Program Overview

Allied Health BAS Program

The Allied Health BAS program is designed for healthcare professionals with an associate's degree in an allied health field, seeking to advance their careers. This 100% online program focuses on promoting wellness, tracking disease outbreaks, creating health policies, and investigating health disparities.

Program-at-a-Glance

• Total Credit Hours: 120
• Major Area of Study: 30
• Additional Requirements: 3
• Cost per Credit Hour: $433.59
• Completion Time: 1-2 years
• Accreditation: The Council on Education for Public Health

Admission Requirements

• Students must have graduated from an accredited two-year public health technology program or allied health program with an associate's degree.
• Eligibility to sit for a national certification examination in the specific discipline area for the associate degree level allied health professional.
• A cumulative GPA of 2.50 is required for admission into the program.
• Application for Undergraduate Admission
• $45 non-refundable application fee
• Official transcripts from institutions attended after high school for transfer applicants

Program Academic Policies and Requirements

• A cumulative GPA of 2.50 is required to take DPH required coursework.
• A grade of C or better must be earned in all program curriculum courses to complete the degree.
• Students must obtain and maintain a University of Southern Mississippi cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better to remain in good standing within the program.

General Education Curriculum

Written Communication

• Composition One: 3 hrs.
• Composition Two: 3 hrs.

Natural Science

Select 2 courses with labs:

• General Astronomy I: 3 hrs.
• General Astronomy II: 3 hrs.
• Biology and Society: 3 hrs.
• Essentials of Human Anatomy and Physiology: 3 hrs.
• Principles of Biological Science I: 3 hrs.
• Principles of Biological Science II: 3 hrs.
• Human Anatomy and Physiology I: 3 hrs.
• Human Anatomy and Physiology II: 3 hrs.
• Chemistry and Our Environment: 3 hrs.
• General Chemistry I: 3 hrs.
• Fundamentals of General, Organic and Biochemistry: 3 hrs.
• Weather and Climate: 3 hrs.
• Land and Water: 3 hrs.
• Physical Geology: 3 hrs.
• Historical Geology: 3 hrs.
• Introduction to Ocean Science: 3 hrs.
• Introductory Physics: 3 hrs.
• General Physics I: 3 hrs.
• General Physics II: 3 hrs.
• General Physics I with Calculus: 4 hrs.
• General Physics II with Calculus: 4 hrs.
• Living in a Material World: 3 hrs.

Humanities

• World Literature: 3 hrs.
• Select 2 courses, 1 History required:
  • World Civilizations: Beginnings to 1500 C.E.: 3 hrs.
  • World Civilizations: 1500 to the present: 3 hrs.
  • Colloquium on the Pre-Modern World: 3 hrs.
  • Colloquium on the Modern World: 3 hrs.
  • Introduction to Philosophy: 3 hrs.
  • Ethics and Good Living: 3 hrs.
  • Comparative Religion: 3 hrs.

Aesthetic Values

Select 1 course:

• Art Appreciation: 3 hrs.
• Dance Appreciation: 3 hrs.
• Theatre Appreciation: 3 hrs.
• The Enjoyment of Music: 3 hrs.

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Select 2 courses:

• The Human Experience: A Global Perspective on Human Diversity: 3 hrs.
• Introduction to Cultural & Linguistic Anthropology: 3 hrs.
• Basic Economics: 3 hrs.
• World Geography: Dynamics of a Changing Earth: 3 hrs.
• Concepts of Wellness: 3 hrs.
• American Government: 3 hrs.
• General Psychology: 3 hrs.
• Understanding Society: Principles of Sociology: 3 hrs.
• Introduction to Language: 3 hrs.

Mathematics

Select 1 course:

• Quantitative Reasoning: 3 hrs.
• College Algebra: 3 hrs.

Writing-Intensive Requirement

• Communication in Public Health: 3 hrs.

Speaking-Intensive Requirement

Select 1 course:

• Public Speaking: 3 hrs.
• Interpersonal Communication: 3 hrs.
• Professional Communication: 3 hrs.
• Small-Group Communication: 3 hrs.

Capstone Requirement

• Allied Health Capstone: 3 hrs.

Program Curriculum

Major Area of Study Requirements

• Personal Wellness: 3 hrs.
• Introduction to Environmental Health: 3 hrs.
• Preventing Communicable and Chronic Diseases: 3 hrs.
• Health Policy: 3 hrs.
• Introduction to Health Systems: 3 hrs.
• Introduction to Epidemiology: 3 hrs.
• Allied Health Capstone: 3 hrs.
• Communication in Public Health: 3 hrs.

Additional Requirements

Select 1 course:

• Statistical Methods I: 3 hrs.
• Introduction to Biostatistics: 3 hrs.
• Introduction to Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences: 3 hrs.

Career Opportunities

A degree in allied health opens up various career opportunities focused on improving community health, promoting preventive measures, and contributing to overall well-being. Allied professionals who are clinically trained will be introduced to basic concepts in public health and are prepared for professional careers within or outside their field. Students can pursue master's or doctoral degrees, increase their income within their allied health field of practice, gain credibility within the healthcare setting, potentially move to a management position within their allied health field, or transition to another career outside of their allied health field. Many students remain employed full-time within their current field and may be eligible for leadership roles with the organization where they currently work. With an allied health degree, students are also qualified for many non-clinical, entry-level positions with community or healthcare organizations, such as community health work, health care manager, or program management.