The world needs healthcare workers – answer the call with a Bachelor of Health Science. Gain knowledge and skills in areas of biology, psychology, anatomy, and physiology to make a difference in the rapidly growing, ever-changing field of health science. This degree builds a solid foundation to build your career or continue to graduate studies.
- No Live Lectures
- 39 Courses
- Less than two and a half years
Home / Academic Programs / Bachelor’s Degree / Health Science
Bachelor of Science in Health Science (BHS) Online Degree
Prepare for an exciting career in healthcare and gain innovative skills to improve patient care and well-being. This degree is the perfect foundation to pursue a master’s degree or advance your current career.
Overview
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What You’ll Learn in the Online BHS Program
Develop valuable skills to jumpstart your career:
- Understand social and biological causes of illness
- Analyze health problems and provide solutions
- Utilize team building skills to lead projects
- Explore ethics including healthcare policies and laws
Admission Requirements
Anyone who has graduated high school, is proficient in English and is 16 years of age or older can study online at Wexford.
Admission Requirements
Anyone who has graduated high school, is proficient in English and is 16 years of age or older can study online at Wexford.
Online Education Strategies – UNIV 1001
3 Credits | None
This course will serve as preparation for students to make a successful journey into the online learning environment with Wexford Institute. It will introduce students to the Wexford Institute’s resources available to them, to the academic methods, and to the policies and expectations for student performance. Further, it will provide an overview of strategies for student success including time and stress management, effective study skills, and personal ownership of the learning process.
College Algebra – MATH 1201
3 credits | None
This course provides a solid grounding in algebra, trigonometry, and analytic geometry in preparation for further mathematical studies. The course includes an extensive study of linear, quadratic, and rational functions. It also contains an introduction to exponential and logarithmic functions and circles. Finally, the topic of systems of linear equations is covered.
Introduction to Statistics – MATH 1280
3 Credits | None
This course presents students with basic concepts in statistics and probability, and encourages statistical thinking. This course is intended to bring students to a level where they can carry out simple statistical analysis of simple data. Topics covered include descriptive statistics, probability, discrete and continuous random variables, the sampling distribution, and the Central Limit Theorem. The emphasis in the course is on the presentation of statistical methods and on the interpretation of the outcome. The philosophy of statistics, and not its mathematics, is at the center of this course; needed mathematical concepts are demonstrated via simulations rather than by abstract proofs.
English Composition 2 – ENGL 1102
3 credits | None
This course is designed to foster skills in critical reading and thinking, and in the production and evaluation of purposeful academic writing. Students are introduced to literary genres, rhetorical patterns in writing, and the use and citation of research sources. They gain practice in clear, effective writing, with an emphasis on the academic research paper and its components. By the end of the course students will produce a paper of collegiate quality.
Biology 1 for Health Studies Majors – BIOL 1121
4 Credits None
This course introduces main concepts in biology that are common to most living organisms. It covers topics in biochemistry, cell biology, and genetics, which illustrate how molecules are organized into cells. Cells constitute the basic unit of life, and genes are central to information flow within and between cells. In addition, this course makes use of assignments to introduce experimental methods and research data repositories. Through these activities, students learn how to approach a complex problem and find information relevant to a specific question or method. This course is designed both as a prerequisite to the study of biology at the organism or population level and as a general introduction to how biological knowledge is being produced.
Biology 2 for Health Studies – BIOL 1122
4 Credits | BIOL 1121
This course is the second in a series of two biology courses and follows Biology 1 for Health Studies Majors. In Biology 2, students study biology at the organism, population and ecosystem level of organization. Topics covered include evolution, biodiversity, plant and animal structure and function, and ecology. This course includes a virtual laboratory component which compliments topics covered in the assigned readings
Introduction to Health Psychology – PSYCH 1111
3 Credits | None
Psychology is defined as the scientific study of the human mind and its functions, especially those affecting behavior in a given context. This course will draw upon health psychology, public health, and community psychology to emphasize how psychology contributes to overall health, as well as the cause, progression, and outcomes of physical illness. This course will highlight the many roles that psychology plays in health and illness including, the role of health behaviors and behavior change; beliefs about illness; symptom perception; help-seeking and communication with health professions; stress, pain and chronic conditions such as obesity, coronary heart disease and HIV; the role of ender on health; and health outcomes in terms of quality of life and life expectancy.
Introduction to Sociology – SOC 1502
3 Credits | None
This course studies and compares social groups and institutions and their interrelationships. Special topics covered in the course include culture, socialization, deviance, stratification, race, ethnicity, social changes, and collective behavior. As an introduction to the scientific discipline of Sociology, students will have the opportunity to analyze what we know and what we think we know as citizens, individuals, and as novice sociologists.
