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Health Science |
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B.S. Health Science
Track Options:
- Community Health
- Pre-Professional
- Pre-Physical Therapy
- Pre-Physicians Assistant
- Applied Health Studies Track
Community Health Track
This program emphasizes health promotion and education for a variety of different situations and settings. You will be prepared as a health educator in hospitals, clinics, government, or other health care settings to perform health education needs assessment; plan, implement, and evaluate health education programs; coordinate health education services and programs; communicate health information and program information; and serve as a resource person in a variety of community settings. You will develop professional skills in areas such as nutrition, physical activity, stress management, consumer health, substance abuse prevention, and women's health.
As a graduate of this program, you will also be qualified to sit for the national examination leading to certification as a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES).
Graduates have been hired by State Departments of Health, health care systems and clinics, American Cancer, Lung, & Heart Associations, drug and alcohol prevention agencies and organizations, county health coalitions, work-site wellness facilities, and correction facilities throughout the country. You may also decide to go on to a graduate degree in areas such as public health or epidemiology. This track is approved by the SOPHE/AAHE Baccalaureate Program Approval Committee.
Pre-Professional Track
Few academic program majors offer such diverse opportunities after graduation as the Pre-Professional option. This track will prepare you particularly for entrance into graduate school for an advanced degree in many areas such as osteopathic medicine, chiropractics, exercise physiology, pharmacy, and cardiac rehabilitation. It also provides preparation for employment in health related fields such as sales within pharmaceutical or surgical/medical equipment industries.
You and your advisor will develop an individualized plan of study focused upon your specific goals and professional aspirations. Additional courses required to meet graduate program entry requirements are chosen as electives. Field experience and internships related to your intended career, such as working in local clinics or observing surgery at a local hospital, will give you valuable hands-on experience that further prepares you for graduate study. This is an excellent option if you are undecided about a specific career path.
Upon completion of the program, you may be eligible to take different health and fitness certification examinations offered by several professional organizations including the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
Pre-Physical Therapy Track
With an aging population here in Pennsylvania and in the entire country, the need for physical therapists is expected to continue to grow through 2016. Completion of this preparatory program will qualify you to apply for graduate study towards a Doctorate of Physical Therapy and then for eventual employment in a variety of settings, including hospitals, extended care facilities, clinics, and school districts.
The majority of graduate level Physical Therapy Education Programs are now offering the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT, an entry-level clinical doctorate degree. Typically, students can complete the degree at LHU in four years with an additional three years required for the Physical Therapy degree.
“3+3” Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree Program
Entrance into this program is highly competitive and by invitation only. Applicants are carefully screened by the LHU Admissions Department to ensure that they have the track record of academic ability and achievement to be able to succeed in this very concentrated, rigorous and demanding academic and professional program.
If you are accepted into this program, after a compressed schedule of undergraduate classes you will be able to transition directly into a Doctor of Physical Therapy program at one of several graduate schools at the end of your junior (third) year. You will then continue the next three years toward your doctorate. The program is a total of six years - three at LHU and three at a graduate school. All students who apply to the health science major and indicate interest in the pre-physical therapy track are screened for this program.
Pre-Physician Assistant Track
Physician Assistant is a career that is expected to grow through 2016 due to concentration on cost containment in health careers. It is a challenging and rewarding career choice for individuals who want to make a positive impact on the health of Americans. In this track, you will complete four years in courses necessary for admission into graduate school for a physician assistant master's degree program. A wide breadth and depth of coursework is required. One of the primary advantages in LHU's Health Science program is the focus on the human body which will prepare you very well for advanced study. You may apply to Lock Haven University's master's program or programs offered at other universities.
Admission to LHU's Physician Assistant Master's Degree Program:
A minimum of 5 seats are reserved for Health Science students who complete the B.S.
with the following:
3.2 GPA
B- or better in all core classes
Minimum 1,000 combined GRE
4 out of 6 on the GRE writing sample
Students must successfully complete an application and an interview.
Students not meeting these criteria are not necessarily excluded from admission, but considered in the pool of applicants from other colleges.
You may also enter the master's program through the “3 + 2” program.
“3+2” B.S. / M.H.S. Health Science/Physician Assistant Studies
If you are accepted into this program, after a compressed schedule of three years of undergraduate classes you will be able to transition directly into the Master of Physician Assistant program at Lock Haven University and complete two years of coursework. To maintain the 3+2 program status, you are required to maintain a 3.2 GPA and attain a 'B-' or better in all core courses. Additionally, you must achieve a minimum score of 1000 combined verbal and quantitative portions and 4 out of 6 on the writing evaluation of the Graduate Record Exam for admission into the Graduate Physician Assistant program. You will be eligible for graduation with a B.S. in Health Science upon completion of the two semesters of the first year of the graduate program.
