Program Overview

School of Interdisciplinary Studies

Healthcare Studies (BS)

The Bachelor of Science degree in Healthcare Studies is designed for pre-health students who want to pursue careers in healthcare fields such as medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, optometry, physical therapy, health care administration, occupational therapy, physician assisting, and podiatry.

The school of Interdisciplinary Studies offers the degree, which provides the academic foundation for pre-health students to prepare for advanced study as well as the essential knowledge components in healthcare studies.

Science foundation areas within the degree include biology, chemistry, and physics. Healthcare studies areas include pre-health professional development, a healthcare internship, medical terminology, psychological aspects of health and illness, understanding of the U.S. healthcare system, patient education, and prevention.

Bachelor of Sciences in Healthcare Studies

Degree Requirements (120 semester credit hours)

I. Core Curriculum Requirements: 42 semester credit hours

• Communication: 6 semester credit hours
  • COMM 1311 Survey of Oral and Technology-based Communication
  • RHET 1302 Rhetoric
• Mathematics: 3 semester credit hours
  • One of the following
    • MATH 1325 Applied Calculus I
    • MATH 2413 Differential Calculus
    • MATH 2417 Calculus I
• Life and Physical Sciences: 6 semester credit hours
  • CHEM 1311 General Chemistry I
  • CHEM 1312 General Chemistry II
• Language, Philosophy and Culture: 3 semester credit hours
  • One of the following:
    • HUMA 1301 Exploration of the Humanities
    • PHIL 1301 Introduction to Philosophy
  • Or select any 3 semester credit hours from Language, Philosophy and Culture core courses
• Creative Arts: 3 semester credit hours
  • One of the following:
    • AHST 2331 Understanding Art
    • ARTS 1301 Exploration of the Arts
    • DRAM 1310 Understanding Theater
    • FILM 2332 Understanding Film
  • Or select any 3 semester credit hours from Creative Arts core courses
• American History: 6 semester credit hours
  • Two of the following:
    • HIST 1301 U.S. History Survey to Civil War
    • HIST 1302 U.S. History Survey from Civil War
    • HIST 2301 History of Texas
• Government / Political Science: 6 semester credit hours
  • GOVT 2305 American National Government
  • GOVT 2306 State and Local Government
• Social and Behavioral Sciences: 3 semester credit hours
  • PSY 2301 Introduction to Psychology
• Component Area Option: 6 semester credit hours
  • BIOL 2311 Introduction to Modern Biology I
  • STAT 2332 Statistics for Life Science

II. Major Requirements: 47 semester credit hours

• Major Core Course: 3 semester credit hours
  • BIS 3320 The Nature of Intellectual Inquiry
• Foundation I: Scientific Foundation Studies: 15 semester credit hours beyond Core Curriculum
  • BIOL 2311 Introduction to Modern Biology I
  • BIOL 2111 Introduction to Modern Biology Workshop I
  • BIOL 2312 Introduction to Modern Biology II
  • BIOL 2112 Introduction to Modern Biology Workshop II
  • CHEM 1311 General Chemistry I
  • CHEM 1111 General Chemistry Laboratory I
  • CHEM 1312 General Chemistry II
  • CHEM 1112 General Chemistry Laboratory II
  • CHEM 2323 Introductory Organic Chemistry I
  • CHEM 2123 Introductory Organic Chemistry Laboratory I
  • CHEM 2325 Introductory Organic Chemistry II
  • CHEM 2125 Introductory Organic Chemistry Laboratory II
• Foundation II: Healthcare Foundation Studies: 14 semester credit hours
  • HLTH 1100 Career Explorations for the Health Professions
  • HLTH 1322 Human Nutrition
  • HLTH 3101 Medical Terminology
  • HLTH 3300 Pre-Health Professional Development
  • HLTH 3305 The U.S. Healthcare System
  • HLTH 4304 Health Professions Internship
• Foundation III: Multidisciplinary Healthcare Studies: 15 semester credit hours
  • Required (9 semester credit hours):
    • HLTH 3301 Issues in Geriatric Healthcare
    • HLTH 3315 Issues in Patient Education
    • PSY 4328 Health Psychology or PSY 2314 Lifespan Development
  • And choose 6 semester credit hours from among the following:
    • ECON 3330 Economics of Health
    • GEOG 3357 Spatial Dimensions of Health and Disease
    • HLTH 3310 Health Care Issues: Global Perspectives
    • HLTH 4380 Special Topics in Healthcare
    • HMGT 4301 Introduction to Healthcare Management
    • PHIL 4320 Medical Ethics
    • PHIL 4321 Philosophy of Medicine
    • PSCI 4365 Law and Medicine
    • SOC 4369 Public Health and Society
    • SOC 4371 Mental Health and Illness
    • SOC 4372 Health and Illness

