Health Science: Bachelor of Science Major
Description
The B.Sc. in Health Science program is designed to prepare students for public and private sector careers in health research, health practice, health product production and distribution, and health management. It also prepares students for entry into schools of health or graduate studies.
The objectives of the degree are as follows:
- To provide students with a strong foundation in the basic sciences together with a broad knowledge of the various health professions involved in Canadian health care delivery.
- To equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary for employment in health research, production and distribution of health products, and other health-related fields.
- To provide students with the educational prerequisites necessary for entry into a) post graduate degrees in the sciences, and b) qualified health professional programs (e.g. medicine, physiotherapy, nuclear medicine, cardiology, pharmacy).
- To provide students with the opportunity to integrate an understanding of complementary medicine (e.g., naturopathy, traditional Chinese medicine) with the basic sciences.
The B.Sc. in Health Science is designed around a core of required basic science and health science courses, complemented by health science and open electives that provide graduates with a solid science foundation but also with critical health research, communication, and management skills for future success.
Please note that the first and second year courses required in the program are normally available on both Richmond and Surrey campuses. However, the courses with the prefix "HSCI" will be
offered on the Surrey campus only.
Student Profile
This degree program will appeal to individuals with a strong interest in life sciences and human biology and who wish to pursue a career in the wide variety of health care fields.
Students who are successful in this program are likely to be self-motivated, have a strong work ethic and have well-developed oral and written communication skills.
Program Admission Requirements
In addition to KPU's General university admission requirements, including the undergraduate-level English Proficiency Requirement, the following program admission requirements apply:
- Minimum grade of ‘B’ in English 12 (or equivalent)
- Minimum grade of ‘C+’ in Chemistry 12 (or equivalent)
- Minimum grade of 'C+' in Pre-Calculus 12 (or equivalent)
- A passing grade in Physics 12 or PHYS 1100 (or equivalents)
Biology 11 and 12 are strongly recommended, but not required.
Program Requirements
General Requirements
All students must complete the following general requirements for a Bachelor of Science:
- A minimum of 120 credits and a minimum of 40 courses (at least 3 credits each) at the post-secondary level (numbered 1100 or higher).
- At least 45 of the credits (15 courses) must be at the 3000- or 4000-level; at least 9 of these credits must be at the 4000-level.
- A minimum of 18 credits of breadth electives (see Electives) including:
- at least one 3000- or 4000-level course; and
- at least 12 credits from fields or courses not regarded as science; and
- a maximum of 6 credits may come from fields of science not already included in the Biology Major requirements.
- Completion of 6 credits of 4000-level Research or 6 credits of 4000-level Directed Studies in Year 4.
- A minimum of a passing grade (D or better) in all courses counting towards the BSc, with a cumulative GPA of 2.0.
To meet residency requirements, at least 50% of all courses for the BSc, and at least 66% of upper level courses for the BSc, must be completed at KPU.
Health Science Major
The following outlines the specific course requirements for the Health Science Major.
The Health Science Major requires the completion of a minimum of 136 credits.
