Health Services (B.A.)
Faculty
Dr. Nicole Betschman, Program Director for the Public Health and Health Services Programs: Assistant Professor of Health Services
Dr. Christopher Howard, Assistant Professor of Public Health
Faculty representing diverse disciplines in the School of Nursing and Health Professions, College of Arts & Sciences and School of Professional Studies collaborate with and contribute to the Health Services program.
Description
he Bachelor of Arts in Health Services is an interdisciplinary program designed to address the current and emerging needs in a changing health care landscape. The Health Services curriculum prepares students to promote delivery of efficient, quality driven health care through a core curriculum that includes a foundation in health care systems, health care policy, finance, and data management. The degree program offers students the option to complete the Core + 4 (core classes and 4 selective courses) which leaves the option for students to add a minor to their degree plan.
A Health Services major is offered in the College of Arts and Sciences and School of Professional Studies. A Health Services minor is offered in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Health Services Student Learning Outcomes
- Utilize effective written and oral communication when conveying a message about a current or emerging health care issue
- Apply evidence-based solutions to organizational and client issues within the contemporary health care arena
- Demonstrate critical thinking as evidenced by ethical and legal decision-making as a member of an interprofessional health care team
- Demonstrate leadership to meet a health care organization’s or client’s needs
Major Requirements
Required Core Courses (36 credits)
ALL of the following courses:
- HPNU 120 Medical TerminologyThis is an 8-week course designed for individuals interested in learning the language of medicine required to work within a variety of health care fields. The student will acquire word-building skills in the field of medicine and will have a solid understanding of basic medical language and a foundational start on basic medical science and health related concepts that will be useful for other courses within the health professions.
1 credit
Prerequisites: None
- MATH 110 Introduction to StatisticsThis course presents the basic principles of statistics with applications to the social sciences. Topics include descriptive statistics, graphical representations of data, normal probability distributions and the Central Limit Theorem, linear correlation and regression and probability theory. This course also offers an introduction to the use of statistical software. Formerly MAT 110 Introduction to Statistics.
3 credits
Prerequisites: MATH 102, MATH 108, MATH 109 or higher level mathematics course.
- PHIL 251 BioethicsExamines the legal and moral issues in areas dealing with the biology of human health and development, for example, experimentation on human subjects, organ transplants, euthanasia, abortion, fetal tissue use, contraception, and other aspects of human reproduction, as well as questions regarding rights to health care. Formerly PHI 211 Applied Ethics: Bioethics.
3 credits
General Education Curriculum: Values and Beliefs
- PSYC 101 Introductory PsychologyIntroduces the student to the scientific study of the mind and behavior. All major sub-areas of psychology (social, developmental, clinical, physiological, motivation and emotion, sensation and perception) are explored, as well as the major theoretical perspectives (behavioral, cognitive, psychoanalytic, and humanistic). Formerly PSY 121 Introductory Psychology.
3 credits
General Education Curriculum: Knowledge and Inquiry Area
FLC Area V
Core: Area II
- SOCY 100 Introduction to SociologyIntroduces students to the science of sociology and prepares students for upper-level social science course work. Formerly SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology.