Human Anatomy & Physiology – HS 2211
3 Credits | BIOL 1122
This course serves as an introduction to the global structure and function of the human body, as well as its systems and physiological processes that supports the functioning of the systems. Topics to be addressed include musculoskeletal, nervous, cardiovascular, endocrine and respiratory organ systems. The class will introduce students to the concept of connecting form to function and to evolutionary history. Students will gain a primary understanding of anatomical and physiological terminology; cell and tissue types; and basic biochemistry as it relates to human organ differentiation. Students will also learn how to search and find the most up to date and freely accessible research in the field of physiology/anatomy. They will be introduced to the basic study designs employed in physiological/anatomical and medical research.
Infectious Diseases – HS 2212
3 Credits | BIOL 1122
This course provides an overview of the process by which disease is transmitted. Topics to be covered include the microbiology of viruses, bacteria and other infectious agents; host-parasite relations and coevolution; vectors of transmission; and social network models of transmission. These concepts are applied to real world case studies where students learn how to prevent the spread of disease, handle highly infectious patients, and deal with the social ramifications of interventions such as quarantines.
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Nutrition – HS 2611
This course provides a general background introducing the history of food, food preparation and food storage/preservation. Basic knowledge about food chemistry will be presented with respect to human energy balance and metabolism, macro-and micronutrient needs and food group functions, and the diseases of nutrient deficiency and excess intake. Particular emphasis will be placed on the role of diet in metabolic syndrome, the obesity epidemic in some societies, and the political and geophysical causes of famine in other contexts.
Community and Public Health 1: Health Education and Behavior – HS 2711
3 Credits | BIOL 1122
Health is a multidimensional concept with both a concrete and a social definition. In this course concepts of health and illness are explored to examine the ways in which the environmental surroundings, as well as the conditions under which we are born, grow, work, play, and age, shape our personal, community and population health. The course also investigates the structural and intermediary determinants of health such as social environment, social capital, behavior, and biology.
Community and Public Health II: Preventive Medicine & Social Determinants of Health – HS 2712
3 Credits | HS 2711
This course provides an opportunity for students to delve further into key topics including social inequalities and their potential impact on health, with emphasis on marginalized and stigmatized populations; the role of resource allocation in health care; public health programming and the role of the State in public health; the health care system as a social institution; and how the health care system interfaces with populations, communities, and individuals through key decision making processes and communications.
Epidemiology – HS 3311
3 Credits | HS 2211
This course introduces student to basic concepts and methods of epidemiology and population health. In this course, students learn how to measure disease incidence, prevalence, risk, relative risk and related concepts. Students also learn how to design, analyze and interpret studies that deploy methodologies ranging from case-control, cohort and randomized control trials (RCTs). Problems that plague such studies are explored including attrition, censoring, biased sampling, model misspecification, confounding or lurking variables. Finally, disease transmission dynamics are addressed along with network models that attempt to describe them.
Human Development in a Global Perspective – HS 3610
3 Credits | HS 2712
This course provides a comparative analysis of the life course and stages from infancy through adolescence and adulthood, to old age and death. Various developmental processes are addressed, including socio-emotional, cognitive, and physical. Various perspectives are explored from the social scientific including an analysis of rituals and rites of passage and roles at various life states, to the biological where students study predictors of menarche, fertility, brain development as well as stages of physical and mental decline. Particular emphasis on cross-cultural differences in human development are explored throughout the course.
Internship – HS 3995
6 Credits | By permission only for HS majors with over 100 credits
Students complete a formal, supervised internship in a government, private or nonprofit organization in which they gain real-world experience in one or more of the following areas: prevention of sickness and injury; detection and control of diseases; education of individuals, groups and communities to promote health and healthy lifestyles; policy and/or program development; advocacy for quality healthcare that is equitable and geographically accessible; research in any of these areas. Students complete and are graded on a written project paper due at the end of the internship experience.
Genetics – HS 4212
3 Credits | HS 3311
This course introduces students to a wide range of topics in the burgeoning field of genetics and evolutionary biology. Topics to be covered include the structure and function of DNA; Mendelian inheritance and deviations from this assumption; aspects of evolution including the neutral theory; selection; drift; and evolutionarily stable strategies; sexual versus asexual reproduction; behavioral genetics and the concept of heritability; and gene-by-environment effects. Through the use of educational technology, students explore their own analyses of these areas throughout the course.
Psychopathology and Mental Health – HS 4241
3 Credits | HS 2211 and PSYC 1111
This course serves as an introduction to a wide range of mental health topics beginning with definitions of normality and abnormality with respect to human behavior, and including the concepts of stigma and othering. The social and genetic bases for major mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression are also explored in depth. Students explore definitions of mental illness and how the existence of certain disorders remains a source of debate. Various perspectives and treatments are included such as Freudian/psychoanalytic, cognitive behavioral and psychopharmacology; mental health as a neglected global public health issue will also be covered with an emphasis on application of concepts to real world challenges at the individual, community and population levelse course.
Biostatistics – HS 4510
3 Credits |MATH 1280 and HS 3311
Biostatistics provides an introduction to selected topics in statistics as they apply to biological and health issues. In discussing different forms of biological/medical/health data and the tools used to analyze them, students learn how to describe the central tendency and variation in data. They also unpack the relationship between sample statistics and population values (i.e. inference) and are introduced to concepts such as hypothesis testing, power analysis and study design, and sampling approaches.
