BSc In Health Sciences

Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences

As with the Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Health Sciences, the  Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Health Sciences incorporates multidisciplinary approaches to the study of health, illness, and disease in human communities. First offered in September 2007, the BSc complements the Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Health Sciences. The two undergraduate degrees emphasize different disciplines in the health sciences, but have an overlapping focus on population and public health. By sharing parts of the curriculum, students from both degrees benefit from their exposure to different sub-disciplines, and thus become trained in a truly interdisciplinary manner.

A group of health and disease courses and a large number of basic science courses (e.g., Biology, Chemistry, Molecular Biology, and Statistics) comprise the lower-division curriculum of the BSc. At the upper division, students may concentrate on general health science studies, environmental and occupational health or infectious diseases. See course requirements and course outlines.

The BSc in Health Sciences will be of interest to students wishing to pursue careers that require detailed knowledge of the cellular, molecular and behavioural mechanisms that underlie health and disease, as well as to students who are considering post-graduate studies in applied health research and professional health programs.

The BSc in Health Sciences is unique in its interdisciplinary approach to the scientific and social determinants of health and disease, especially infectious and environmental diseases. Graduates will have laboratory skills comparable to those from basic biomedical science programs, and have strong interdisciplinary experience in social science settings. They will exhibit employable skills such as group problem solving, medical statistical and computational skills, communication and organizational skills, honed within the practical framework of knowledge and concepts in molecular biology, immunology, toxicology, epidemiology, and public and population health. Those desiring leadership roles or research positions in health will likely use the degree as a stepping-stone to further education. Goals might include research-based graduate programs at the Master's and PhD level in any area of the biomedical sciences, focused graduate programs, professional development programs for teaching or higher education, or entry into medical schools and other health professions.

Core courses span the following areas:

• Social, environmental, behavioural, and biological determinants of health

• Measurement of health, illness, and disease, as well as genetics

• General biology, cellular, biology, and molecular biology

• General chemistry and biochemistry

• Pathophysiology, toxicology, epidemiology

• Virology and immunology

• Bioethics

• Statistics and research methods (qualitative and quantitative)

• Health promotion and disease prevention

• Health policy and health care systems

• Evidence-based decision making

• Health technology