The mission of the program in Health Sciences is to provide a high-quality education and preparation to excel in a variety of health-related careers. We are committed to graduating students with strong skills in critical thinking, the scientific method and application of fundamental scientific concepts to various health fields. Students will gain practical skills through laboratory activities and will be encouraged to participate in high-impact experiences such as internships and independent research.
Upon completion of the Health Sciences program, students will be able to:
A fundamental component of an undergraduate education is information literacy. In general, a student with a Bachelor’s degree should be able to:
The Health Sciences program stresses information literacy throughout the curriculum. Information literacy skills are practiced at every level, and activities are designed to allow sequential development of these skills. The ability to read scientific literature and incorporate the information into written work (e.g. lab reports) is an important skill in the sciences. Focus is also placed on application of information found in academic literature to clinical practice, where applicable, particularly for students interested in medical and health-related fields.
Information literacy begins with BIOL 101 Seminar for Entering Majors and BIOL 150 Introduction to Biology, which together require students to read and analyze scientific literature, and incorporate information from scientific literature into two lab reports. Next, biology students take BIOL 240 Genetics, with a lab report that allows students to build upon previous skills in writing, data analysis and information literacy.
Practice of information literacy continues in upper-level courses. For example, every Health Sciences major is required to take Biology Seminar (BIOL 330), in which students read scientific literature, present studies described in journal articles, and then discuss the material. Most biology courses at the 300- and 400-level are focused on a specific topic, and those with a laboratory component, including Anatomy & Physiology II, typically require lab reports. By the 300-level students have had experience in information literacy and in writing lab reports. Therefore, at this level students are expected to competently write a lab report with substantial use of scientific literature, including a literature review in the introduction and comparison of results to published findings and greater context in the discussion.
