Health Studies Electives
Health Studies students are required to complete health-related electives, which are approved by Health Studies faculty each year. The approved electives are categorized into four interest areas: 1) Health & Life Sciences, 2) Community Health Interventions & Practice, 3) Health & Society, and 4) Health Policy, Leadership, & Ethics.
Each area contains a curated list of courses that may aid in your career development and pathways in health. Students are not required to take courses within a specific interest area; the interest areas below should be used as a guide for your elective selection. Please note that the career pathways listed below are meant to be an example of how elective courses may aid students in their professional development; there may be overlap present in both the coursework and pathways.
Please direct any questions that you may have about interest areas and elective courses to your Health Studies advisor.
Check out the quarterly course information guides, found on the Overview page, to learn more about which health electives are being offered in an upcoming quarter.
Health & life sciences
Curated for students with a particular interest in the intersection of health and natural/physical sciences, and students who are seeking to fill common prerequisite courses for advanced study in the health sciences (such as biology and chemistry; or schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing, public health, etc.). If you are considering applying to a pre-professional health program after graduation, we encourage you to meet with your Health Studies advisor and the UWB Pre-Health advisor to discuss your elective selection.
The following are examples of career pathways which may be held by those interested in Health & Life Sciences:
- Medicine and Allied Health Professions: Medicine, Dentistry, Physician’s Assistant, Pharmacy, Nursing, Midwifery, and Physical Therapy.
- Infectious Disease: Epidemiologist, Infectious Disease Researcher, Pandemic Response, Contact Tracing, Medical Officer, Public Health Nurse, Public Health Veterinarian, Public Health Advisor, Vaccine Researcher, Disease Ecologist, and Infection Preventionist.
- Maternal & Child Health: Doula, Home Health Nurse, WIC Nutritionist, and Lactation Consultant.
- Chronic Disease & Cancer: Medical Epidemiologist, Cancer Biologist, Hospice Care, Tobacco Quitline Coach, Behavioral Scientist, Study Coordinator, and Chronic and Infectious Disease Specialist.
- Public Safety: Injury Prevention Specialist, Gun Safety Specialist, Forensic Nurse, Director of Emergency Medical Services, Specialist in Poison Information, Forensic Pathologist, Health & Safety Specialist, Emergency Preparedness Specialist, Disaster Preparedness Researcher, and Biodefense Researcher.
- Environmental Health: Toxicologist, Poison Prevention Specialist, Environmental Engineer, Hazardous Waste Inspector, Hydrologist, Environmental Health Nurse, and Health Physicist.
- Occupational Health: Occupational Medicine Physician, Employee Health Nurse, and Industrial Hygienist.
- Food Safety & Nutrition: Nutrition Consultant, Food Service Sanitation, Food Inspector, Consumer Safety Officer, and Food Scientist
- Pharmaceuticals & Drug Safety: Pharmacist, Medical Officer for Drug Evaluation & Safety, Biostatician, and Regulatory Affairs Specialist.
- Laboratory and Health Monitoring Professions: Biotechnology, Medical Education, Public Health Geneticist, Implementation Scientist, Nanotechnology Researcher, Health Researcher, and Medical Writer.
Community health interventions & practice
Curated for students interested in aspects of community and population level health intervention and practice, such as health communication, health promotion, healthcare services and utilization, and community-based partnership for research and practice.
The following are examples of career pathways which may be held by those interested in Community Health:
- Health Education & Communication: Health Educator / Health Education Specialist, Health Communications Director, Peer Health Educator, Health Promotion Coordinator, Sex Health Educator, Public Health Nutrition Specialist
- Community Organizing and Care: Community Health Worker, Program Director (non-profit; county, state, national, global), Social Worker, Health Outreach Assistant, Counselor, Health Care Outreach Specialist, Patient Navigator, and Community Outreach & Engagement Specialist
- Evaluation & Quality: Program Evaluator, Quality Improvement Specialist, Outcomes Researcher, Informatics Specialist, and Patient Safety Specialist
- Other: Health Coach, Dance Instructor, Urban Planner, Chef, Art / Music Therapy, and Worksite Wellness Manager
Health & society
Curated for students interested in how societal, cultural, and systems-level factors influence health. Topics explored include social determinants of health, culture of health and illness, public health history, and socio-behavioral sciences.
The following are examples of career pathways which may be held by those interested in Health & Society:
- Education: Health Educator / Health Education Specialist, Health Teacher, Continuing Education Coordinator, Education Consultant, and Professor or Dean within a University
- Health Disparities: Officer of Minority Health, Patient Navigator, Correctional Medicine Physician, Disease Prevention Activist, and Community Outreach & Engagement Specialist
- Mental Health: Mental Health Researcher, Public Health Social Worker, Case Manager, Coordinator, Behavioral Health Programs, Counselor, Health Psychology / Community Psychology
- Nonprofit Services or Government Organizations: Grant Writer, Developing Director, Program Officer / Director, Volunteer Coordinator, Director of a Professional Organization
- Health Communication: Health Journalist, Public Information Specialist, Health Communications Director, Social Marketer, Medical Illustrator, and Medical Writer
- Military: Air Force Public Health Officer, Army Preventative Medical Officer, Army Health Promotion Officer
- Other: Medical Sociology and Anthropology, Victim Advocate, Social Epidemiologist, and Health Researcher, Health Research Coordinator
Health policy, leadership, & ethics
Curated for students interested in health policy and management within health systems, health justice, leadership in health sector roles, and ethics issues in clinical and population contexts.