Year 1
All of: |
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| BIOL 1110 | Introductory Biology I | 4 credits | |
| BIOL 1210 | Introductory Biology II | 4 credits | |
| CHEM 1110 | The Structure of Matter | 4 credits | |
| CHEM 1210 | Chemical Energetics and Dynamics | 4 credits | |
| ENGL 1100 | Introduction to University Writing | 3 credits | |
| HSCI 1115 | Introduction to Health Science | 3 credits | |
| HSCI 1220 | Health Science Writing | 3 credits | |
| MATH 1130 | Calculus for Life Sciences I | 3 credits | |
| MATH 1230 | Calculus for Life Sciences II | 3 credits | |
And one of: |
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| MATH 1135 | Problems and Concepts | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 1145 | Critical Thinking | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 1155 | Introduction to Scientific Reasoning | 3 credits | |
| SOCI 1125 | Introduction to Society: Processes and Structures | 3 credits | |
Year 2
All of: |
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| BIOL 2321 | Cell Biology | 4 credits | |
| BIOL 2421 | Cellular Biochemistry | 3 credits | |
| CHEM 2320 | Organic Chemistry I | 4 credits | |
| CHEM 2420 | Organic Chemistry II | 4 credits | |
| HSCI 2220 | Medical Terminology | 3 credits | |
| PHYS 1101 | Physics for Life Sciences I | 4 credits | |
| PHYS 1102 | Physics for Life Sciences II | 4 credits | |
| SOCI 2280 | Sociology of Health and Illness | 3 credits | |
| Elective | (see Electives) | 3 credits | |
And one of: |
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| ANTH 1100 | Social & Cultural Anthropology | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 1100 | Introduction to Psychology: Basic Processes | 3 credits | |
Year 3
All of: |
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| BIOL 2320 | Genetics | 4 credits | |
| BIOL 2330 | Microbiology | 4 credits | |
| BIOL 3160 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I (under development) | 4 credits | |
| BIOL 3180 | Research Methodology (under development) | 3 credits | |
| BIOL 3321 | Advanced Cell & Molecular Biology (under development) | 4 credits | |
| BIOL 4160 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II (under development) | 4 credits | |
| MATH 2335 | Statistics for Life Sciences | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3010 | Health Care Ethics | 3 credits | |
| PHYS 3202 | Biophysics | 3 credits | |
And one of: |
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| CHEM 3320 | Natural Products Chemistry (under development) | 4 credits | |
| HSCI 3205 | Health Law (under development) | 3 credits | |
| HSCI 3215 | Complementary Medicine (under development) | 3 credits | |
| HSCI 3225 | Nutrition (under development) | 3 credits | |
Year 4
All of: |
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| BIOL 3421 | Molecular Biochemistry (under development) | 3 credits | |
| BIOL 4260 | Human Anatomy and Physiology III (under development) | 4 credits | |
| BIOL 4360 | Human Anatomy and Physiology IV (under development) | 4 credits | |
| HSCI 4199 | Senior Research Project I (under development) | 4 credits | |
| HSCI 4299 | Senior Research Project II (under development) | 4 credits | |
| HSCI 4380 | Critical Evaluation (under development) | 3 credits | |
| Elective | (see Electives) | 3 credits | |
And one of: |
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| BIOL 3330 | Microbiology II (under development) | 4 credits | |
| BIOL 4420 | Human Genetics (under development) | 4 credits | |
| CHEM 4320 | Drug Discovery, Design and Development (under development) | 4 credits | |
| HSCI 4130 | Pharmacology (under development) | 3 credits | |
| HSCI 4135 | Herbal Medicines and Natural Health Products (under development) | 3 credits | |
| HSCI 4140 | Gerontology (under development) | 3 credits | |
And two of: |
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| BIOL 4245 | Developmental Biology (under development) | 4 credits | |
| BIOL 4255 | Bioinformatics (under development) | 3 credits | |
| HSCI 4245 | Populations and Policy (under development) | 3 credits | |
| HSCI 4250 | Health Business (under development) | 3 credits | |
Electives
Students are required to complete two elective courses (6 or more credits) through their program.
Courses with considerable content overlap may only be counted once towards degree completion. These include:
- BIOL 1112 or BIOL 1210
- ENVI 1106 or CHEM 1110
- ENVI 1206 or CHEM 1154 or CHEM 1210
- CHEM 2311 or CHEM 3310
- MATH 1120 or MATH 1130 or MATH 1140
- MATH 1220 or MATH 1230
- MATH 2335 or MATH 2341
- PHYS 1101 or PHYS 1120
- PHYS 1102 or PHYS 1220
Breadth Electives
At least 12 credits must come from fields or courses not regarded as science courses. EDUC 4100 may be used as a breadth requirement.
Up to 6 credits of breadth may come from fields of science not prescribed in the specific requirements for that BSc Health Science. These may include:
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If taken above, PHIL 1145, PHIL 1155 and SOCI 1125 may be counted as a breadth elective.
Credential Awarded
Upon successful completion of the major program, students are eligible to receive a Bachelor of Science, Major in Health Science.
