership skills, financial principles, management strategies, and standards to improve patient care. This major is intended for students interested in the fields of medical laboratory sciences, nursing, physical therapy, and other health professions.
This emphasis is designed for students interested in pursuing a doctorate in physical therapy (DPT) or other health-related fields that require a graduate degree for entry-level practice. The required course work provides the foundation needed to enter many health-related professional programs. Limited retention program: students must maintain at least a 3.00 cumulative NIU GPA after a total of 45 post-secondary credits earned. Students not meeting this minimum cumulative GPA requirement will be changed to Emphasis 2 - General.
(Allow substitution with any three semester hour Abnormal Psychology course.)
Total Hours for Emphasis 1. Pre-Physical Therapy: (80-83)
Emphasis 2: General (31-41)
This emphasis is designed for students interested in pre-medical laboratory sciences (course work recommended as prerequisites for the medical laboratory sciences major) and pre-nursing (course work recommended as prerequisites for the nursing major) course offerings or entry into many other health related fields. Students should explore their academic and career goals regularly with their advisor and make course selections based upon those goals.
This off-campus/online emphasis is designed uniquely for health and human sciences professionals. Applicants must be practicing health or human sciences professionals who hold a current professional credential, certificate, or license in a health or human sciences field and have completed an applied associates degree program or equivalent number of credits. The professional credential, certificate, or license must be in the field in which the applied associates degree or course work was earned.
The student who wishes to apply for this emphasis must
be admitted to NIU
have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00
submit a Health Sciences Degree completion application including a written professional goals statement and copy of the professional credential. The application is available via: http://niu.edu/ora/ or the College of Health and Human Sciences advising office.
Students may be awarded up to 30 semester hours of proficiency credit for the learning experiences and education in the discipline in which they hold certification and/or licensure. Proficiency credit will be awarded during the last semester prior to degree completion. Students in this emphasis are exempt from the 30 semester hour university residence requirement.