3 credits
General Education Curriculum: Knowledge and Inquiry Area
FLC Area V
Core Area II: Understanding the Self and Society
- SNHP 220 Health Promotion, Policy and PoliticsThis course explores political factors that influence patient outcomes and health promotion strategies to enhance health and health care systems. Students are engaged in understanding how health care policy shapes health care systems, determining accessibility, accountability and affordability. Students will evaluate how health care delivery systems are organized and financed, and the effect this has on patient care.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
General Education Curriculum: Applications Area
- SNHP 224 Health Care Systems and Global HealthThis course provides an interdisciplinary overview of approaches to global public health. Students will interpret how issues related to public health can be understood from local, state, national, and international perspectives. Students will synthesize the evidence about leading and managing people in health care organizations and systems. Issues addressed included how health care systems are organized and administered in varying national and local contexts; the impact of cultural, economic and political factors on public health outcomes; and key policy and ethical debates related to the provision of global public health. Formerly Health Care Systems and Global Health
Prerequisites: None
3 credits
- SNHP 330 Research and Evidence-Based PracticeIntroduces fundamentals of research design, methods, data collection, analyzing results, and discussion of findings. Focuses on the entire research cycle from forming a research question, drafting a proposal, designing protocols, understanding research ethics such as IRB guidelines, patient safety and rights, to presenting or disseminating findings in professional and scientific settings. Outcomes include development of a student research project.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: C or better in MATH 110
Gen Ed V: Capstone Seminar
- SNHP 342 Health Care FinanceThis course focuses on the concepts, principles, tools, finances and strategies used in managing operations within a performance improvement model. Students will explore problem solving and decision making models as well as tools and techniques for planning, organizing, directing, controlling, reporting, and improving the productivity and performance of resources within a healthcare system. Additionally, topics will include healthcare finance reimbursement, budgeting processes (capital and operating), and cost/benefits analysis.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
- SNHP 405 Informatics and Data ManagementThe focus of this course is on the integration of nursing, computer, and information science for the support of professional nursing practice including critical thinking and clinical reasoning. Discussion and examination will be conducted of: ethical considerations in nursing informatics use of social networking tools, handheld computers and e-portfolios in health care environments.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
- SNHP 491 Health InternshipFosters connections between academic coursework, applied experiences in health professions, and relations with client communities through internships in healthcare organizations such as local, state, or federal public health agencies, not-for-profit entities, or private sector companies. Provides supervised observation or application of skills and knowledge in health services and/or public health fields. May include opportunities for project-based service-learning with a community-based organization to uniquely enhance knowledge and professional development and practice entry-level skills in community settings.
3 credits
Prerequisite: Senior status
- SNHP 499 Senior Health SeminarInterdisciplinary capstone focuses on analysis of health-related issues from local, national, and global perspectives with the goal of recommending interventions for various specific problems. Practical applications include producing a scholarly thesis identifying and critically evaluating theories and empirical findings regarding hypothesized relationships between biological, sociopolitical, psychological, behavioral, and environmental variables and outcomes in a topic area. Various leadership theories will be introduced to promote understanding of one?s own and others? leadership styles as entry-level health professionals.
3 credits
Prerequisites: Graduating Senior status; Health Services or Public Health major; C or better in SNHP 330
Electives (12 credits)
Select FOUR of the following courses:
- BADM 110 Foundations of ManagementFoundations of Management would provide an overview of key concepts and practices in the field of management and organization. Topics would include structure and design, decision making, goals and effectiveness, culture and performance measures. Th is course would introduce students to a broad range of the basics of management preparing them for more specialized courses in the business program.
3 credits
General Education Applications Area: Leadership
- BADM 226 Organizational BehaviorThis course will provide an overview of selective OB theories relevant to the practice of management and decision making. Issues will include motivation and morale, perception, job satisfaction and quality of work /life and change management. The course work will consist of discussion, role play, case studies and practitioners presentations.
3 credits
Prerequisites: BADM 101 or BADM 110 or EXSC 321 (exercise science students only) or by Permission of Instructor
- BADM 236 Theories of LeadershipThis course will survey significant leadership theories, discuss current leadership issues (ethics, motivation, conflict) and relate theory to practice through case discussion.
3 credits
Prerequisites: BADM 101 or BADM 110, or EXSC 321 (exercise science students only) or by Permission of Instructor
- BIOL 121 Human Anatomy and Physiology IA systematic approach to the study of the human body. The first part of this year -long course emphasizes the tissues, the integumentary system, the bones and skeletal tissue, muscles and muscle tissue, and the nervous system. Students have the opportunity to apply concepts discussed during the lecture portion of the class to clinical questions presented throughout the semester. Three hours of laboratory per week. Does not fulfill Biology major requirement. There is an additional laboratory fee.
4 credits
Pre-/Co-requisite: MATH 102, MATH 108 or MATH 109.
Pre-requisite: BIOL 101 (SPS); pass BIOL 101 with a C or better or placement test score (CAS).
General Education: Knowledge and Inquiry Area.
- BIOL 122 Human Anatomy and Physiology IIA systematic approach to the study of the human body. The second part of this year-long course emphasizes the endocrine, lymphatic, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, urinary and reproductive systems. Students have the opportunity to apply concepts discussed during the lecture portion of the class to clinical questions presented throughout the semester. Three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory per week.
Does not fulfill Biology major requirement. Prerequisite: C or better in BIOL 121. There is an additional laboratory fee.
4 credits
- COM 201 Interpersonal CommunicationOffers an introduction to the fundamental theories and principles of interpersonal communication with emphasis on analyzing and assessing the communication skills necessary to create and sustain effective communication in personal and professional relationships.
3 credits
Core Area II: Understanding Self, Society, and Nature
- COM 225 Intercultural CommunicationApplies basic principles of intercultural communication to the analysis of specific situations involving cultural differences. Emphasis is on the influence of culture on the communication process, including differences in values, assumptions, and communication. Models of intercultural communication analysis are developed and applied to issues dealing with relations between a dominant society and subcultures, social change, and international relations.
3 credits
Core Area I: Skills for Work and Life
- ECON 101 Microeconomics ITeaches how to think like an economist and make more informed decisions. Builds models of economic activity that provide a framework for understanding the real world. Explores the supply-demand model of competitive markets, followed by other models that show how markets operate when they aren't purely competitive. Assesses the proper role of government in the marketplace and how government can improve welfare when markets fail to be efficient. ECON 101 is a prerequisite for all higher-level economics courses and fulfills the Social Science General Education requirement.
3 credits
- ECON 102 Macroeconomics IPresents key variables that summarize an economy. Uses economic analysis to explain why economies grow over time but also exhibit repeated cycles of boom and bust. Explores government-level policies that affect an economy as a whole, and models for analyzing their effects. Fulfills the Civic Knowledge General Education requirement and is required for upper level economics courses.
3 credits
Prerequisites: ECON 101 is preferred, but students may take ECON 102 first.
- HPNU 200 Nutrition, Diet Therapy, and Health PromotionComprehensive survey of the biochemical basis of nutrition and disease for those intending to major in nursing or clinical health professions. Provides a foundation for understanding metabolic syndromes such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, as well as the impact of diet therapy on optimal health in wellness planning. Addresses social, physiological, psychosocial, behavioral and cultural influences on nutritional status and allows students to examine and analyze their own dietary values and beliefs. While not required, a basic understanding of chemistry is recommended.
3 credits
- HUMR 211
- PEH 121 Nutrition & WellnessIdentifies nutritional challenges affecting overall health. Topics include making conscious choices regarding nutrition, incorporating new food groups, identifying signs of emotional eating, body image issues, stress and time management, online tools to evaluate one?s food consumption and activity levels, and finding and utilizing available nutrition resources.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
- PSYC 211 Social PsychologyStudies the individual interacting in a social context. Theories of attitude formation and change, social perception, and small group behavior are examined, as well as current theories, research, and methodology. Formerly PSY 255 Social Psychology.
3 credits
Prerequisites: PSYC 101 or permission of instructor
- PSYC 235 Psychology of AgingStudies human development from early adulthood to old age. Interaction of social, psychological, and physiological aspects of development are emphasized. The course is of special relevance to students planning careers to serve the growing population of senior citizens. Formerly PSY 231 Psychology of Aging.
3 credits
Prerequisites: PSYC 101 or permission of instructor
- PSYC 262 Psychology of WomenEmphasizes the experience of women and girls using theories and research about development across the lifespan. The course stresses the inter-relationships of biological, socio-cultural and psychological factors. Central issues explored in the course include: identity, interpersonal relationships, gender roles in various cultures, and women's roles in the workplace.
Prerequisites: PSYC 101
Credits: 3
- PSYC 343 Drugs and Human BehaviorFocuses on the use and abuse of psychoactive drugs, including medications (anti-depressants, neuroleptics) as well as alcohol and illegal substances (narcotics, hallucinogens, stimulants, etc.). Creative class formats utilize video, exercises, discussion, and readings to examine the biological, behavioral, cognitive, and psychosocial consequences of drug use and effective approaches to treatment. Formerly PSY 212 Drugs and Human Behavior.
3 credits
FLC Seminar II
Prerequisites: PSYC 101 and BIOL 101 or BIOL 111 or BIOL 112
General Education: Capstone Seminar
- PSYC 385 Ethnic & Cross Cultural-PsychologyExplores cultural components in theory and research in psychology. The interplay of individual, ethnic, and societal factors in psychosocial development will be emphasized.
3 credits
Prerequisites: PSYC 101, SOC 100, and at least three additional credits in Psychology
- SNHP 218 Global Perspectives Occupational ScienceOccupational Science draws upon multiple disciplines to understand the underlying, diverse forces that shape occupation, as well as the effect of occupation on our health and well-being. Occupational therapy provides interventions that enable individuals participate in occupations that are impaired or limited due to intrinsic and extrinsic factors. This course will explore the meaning and purpose of human occupation and provide an overview of the supports and barriers to occupational performance at the individual, community and societal levels both nationally and internationally. This course will also examine the connection between occupational science, occupational therapy and occupational engagement in the context of global connectedness.
