Health Sciences, B.S.

Program Description

The B.S. degree in health sciences consists of health science course requirements in addition to General Education requirements and B.S. requirements.

The health sciences degree is designed for students interested in understanding the causes of disease, strategies for promoting wellness, and the scientific basis and methodologies for analysis of health concerns. The degree combines a broad foundation of health-related course work with a choice of preparatory courses suitable for entry into graduate programs in medicine, dentistry, optometry, occupational therapy, physical therapy, pharmacy, public health, physician assistant studies, athletic training and veterinary medicine.

Special Admission Requirements

Admission to JMU does not guarantee admission to all academic majors and minors.

Declaration of Major Deadlines

Deadlines for change or declaration of major forms are:

Change of major requests received after the deadline will be processed the following semester. Students changing their major to health sciences after March 1 of the sophomore year should expect an additional semester(s) to complete the program. The number of additional semesters required to complete the program will depend on the timing of the change to health sciences and the number of summer courses completed.

Assessment

Graduating majors must participate in Health Sciences senior assessment activities. Assessment information helps the faculty modify the curriculum to meet student needs.

Degree Requirements

¹

The General Education program contains a set of requirements each student must fulfill. The number of credit hours necessary to fulfill these requirements may vary.

²

Quantitative and scientific literacy requirements may be fulfilled with major required courses.

Major Requirements

¹

Will not count for the 16 credits in this category unless also taking BIO 270/BIO 270L and BIO 290/BIO 290L.

²

Pre-Athletic Training minors only.

³

Pre-Occupational Therapy, Pre-Physical Therapy or Pre-Physician Assistant minors only.

Recommended Schedule for Majors

Recommended Schedule for Accelerated Pathway to Athletic Training Students

After completing the 3 years listed below, students segue into the MSAT program. See the graduate catalog for a required schedule for the fourth and fifth years.

¹

This course is recommended as an elective credit for accelerated pathway students.

Accelerated Pathway to the Master of Science in Athletic Training

Health Science majors interested in an athletic training career are eligible to apply to an accelerated pathway (3+2) leading to the Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT) degree. This pathway provides a unique opportunity for highly motivated and academically talented students to fast-track their education. The purpose of this pathway is to prepare students to become certified athletic trainers with the clinical knowledge, skills and professional attitudes that will enable them to deliver health care effectively in various clinical settings. Highly motivated and academically talented students will complete both the undergraduate degree in Health Sciences and graduate degree in Athletic Training programs in 5 years, compared to the traditional 6 years for completing both degrees. Students interested in this pathway must complete a very specific set of course requirements as part of the health sciences degree. See those details below.

Admission and Application Requirements

Students interested in the accelerated pathway will begin their undergraduate studies with a focused curriculum designed to meet the prerequisites for their graduate program while meeting their major requirements. Upon successful completion of the required coursework at a high academic standard, students will transition into the graduate program.

Interested students will need to:

1. Declare an undergraduate major in health sciences.
2. Discuss their intent to pursue the 3+2 accelerated pathway to the Master of Science in Athletic Training with their academic advisor and pre-professional health advisor (if applicable).
3. Submit their declaration of intent for pursuing the 3+2 accelerated pathway to the Master of Science in Athletic Training. Ideally, this declaration is made as a first-year student at JMU. Submitting the declaration of intent early allows adequate time to plan and schedule year two and year three courses.

Students pursuing the 3+2 accelerated pathway to the Master of Science in Athletic Training are required to meet the following criteria for admission:

• Preferred GPA of 2.7 or higher
• Successful completion of the following MSAT prerequisite courses with a minimum grade of "C-" by the end of the third year. The JMU courses in parentheses are part of the health sciences major and fulfill the prerequisite requirements:
  • General Psychology (PSYC 101)
  • Nutrition (NUTR 280)
  • Statistics or Research Methods (MATH 220, HTH 320 or HTH 408)
  • Human or Mammalian Anatomy & Physiology (BIO 270/BIO 270L and BIO 290/BIO 290L)
  • Physics or Biomechanics (PHYS 140/PHYS 140L)
  • General Chemistry (CHEM 120 or CHEM 131/CHEM 131L)
  • Exercise Physiology (KIN 302/KIN 302L)
  • Students who are uncertain whether a course meets prerequisites should email athletictraining@jmu.edu and include a copy of the syllabus from the semester they took the course.
  • The following courses are not prerequisites but are highly recommended: ATEP 205, ATEP 306
• Submission of a formal application to the Master of Science in Athletic Training program through ATCAS and the Graduate School of JMU by September 1 of the third year.
• Successful completion of an admission interview during September of the third year.
• Successful completion of major courses by the end of the third year.

Program Structure and Timeline

The 3+2 accelerated pathway to the Master of Science in Athletic Training allows undergraduate students to enroll in and apply 21-22 graduate credit hours toward the completion of the B.S. in Health Sciences. For a list of courses, please see the MSAT page in the graduate catalog.

In their first year, students meet with academic major advisors and indicate interest in the accelerated pathway, declaring their intent to pursue this pathway, while beginning their major coursework. In the fall of their third year, students apply to the MSAT program. Students must complete all undergraduate major and prerequisite coursework by the end of the spring semester of their third year at JMU. Students admitted to the accelerated MSAT program will begin their graduate coursework in May after their third year at JMU. Admitted students take 21-22 credit hours at the graduate level during the summer after their third year and the fall of their fourth year. These 21-22 graduate credits will be applied to their undergraduate transcript to fulfill the remaining credits needed for the undergraduate degree. Students enrolled in graduate coursework are required to adhere to The Graduate School Academic Requirements for progression. The undergraduate degree will be conferred at the end of the fall semester of year 4, allowing students to participate in December commencement. Students transition to graduate student status for the spring of the fourth year and complete the remaining courses in the graduate program over the following semesters. Upon successful completion of all courses in the MSAT program, students will earn their master's degree at the end of their fifth year at JMU. Students will participate in the May commencement.

Students pursuing the accelerated pathway should meet with their academic advisor each semester to discuss their progress toward undergraduate degree completion and staying on track with MSAT prerequisites to ensure prerequisite and graduate requirements are being met.