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.
Degree Requirements (120 semester credit hours)
Professors: Karen J. Prager @kprager , Lawrence J. Redlinger @redling , Erin A. Smith @erins
Professor of Instruction: Barbara Ashmore @baa067000 , Tonja Wissinger @twissin
Associate Professors of Instruction: Kathleen Byrnes @kab019000 , Patricia A. Leek @santine , Syed Naqvi @skn180000
Assistant Professors of Instruction: Kyle Hammonds @kxh230016 , Marc Lusk @mxl121730 , Michele McNeel @mem210009 , Azadeh Stark @ats160030 , Larissa Werhnyak @lxw163630
I. Core Curriculum Requirements: 42 semester credit hours 1
Communication: 6 semester credit hours
Select any 6 semester credit hours from Communication Core courses (see advisor)
Mathematics: 3 semester credit hours
Choose one course from the following:
MATH 1325 Applied Calculus I 2
Or select any 3 semester credit hours from Mathematics Core courses (see advisor)
Life and Physical Sciences: 6 semester credit hours
CHEM 1311 General Chemistry I 2
CHEM 1312 General Chemistry II 2
Or select any 6 semester credit hours from Life and Physical Sciences Core courses (see advisor)
Language, Philosophy and Culture: 3 semester credit hours
Select any 3 semester credit hours from Language, Philosophy and Culture Core courses (see advisor)
Creative Arts: 3 semester credit hours
Select any 3 semester credit hours from Creative Arts Core courses (see advisor)
American History: 6 semester credit hours
Select any 6 semester credit hours from American History Core courses (see advisor)
Government/Political Science: 6 semester credit hours
Select any 6 semester credit hours from Government/Political Science Core courses (see advisor)
Social and Behavioral Sciences: 3 semester credit hours
Select any 3 semester credit hours from Social and Behavioral Sciences Core courses (see advisor)
Component Area Option: 6 semester credit hours
BIOL 2311 Introduction to Modern Biology I 2
STAT 2332 Introductory Statistics for Life Sciences 2
or STAT 1342 Statistical Decision Making
Or select any 6 semester credit hours from Component Area Option courses (see advisor)
II. Major Requirements: 44 or 52 semester credit hours 3
Foundation I: Scientific Foundation Studies: 15-23 semester credit hours beyond Core Curriculum (depending upon career track) 3
All the following:
BIOL 2311 Introduction to Modern Biology I 2
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 2
and CHEM 1111 General Chemistry Laboratory I
or CHEM 1315 Honors Freshman Chemistry I
and CHEM 1115 Honors Freshman Chemistry Laboratory I
CHEM 1312 General Chemistry II 2
and CHEM 1112 General Chemistry Laboratory II
or CHEM 1316 Honors Freshman Chemistry II
and CHEM 1116 Honors Freshman Chemistry Laboratory II
MATH 1325 Applied Calculus I 2
or MATH 2413 Differential Calculus 2
STAT 2332 Introductory Statistics for Life Sciences 2
or STAT 1342 Statistical Decision Making
And either 8 or 16 semester credit hours of the following courses:
8 semester credit hours of the following (depending on career track): 3
CHEM 2323 Introductory Organic Chemistry I
CHEM 2325 Introductory Organic Chemistry II
CHEM 2233 Introductory Organic Chemistry Laboratory
PHYS 1301 College Physics I
PHYS 1101 College Physics Laboratory I
PHYS 1302 College Physics II
PHYS 1102 College Physics Laboratory II
16 semester credit hours of the following (depending on career track): 3
CHEM 2323 Introductory Organic Chemistry I
CHEM 2325 Introductory Organic Chemistry II
CHEM 2233 Introductory Organic Chemistry Laboratory
PHYS 1301 College Physics I
and PHYS 1101 College Physics Laboratory I
and PHYS 2125 Physics Laboratory I
PHYS 1302 College Physics II
and PHYS 1102 College Physics Laboratory II
or PHYS 2326 Electromagnetism and Waves
and PHYS 2126 Physics Laboratory II
Foundation II: Healthcare Foundation Studies: 14 semester credit hours
HLTH 1100 Career Explorations for the Health Professions
HLTH 3300 Pre-Health Professional Development
HLTH 3305 The U.S. Healthcare System
HLTH 3315 Issues in Patient Education
HLTH 4304 Health Professions Internship
Foundation III: Multidisciplinary Healthcare Studies: 15 semester credit hours
Required (3 semester credit hours):
BIS 3320 The Nature of Intellectual Inquiry
Required (3 semester credit hours from the following):
HLTH 3301 Issues in Geriatric Healthcare
HLTH 4310 Information Literacy and Information Resources for Health Care
Required (3 semester credit hours from the following):
And choose 6 semester credit hours from among the following courses:
ECON 3330 Economics of Health
GEOG 3357 Spatial Dimensions of Health and Disease
HLTH 3310 Health Care Issues: Global Perspectives
HMGT 3301 Introduction to Healthcare Management
HLTH 3306 Gender in Healthcare
PHIL 3328 History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine
PHIL 4321 Philosophy of Medicine
SOC 4371 Mental Health and Illness
SOC 4372 Health and Illness
ISIS 4310 Health Strategy for Multicultural Populations
III. Guided Elective Requirements: 26 or 34 semester credit hours 3
Required for all freshmen: 1 semester credit hour
BIS 1100 Interdisciplinary Studies First Year Experience
Guided Electives: 25 or 33 semester credit hours 3
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 3402 Molecular and Cell Biology
BIOL 3303 Introduction to Microbiology
BIOL 3203 Introduction to Microbiology Lab
BIOL 3325 Drug Development to Clinical Trials
or CHEM 3461 Biochemistry I
or CHEM 3462 Biochemistry II
BIOL 3455 Human Anatomy and Physiology with Lab I
BIOL 3456 Human Anatomy and Physiology with Lab II
BIOL 4385 Oral Histology and Embryology
BIOL 4V40 Special Topics in Molecular and Cell Biology
HLTH 1301 Introduction to Kinesiology
HLTH 3306 Gender in Healthcare
HLTH 4306 Health and Sport
HLTH 4307 Climate Change in Healthcare
HLTH 4V01 Health Professions Independent Study
NSC 3361 Introduction to Neuroscience
The plan must include sufficient upper-division courses to total 45 upper-division semester credit hours.
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.
1. Curriculum Requirements can be fulfilled by other approved courses from institutions of higher education. The courses listed are recommended as the most efficient way to satisfy both Core Curriculum and Major Requirements at UT Dallas.
2. A required major course that also fulfills a Core Curriculum requirement. Semester credit hours are counted in the Core Curriculum.
3. Students may take either 8 semester credit hours of Organic Chemistry or 8 semester credit hours of Physics or 16 semester credit hours of Organic Chemistry and Physics. Please consult your advisor for additional information.
All students wishing to change majors to IS Healthcare Studies after enrollment should carefully consider the consequences of excessive hours and time to degree completion.
Change of Major Application Minimum requirements:
All of the following requirements must be met: