Overview

The Bachelor of Arts in Health Studies explores the many factors that shape health and well-being, from social and political systems to environmental and biological influences. Through a social justice and global perspective, you’ll develop the knowledge and skills to understand complex health challenges, examine health inequities, and explore approaches to improving health outcomes for individuals and communities.

Through coursework in health policy, health education, community engagement, health systems, global health, and other areas, you’ll build a broad foundation while developing knowledge aligned with your interests and goals. Community-engaged learning, research, and applied coursework connect what you learn in the classroom to real-world health challenges.

Explore the program objectives to learn what you’ll develop throughout the degree, and browse courses and degree requirements to see how the curriculum comes together.

4 students at the mindfest event

Learning Objectives

  • Develop as public health leaders and health practitioners prepared to collaborate with communities and institutions to improve individual and population health.
  • Identify bio-social-ecological factors that influence health, health equity, and social justice at the individual and population levels.
  • Analyze the impacts of population level healthcare policies and systems from a local to global perspective.
  • Evaluate health research and health information for the application of ethical and evidence-based practice.

Major Requirements

  • Introductory Statistics (if not completed prior to admission into the program): 5 credits total
    • UW Bothell Courses: BHLTH 215, BMATH 215, BIS 215, BBUS 215
    • UW Seattle Courses: STAT 220 or QMETH 201
    • Or, an approved or equivalent introductory statistics course
      Meet with an Admissions Counselor to determine if your statistics course is an approved course
  • Core Coursework (View Course Descriptions): 35 credits total
    • BHS 201: Introduction to Public Health (if not completed prior to admission into the program)
    • BHS 210: Community Health Promotion & Communication
    • BHS 300: Principles of Health Research
    • BHS 302: Social Dimensions of Health
    • BHS 305: Introduction to Healthcare Policy & Systems
    • BHS 403: Introduction to Epidemiology
    • BHS 496: Fieldwork in Health
  • Approved Health Studies Electives (100-400 level): 35 credits total
    • At least 10 credits must be from Bothell Health Studies (BHLTH) course offerings
  • Upper Division UW Electives: (300-400 level): 15 credits total

Total Credits for the Major: 90 credits