Applicants are carefully screened by the LHU Admissions Department to ensure that they have the track record of academic ability and achievement to be able to succeed in this very concentrated, rigorous and demanding academic and professional program.
This program does not affect the admissions process for the traditional students who complete the four year B.S .degree in the Pre-Physician Assistant Track and seek admission to the graduate program.
Applied Health Studies Track
This track is a degree completion program if you are already certified, licensed or registered in a healthcare profession. These include medical radiography, occupational therapy assistant, surgical technology, and other certified healthcare programs. You must have graduated from an accredited healthcare program and have earned your associate's degree in order to continue in this program for your bachelor's degree.
This program will enable you to build on your current knowledge and skills to prepare you for positions of leadership. You will have a more marketable, multiskilled background in healthcare.
You will complete the general education requirements as well as a core of courses that are specific to healthcare, ethics, and public policy. You will also earn a minor in a specialized area of interest such as communications, business and leadership studies.
Associate of Applied Science degree in Healthcare Professions
The A.S. in Applied Science degree has two options:
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If you are already certified in a particular healthcare profession, you can complete the general education requirements and earn this degree.
- If you do not have technical training, you will need to complete the general education courses as well as courses in anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, computers, and other courses that prepare you for entry-level positions in healthcare.
In addition, you may choose to go on to complete degrees in nursing or health science.
B.S. Athletic Training
Athletic trainers are highly specialized health care providers who work in a wide variety of settings. This highly-competitive program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education. You will be introduced to patient care during your first semester and by the time you graduate, you'll be an independent health care provider. Upon graduation, you will be eligible to sit for the national Board of Certification exam (BOC). With this degree, you will be in high demand for employment as an athletic trainer in high schools, colleges, clinics, or industry. Or you may choose to continue on to graduate school for an advanced degree in athletic training, exercise science, physical therapy, or physician assistant studies.
Facilities
Lock Haven University recently opened a new facility for the health science program that is shared with the Physician Assistant program. Facilities include state-of-the-art classrooms; an exercise physiology lab with equipment for metabolic and human performance testing and body composition assessment; a cadaver dissection lab; and another anatomy and physiology lab.
Internships
Internships, required by each track, will provide learning in real-life situations and valuable experience for future employment. Recent internships have included Geisinger Medical Center, U.S. Penitentiary at Allenwood, the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Shriners Hospital for Children, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the New England Patriots, and the Olympic Training Center.
Employment/Graduate Schools
Companies which employ some of our recent graduates include the University of Texas Medical Center, the Kansas City Chiefs, the U. S. Men's National Soccer Team, the Cleveland Indians, Duquesne University, Dickinson College, the University of Florida, the Boston Public Health Commission, the United Way, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Our graduates have attended Widener University, Drexel University, the University of Boston, James Madison University, the University of Virginia, Temple University, the University of Pittsburgh, Lake Erie College of Medicine, the University of North Carolina/Greensboro, DeSales University and Penn State University.
Our Faculty
The quality of your education depends on the quality of the faculty. At LHU, you will be taught by professors who are dedicated to your success, not graduate assistants. All tenure-track faculty in Health Sciences have their terminal (advanced) degrees and have worked in their fields, bringing real world experience into your classroom. Two faculty members serve on program review for the Accreditation of Athletic Training Education Grants, while another recently completed a Fulbright award in the Ukraine. Several are listed in Who's Who Among America's Teachers. Your professors will always be available to help you understand the coursework and answer your questions.
Dan Gales,
M.A., ATC,
Chair, Department of Health Sciences
dgales@lhup.edu
Central Michigan University
Kathleen Allison, Ph.D., MPH, CHES
Texas Woman's University
David G. Bower, II, Ph.D.
Pennsylvania State University
Fay Cook, D.Ed., CHES
Pennsylvania State University
Curt Dixon, Ph.D., CSCS
University of Pittsburgh
Joshua Drouin, Ph.D., ATC
University of Virginia
Yvette Ingram, Ph.D., ATC
Temple University
Eric Lippincott, PT, ATC
Widener University
Beth McMahon, Ph.D., CHES
Pennsylvania State University
Jeanine L. Page, Ph.D.
Pennsylvania State University
Mike Porter, M.Ed., ATC
University of Virginia
Jody Preische, Ph.D., ATC
Pennsylvania State University
Mary Rose-Colley
, D.Ed.
Pennsylvania State University
Frederick Schulze, D.Ed., CHES
Pennsylvania State University
Stephen S. Streator, Ph.D., ATC
Pennsylvania State University
Amy Way, Ph.D.
Pennsylvania State University
Louis Widmann, Pharm.D.
Duquesne University