Health Policy and Management – HS 4810
3 Credits | HS 2712
Health Policy today is determined by the goals and actions of health related decisions in a given society. As such, health policy can define the vision for the future by identifying priorities, roles and responsibilities, and affecting change, preferably towards the betterment of health for the population. This course examines the development and the use of health policy with specific emphasis on management, economics of care, the development of health systems and services, and health politics. In understanding constructions of health policy, students explore key aspects of health management, and gain a practical skill set for the integration and implementation of policy at various levels of health provision, care, and leadership.
Note: Regarding the General Education Requirements, each of the sections can be fulfilled by any course that is closely related to the discipline. While the 36 credits required for the Elective section can be fulfilled by summing courses from any discipline.
Humanities
6 Credits | None
Philosophy, History, Law/politics, Classics, Literature, Linguistics/languages (not including ESL), Religion, Anthropology
Social & Behavioral Sciences
6 Credits | None
Psychology, Sociology, Communication studies, Education (depending on the course), Geography, Political Science, Anthropology, Economics, Demography, Behavioral Neuroscience/ cognitive science
Natural Science and Technology
3 Credits | None
Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geology, Computer science, Earth Science, Engineering, Anatomy/physiology, Anthropology (physical or biological), Geography (Physical or Biological)
Civilization Studies, Culture and Belief
3 Credits |None
World Civilization, History of Civilization, Regional Civilization (US, Asian, African, European civilization courses), Culture, Beliefs
Values and Ethical Reasoning
3 Credits |None
Ethics (General or philosophical) not including professional ethical courses like Law, Medical, Engineering ethics
Different Disciplinary Elective
3 Credits | None
Any course outside the student’s field of study
Electives
36 Credits | None
Any college level course
Bachelor’s Degree In Business Administration Careers
Where will a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration take you? Your degree will help prepare you for a job as a:
- Administrative Supervisor
- Operations Manager
- Senior Marketing Manager
- Management Analyst
As a Wexford student, you’re never on your own—our Career Service Center provides resume feedback, networking tips, interview techniques and more. Â
- No tuition or enrollment fees
- $60 application fee
- $160 ASSESSMENT FEE PER COURSE
- IN TOTAL AROUND $6,460 FOR THE DEGREE
Bachelor Degree In Business Administration Costs
Wexford does not charge for tuition, books, or campus expenses. You’ll never have to pay fees for courses upfront. We charge only a $60 application fee, and a $160 assessment fee at the end of each course. This is a huge savings compared to U.S. public universities who charge on average $22,389 for a bachelor’s degree. Over the course of your studies at Wexford, you can expect to pay a total of only $6,460—less if you have credits to transfer in! Our mission is to make it possible for everyone to afford a degree; if you can’t afford these fees scholarships and grants may be available.
Flexibility
Concerned about managing your studies while you work or juggle family life? Don’t be! Over half of our students are successfully studying while working, raising families, or both. You can too! Wexford is proud to be the world’s most flexible option for earning a high-quality, accredited, 100% online degree. Learn more about how our programs are specially designed to work for you
Asynchronous Learning
At Wexford there are no live lectures, and no set class times. Instead, you can enjoy the freedom of online flexibility and study on your own schedule. Complete assignments during your commute, on your lunch break, or after the kids are in bed. As long as your course work is finished by the end of each week you’ll stay on track for graduation.
Accessible Technology
All you need to study at Wexford is a stable internet connection – whether it’s on a desktop, laptop, or even your cell phone. Courses never require heavy video files, and the Wexford Online Campus is compatible with most browsers. Students even receive a subscription to Office 365 including Microsoft Office, at no extra cost.
Transfer Credits
Have credits from another accredited university? Great! Master’s degree students can transfer up to 50% of their total credits to Wexford. There is no charge for transfer credit evaluations, and if accepted there is a small fee of only $17 for each course transferred.
Common Questions Students Are Asking Us
Questions regarding our academic programs offered at Wexford.
Does Wexford Institute accept international students?
 Absolutely! wexford institute has students from over 200 countries and territories.
Is Wexford institute accredited?Â
Wexford institute is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), and the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC).
Will I get the academic support I need?Â
Absolutely! Classes at Wexford institute are small and highly qualified instructors are available to answer students’ questions and offer support. Additionally, each student is connected with a personal Program Advisor at the commencement of their studies, who remains with them until graduation. Program Advisors act as the students’ personal support system throughout their studies. The Program Advisor will answer any questions the student may have, offer academic advice, discuss course selection, and offer encouragement throughout the student’s studies.
What is asynchronous learning?
Asynchronous learning allows you to learn on your own schedule. You will have access via the Wexford institute Online Campus to assignments, lectures, and other learning materials. There are no live lectures or set class times at Wexford institute.