3 credits
- SNHP 228 Patient AdvocacyThe focus of this course is on patient advocacy. The course considers patient advocacy within the background and development of the health care delivery system in the United States and the forces associate d with q uality of care. The course explores trends and issues impacting health care delivery and the role of the advocate in health promotion and health education in a complex health care delivery landscape.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
- SNHP 321 Health & Wellness ProgrammingThe course focuses on theoretical approaches to behavior change while examining public health issues. Students will examine various methods of planning and implementing programs to fit various populations, paying attention to underserved populations and how to be culturally competent. Formally EXSC 321.
*3 credits
- SOCY 320 Sociology of Health and Illness (Medical Sociology)The course presents an in-depth conceptual and topical introduction of medical sociology, based on the premise that we cannot understand health by focusing only on the biomedical factors, rather we must also consider the social, cultural, political and economic forces that are instrumental in shaping health outcomes. The course applies the sociological perspective to understand the experience and social distribution of health and illness as well as the organization of health care and health care delivery systems and associated patient outcomes.
3 credits
Prerequisite: SOCY 100
- SOCY 321 Inequality and SocietyExamines classical and contemporary theories of social stratification. Are we all created equal? Can we become equal? Particular emphasis is on the American class structure, its impact on social institutions, and the importance of gender and race as factors contributing to inequality in society. Formerly SOC 378 Inequality and Society.
3 credits
Prerequisites: SOCY 100
- SOCY 361 The Black FamilyProvides a multidisciplinary approach to the study of Black families, including immigrant families from Africa and the Caribbean. The course covers four broad content areas: historical/theoretical approaches to the study of Black families; Black family patterns (including socioeconomic, demographic, and intergenerational patters); socialization within Black families; and advocacy for and gender relations within Black families. Formerly SOC 302 The Black Family.
3 credits
Prerequisite: SOCY 100.
- SOCY 381 Understanding AIDS: Interdisciplinary SeminarProvides students with a multi-dimensional approach to understanding AIDS. The course examines AIDS as a social construct utilizing Writing Across the Curriculum and cooperative learning techniques to build an interdisciplinary knowledge of AIDS. Formerly INT 340 and SOC 340 Understanding AIDS: Interdisciplinary Seminar.
3 credits
Gen Ed V: Capstone Seminar
Minor Requirements
Students must obtain permission of the Program Chair to minor in Health Services.
Required Core Courses (13 credits)
ALL of the following courses:
- HPNU 120 Medical TerminologyThis is an 8-week course designed for individuals interested in learning the language of medicine required to work within a variety of health care fields. The student will acquire word-building skills in the field of medicine and will have a solid understanding of basic medical language and a foundational start on basic medical science and health related concepts that will be useful for other courses within the health professions.
1 credit
Prerequisites: None
- SNHP 220 Health Promotion, Policy and PoliticsThis course explores political factors that influence patient outcomes and health promotion strategies to enhance health and health care systems. Students are engaged in understanding how health care policy shapes health care systems, determining accessibility, accountability and affordability. Students will evaluate how health care delivery systems are organized and financed, and the effect this has on patient care.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
General Education Curriculum: Applications Area
- SNHP 224 Health Care Systems and Global HealthThis course provides an interdisciplinary overview of approaches to global public health. Students will interpret how issues related to public health can be understood from local, state, national, and international perspectives. Students will synthesize the evidence about leading and managing people in health care organizations and systems. Issues addressed included how health care systems are organized and administered in varying national and local contexts; the impact of cultural, economic and political factors on public health outcomes; and key policy and ethical debates related to the provision of global public health. Formerly Health Care Systems and Global Health
Prerequisites: None
3 credits
- SNHP 321 Health & Wellness ProgrammingThe course focuses on theoretical approaches to behavior change while examining public health issues. Students will examine various methods of planning and implementing programs to fit various populations, paying attention to underserved populations and how to be culturally competent. Formally EXSC 321.
