B.S. in Healthcare Services and Sciences

Note: In fall 2019, the Interdisciplinary Health Services bachelor’s degree program was renamed Healthcare Services and Sciences. Students admitted to the IHS program prior to fall 2019,  refer to the appropriate Undergraduate Catalog or consult with your academic advisor if you have any questions about this change.

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General HSS Degree

The general Healthcare Services and Sciences bachelor's degree provides the educational experience to prepare you for a number of impactful careers in the growing field of health care.

In the HSS bachelor’s degree program, you’ll learn HOW to be a healthcare professional.

Video of Welcome to WMU Healthcare Services and Sciences

 
You won’t just learn basics like anatomy, medical terminology and ethics. You’ll learn about health literacy and patient communication so you’re prepared to work with patients from varying backgrounds. You’ll also learn about the business, legal and budget issues specific to healthcare, along with other skills you need to be a responsible, effective healthcare professional.

Use the links below to learn more about health care and health science careers, the courses required for this bachelor's degree, and WMU minors that complement the HSS bachelor's degree in preparing you for a career after graduation.

Curriculum

Required Courses

Students must complete all the HSS core major courses and core cognate courses.

MORE INFORMATION IN THE UNDERGRADUATE CATALOG

Curriculum

The curriculum for this bachelor's degree has three parts - the core, an element of specialized knowledge, and the required capstone experience.

  • HSS Core

    The HSS core is comprised of core major requirements and core cognate requirements. You'll receive an introduction to core competencies needed in many health services careers, like patient and family centered care delivery, interdisciplinary teamwork, evidence-based practice, health literacy practices, quality improvement, informatics, and ethical decision making.

    You'll also find in-depth study of the organization and delivery of health services, safety practices, health disparities, diversity in delivering services, and health policy.

  • Specialized knowledge

    Specialized knowledge obtained through a concentration or minor further prepares you for what comes next, whether you plan to start your career or apply for a professional graduate program.

    Concentration and minor information are on this page below.

  • Capstone experience

    A capstone experience pulls together skills obtained throughout your program and applies them to an internship placement, professional project or a research project.

    Learn more about capstone experiences.

Clinical practice

The Clinical Practice in Health concentration optimizes training for students who have an associate degree and are already licensed, certified or registered in an allied health profession. You will receive transfer credits for prior education and you may be eligible for up to 30 credits for prior work experience.

Learn more

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Capstone experience

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If you’re looking for a way to distinguish yourself with future employers, our required capstone experience is a chance for you to enhance your resume by putting your education to work at a healthcare organization. Whether you choose an internship or a capstone project, you’ll use what you’ve learned and have something to show for it on your resume.

If you’re already working in a healthcare field, you might have the option to satisfy our capstone requirement by working on a solution to a problem for your employer. We will expand your understanding of the healthcare environment by exposing you to real world situations, helping you think differently about processes and perspectives.

Preparation concentrations

Besides the general HSS bachelor’s degree, we offer four preparation concentrations in strong and growing fields – vision studies, occupational therapy and physician assistant – specifically designed to give you a strong knowledge base in those areas and prepare you for meaningful health care jobs. You’ll also get the educational foundation to apply to graduate school if you choose to pursue advanced professional degrees in those areas.

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Complementary minors

There are many minors at WMU that will complement the education you'll receive in the Healthcare Services and Sciences program. While potential employers don't typically focus on minors, they can help you refine your focus on an interest area or specialty. Here are just some of WMU's minors that may be of interest to you:

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