III. Prescribed Elective Requirements: 22 semester credit hours

• Required for all freshmen: 1 semester credit hour
  • UNIV 1010 Freshman Seminar
  • BIS 1100 Interdisciplinary Studies Freshman Seminar
• Prescribed Electives: 21 semester credit hours
  • Students interested in pursuing entrance into health professional fields (such as medical, dental, pharmacy, physician assistant, physical therapy, optometry, etc.) should seek advising on additional courses required for entrance into the particular professional school of their interest. A subset of the following courses should be considered essential and should be taken as part of their elective credits.
  • BIOL 2281 Introductory Biology Laboratory
  • BIOL 3301 Classical and Molecular Genetics
  • BIOL 3101 Classical and Molecular Genetics Workshop
  • BIOL 3302 Eukaryotic Molecular and Cell Biology
  • BIOL 3102 Eukaryotic Molecular and Cell Biology Workshop
  • BIOL 3361 Biochemistry I
  • BIOL 3161 Biochemistry Workshop I
  • BIOL 3362 Biochemistry II
  • BIOL 3162 Biochemistry Workshop II
  • BIOL 3455 Human Anatomy and Physiology with Lab I
  • BIOL 3456 Human Anatomy and Physiology with Lab II
  • BIOL 3370 Exercise Physiology
  • BIOL 3V20 General Microbiology with Lab
  • HLTH 4V01 Health Professions Independent Study
  • ISIS 2308 Bones, Bodies, and Disease
  • ISIS 3309 Dental Anthropology
  • NSC 3361 Behavioral Neuroscience
  • NSC 4366 Neuroanatomy
  • NSC 4351 Medical Neuroscience

IV. Elective Requirements: 9 semester credit hours

• Guided Electives: 9 semester credit hours
  • Students must complete a total of 51 semester credit hours of upper-division coursework to graduate. A minimum of 45 semester credit hours must be taken at UT Dallas. All the coursework in the final semester must be taken at UT Dallas.

Undergraduate Programs

The university offers various undergraduate programs across different schools, including:

• Arts and Humanities
• Behavioral and Brain Sciences
• Economic, Political and Policy Sciences
• Engineering and Computer Science
• Interdisciplinary Studies
• Jindal School of Management
• Natural Science and Mathematics

Undergraduate Courses

Undergraduate courses are offered by subject and by school, including interdisciplinary courses and developmental courses.

Undergraduate Admission

Admission requirements and processes are outlined, including freshman admission, international student admission, readmission, special admissions, and transfer student admissions.

Undergraduate Curriculum

The undergraduate curriculum includes a core curriculum, honors programs, and other degree requirements.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Information on tuition, financial aid, and other user fees is provided, including types of financial aid and refund policies.

Policies and Procedures

A list of undergraduate policies is provided, covering academic, admission, and other aspects of university life.

University Resources

A list of resources is provided, including general resources, health resources, professional resources, and student complaint resources.

Catalog Appendices

Appendices include rules, regulations, and statutory requirements, as well as information on the transfer of lower-division course credit.