*3 credits
- SNHP 342 Health Care FinanceThis course focuses on the concepts, principles, tools, finances and strategies used in managing operations within a performance improvement model. Students will explore problem solving and decision making models as well as tools and techniques for planning, organizing, directing, controlling, reporting, and improving the productivity and performance of resources within a healthcare system. Additionally, topics will include healthcare finance reimbursement, budgeting processes (capital and operating), and cost/benefits analysis.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
Electives (6 credits)
TWO of the following courses:
- SOCY 320 Sociology of Health and Illness (Medical Sociology)The course presents an in-depth conceptual and topical introduction of medical sociology, based on the premise that we cannot understand health by focusing only on the biomedical factors, rather we must also consider the social, cultural, political and economic forces that are instrumental in shaping health outcomes. The course applies the sociological perspective to understand the experience and social distribution of health and illness as well as the organization of health care and health care delivery systems and associated patient outcomes.
3 credits
Prerequisite: SOCY 100
- SOCY 327 Sociology of Mental IllnessThis course surveys sociological approaches to the study of mental illness. After reviewing theoretical foundations of the sociology of mental illness, the course covers two basic topics: social epidemiology of mental disorders and distress (the distribution of disorders and distress in the population and their correlation with social variables, i.e., gender, social class and race) and hospitalization for mental disorders. This course will emphasize equally the empirical and the theoretical aspects of the sociology of mental disorder and distress.
- SOCY 381 Understanding AIDS: Interdisciplinary SeminarProvides students with a multi-dimensional approach to understanding AIDS. The course examines AIDS as a social construct utilizing Writing Across the Curriculum and cooperative learning techniques to build an interdisciplinary knowledge of AIDS. Formerly INT 340 and SOC 340 Understanding AIDS: Interdisciplinary Seminar.
3 credits
Gen Ed V: Capstone Seminar
- PSYC 235 Psychology of AgingStudies human development from early adulthood to old age. Interaction of social, psychological, and physiological aspects of development are emphasized. The course is of special relevance to students planning careers to serve the growing population of senior citizens. Formerly PSY 231 Psychology of Aging.
3 credits
Prerequisites: PSYC 101 or permission of instructor
- PSYC 343 Drugs and Human BehaviorFocuses on the use and abuse of psychoactive drugs, including medications (anti-depressants, neuroleptics) as well as alcohol and illegal substances (narcotics, hallucinogens, stimulants, etc.). Creative class formats utilize video, exercises, discussion, and readings to examine the biological, behavioral, cognitive, and psychosocial consequences of drug use and effective approaches to treatment. Formerly PSY 212 Drugs and Human Behavior.
3 credits
FLC Seminar II
Prerequisites: PSYC 101 and BIOL 101 or BIOL 111 or BIOL 112
General Education: Capstone Seminar
Accelerated Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) Degree Program
During senior year, health services majors have the unique opportunity to apply to the B.A. in Health Services to the Master of Public Health Program. The accelerated Master’s program allows select students to complete their undergraduate health services degree while also beginning graduate coursework towards a Master’s degree in public health. Click here to learn more.
Additional Requirements
Health Service Senior Assessment
Students must earn a C or above in Senior Seminar.
Internship
BLS/CPR certification is required for the health care provider.
Internship placement sites may have additional health or safety requirements that students must meet prior to receiving access to the internship site.
NOTE: No student will be allowed to participate in internship experiences unless and until these other requirements have been satisfied.
Transportation: Students are required to provide their own transportation to and from internship placement sites. Trinity’s free shuttle service connects the Main campus with the Brookland Metro station.
Program Policies
Advanced Placement:
Credits earned through AP examinations do not fulfill requirements of the health services major.
CLEP Policy:
Credits earned through CLEP examinations do not fulfill requirements of the health services major.
Transfer Policy
Consult program faculty for information about transferring courses to Trinity.
Grades in Major Courses
A minimum of a 2.0 (“C”) cumulative GPA average must be earned in the required courses for the major. A grade of C- may be counted toward fulfilling the requirements, at the discretion of the program faculty, if the overall average in the required courses is at least a 2.0. This policy applies to the required Health Service core courses except MATH 110 and PHIL 251.
Pass/No Pass
The pass/no pass grading option is not accepted for courses within the major. Students are required to earn a grade of “C” (2.0) or better in all courses counted to fulfill requirements for the major. A grade of C- may be counted toward fulfilling the requirements, at the discretion of the program faculty, if the overall average in the required courses is at least a 2.0. The pass/no pass grading option may apply to other courses that meet the degree requirement including MATH 110 and PHIL 251.
TELL Policy:
Students applying for credit in experiential learning should consult with the program faculty.