The Health Science major is designed to prepare students for acceptance into Physician Assistant Master of Science programs. This pre-professional program is based on a curriculum that provides a strong foundation in biomedical and clinical sciences knowledge and best practices. This program will also provide information regarding current legal and medical issues applicable to the physician assistant, and will provide opportunities for students to acquire necessary hands-on clinical experience.

Students who major in Health Science develop an extensive scientific knowledge base that can be practically applied to clinical situations. Students formulate skills for working in collaborative teams, and an ability to explain the role of team work in the delivery of quality health care with particular emphasis on the physician – physician assistant team. Students also develop strong professional interpersonal and communication skills and an ability to assess and produce feedback on their own personal attributes.

Health Science majors are required to take 43 credits of basic and biomedical science courses, as well as 11 credits of career-specific and applied clinical courses.

Specific College of St. Joseph Requirements for Health Science Majors

• ENG101 Introduction to College Writing and Information Literacy
• ENG102 Reading and Writing About Literature
• ENG Elective
• CIS101A&B Computer Literacy
• COM101 Speech Communication
• MAT202 Statistics
• Fine Arts
• Math Elective
• Social Science (History, Geography, Political Science, & ECO 101)
• Elective in Philosophy and/or Religious Studies
• PHI301 Ethics for the Professional
• PSY103 Developmental Psychology

Professional Certification

• Up to 88 credits

Credits for graduation: 127

Students may transfer in courses required as part of the CSJ liberal arts core but may not transfer in more than 94 of the required 127 credits for graduation.

Download our Academic Catalog for complete program details.