Program Overview

Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree with a Major in Health Sciences

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree with a Major in Health Sciences is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the health sciences field. The program focuses on the functions of health promotion, health education, and public health, as well as the role of socioeconomic, behavioral, biological, environmental, and other factors on human health.

Program Learning Outcomes for the BA Degree with a Major in Health Sciences

Upon completing the BA degree with a major in Health Sciences, students will be able to:

1. Understand the functions of health promotion, health education, and public health on human health and disease prevention.
2. Explain the role of socioeconomic, behavioral, biological, environmental, and other factors on human health.
3. Read, select, and interpret important information from health sciences literature.
4. Collaborate with other professionals, staff, and communities in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of health promotion programs.
5. Promote public health education and promotion within the framework of legal, ethical, moral, and professional standards.
6. Demonstrate an ability to work in a collaborative environment and deliver public health information effectively through written, oral, and media-based formats.

Requirements for the BA Degree with a Major in Health Sciences

For general university requirements, see Graduation Requirements. Students pursuing the BA degree with a major in Health Sciences must complete:

• A minimum of 14 courses (42 credit hours) to satisfy major requirements.
• A minimum of 120 credit hours to satisfy degree requirements.
• A minimum of 5 courses (15 credit hours) taken at the 300-level or above.

Core Requirements

The core requirements include:

• HEAL 222: Principles of Public and Community Health
• HEAL 313: Foundations of the Public Health Profession
• HEAL 407: Epidemiology
• HEAL 422: Theories and Models of Health Behavior
• HEAL 460: Planning and Evaluation of Health Promotion and Education
• KINE 319: Statistics for the Health Professional

Elective Requirements

To fulfill the elective requirements for the Major in Health Sciences, students must complete a total of 8 elective courses (minimum of 24 credit hours) from the course list below. The list of electives includes courses from various academic departments at Rice, allowing students to choose health-related courses from within the schools of natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities.

Elective Course List

• AAAS 317 / MDHM 315: Race, Medicine, and Mass Incarceration in the United States
• ANTH 381: Medical Anthropology
• ANTH 386: Medical Anthropology of Food and Health
• ANTH 446: Advanced Topics in Biomedical Anthropology
• BIOE 360 / GLHT 360: Appropriate Design for Global Health
• BIOS 201: Introductory Biology I
• BIOS 370: Current Biosciences and Health Policy Topics
• ECON 481: Health Economics
• ENGL 272: Literature and Medicine
• ENGL 273 / SWGS 273: Medicine and Media
• ENST 315: Environmental Health
• GLHT 201: Introduction to Global Health
• HEAL 103: Nutrition
• HEAL 119: Introduction to Health and Wellness
• HEAL 132: Medical Terminology
• HEAL 208: Chemical Alterations of Behavior
• HEAL 212: Consumer Health and the Media
• HEAL 306 / SWGS 306: Human Sexuality
• HEAL 338: Public Mental Health & Well-being: Social Epidemiology, Consequences, & Public Health Approaches
• HEAL 350: Understanding Cancer
• HEAL 360: Violence in America: A Public Health Perspective
• HEAL 372: Environmental Challenges and Public Health in Houston and Beyond
• HEAL 375: The Built Environment and Public Health
• HEAL 376: Fundamentals and Applications of GIS in Public Health
• HEAL 379: Internship in Health Sciences
• HEAL 380: Disparities in Health in America
• HEAL 403: Public Health Nutrition
• HEAL 412: Health Care Delivery & Policy in the United States
• HEAL 495: Independent Research in Health Sciences
• HEAL 498: Special Topics in Health Sciences
• KINE 300: Human Anatomy with Lab
• KINE 301: Human Physiology
• KINE 326: Physical Activity Epidemiology
• KINE 440: Research Methods
• MDHM 201: Introduction to Medical Humanities
• MDHM 359: Responsible AI for Health
• PHIL 266: Medical Ethics
• PHIL 354: The Philosophy of Medicine
• POLI 329: Health Policy
• PSYC 345: Health Psychology
• PSYC 346: Stress and Health Across the Lifespan
• SOCI 313: Demography
• SOCI 345: Medical Sociology
• SOCI 351: Reproductive Health and Society
• SOCI 465 / SWGS 465: Gender and Health
• SOSC 330: Health Care Reform in the 50 States

Transfer Credit

For Rice University's policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the designated transfer credit advisor for the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course.

Additional Information

For additional information, please see the Department of Kinesiology website.

Academic Honors

The university recognizes academic excellence achieved over an undergraduate's academic history at Rice. For information on university honors, please see Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and Distinction in Research and Creative Work.

Unique Programs

Rice-UTSPH Public Health Scholars

Rice undergraduate students interested in pursuing a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth School of Public Health (UTSPH)) may apply to the Rice-UT Public Health Scholars Program. This unique coordinated program enables accepted Rice students to earn credit towards their Rice undergraduate degree (BA or BS with any major), and to accelerate in the completion of their UTSPH Master of Public Health degree to within one year after completing their Rice undergraduate degree.

Rice-UTMB Physical Therapy Scholars

Beginning in Fall 2023, a program agreement is in effect between the Sports Medicine and Exercise Physiology (SMEP) program at Rice University and the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB). This unique Rice-UTMB Physical Therapy Scholars Program (Rice-UTMB PTS) offers an opportunity for qualified SMEP students who have identified physical therapy as a career choice to receive preference during the admission process into the UTMB Doctor of Physical Therapy Program.