The following are examples of career pathways for those interested in Health Policy, Leadership, & Ethics:
- Public Health Law, Regulations, & Policy: Advocacy Director, Policy Analyst, Health Legislative Assistant, Health Economist, Public Health Lawyer, Health Policy Coordinator, Administrative Law Judge, Global Health Lawyer, Consumer Advocate, and Public Health Lobbyist.
- Health Management & Administration: Health Care Administrator, Public & Global Health Services Manager, Hospital Administrator, Health Department Administrator, Administrative Assistant, Program Coordinator, Health Commissioner, Medical Director, Federal Agency Director, and Non-profit Director/Executive
- Other: Community Organizer, Community Activist, Medical Ethicist
Approved electives
School of Nursing & Health Studies
Course | Interest area |
BHLTH 179 Interpersonal Communication | Health & Society |
BHLTH 196 Prep to Work with Communities | Community Health; Health & Society |
BHLTH 197 Prep Topics in Health | Varies by topic |
BHLTH 198 Physical Activity, Nutrition, & Health | Health & Life Sciences |
BHLTH 199 Global Health Through Film | Health & Society |
BHLTH 200 Lifespan Development | Health & Life Sciences |
BHLTH 201 Intro to Global Health | Health & Society |
BHLTH 216 Culture & Religions Influence on Food | Health & Society |
BHLTH 217 Nutrition and the Older Adult | Health & Society |
BHLTH 218 Nutritional Science | Health & Life Sciences |
BHLTH 219 Lifespan Nutrition | Health & Life Sciences |
BHLTH 220 Community Nutrition | Community Health |
BHLTH 221 Dimensions of Personal Health | Health & Life Sciences |
BHLTH 222 Latina/o Health & Culture | Community Health; Health & Society |
BHLTH 223 Feminist Approaches to Women’s Health | Health & Society |
BHLTH 224 Disease, Human History & Civilization | Health & Life Sciences; Health & Society |
BHLTH 225 Intro to Cancer Biology (duplicate course to BBIO 233) | Health & Life Sciences |
BHLTH 226 Race, Socioeconomic Status, & Health | Health & Society |
BHLTH 227 Migration & Population Health | Health & Society; Health Policy |
BHLTH 228 Infectious Disease Detectives | Health & Life Sciences |
BHLTH 229 Quarantine & Isolation | Health & Society |
BHLTH 297 Selected Intro Topics in Health | Varies by topic |
BHLTH 301 Global Health Practice | Community Health |
BHLTH 320 Human Health & the Environment | Health & Life Sciences |
BHLTH 397 Current Health Topics | Varies by topic |
BHLTH 402 Microbiology & Global Health | Health & Life Sciences |
BHLTH 405 Race, Power, & Food | Health & Society |
BHLTH 406 Infectious Disease & Art | Health & Society |
BHLTH 410 Genetics & Public Health | Health & Life Sciences |
BHLTH 411 Environments & Health | Health & Life Sciences; Community Health |
BHLTH 412 Narratives of Illness & Healing | Health & Society |
BHLTH 413 Pandemics, Plagues, & Fear | Health & Society |
BHLTH 420 Women’s Global Health & Human Rights | Health & Society; Health Policy |
BHLTH 421 Food & Culture | Health & Society |
BHLTH 422 Walking in Beauty: Native Art & Healing | Health & Society |
BHLTH 423 Global Health: Critical Perspectives | Health & Society; Health Policy |
BHLTH 424 Root Issues in American Indian Health | Community Health; Health & Society |
BHLTH 425 Health in a Developing Nation | Community Health; Health & Society |
BHLTH 426 Exploring the Humanities in Healthcare | Community Health; Health & Society |
BHLTH 427 Women, Culture, & Healing | Health & Society |
BHLTH 428 Adolescent Health | Community Health; Health & Society |
BHLTH 429 Global & Local Health Inequalities | Community Health; Health & Society |
BHLTH 430 Health Policies on a Global Context | Health & Society; Health Policy |
BHLTH 431 Health Policy & Ethics in Film | Health & Society; Health Policy |
BHLTH 435 Principles of Health Education | Community Health |
BHLTH 436 Management & Leadership for Health | Health Policy |
BHLTH 437 Program Planning for Health Education | Health & Society |
BHLTH 438 Program Evaluation for Health Education | Community Health |
BHLTH 439 Health Policy & Advocacy | Health Policy |
BHLTH 440 Health of Military Veterans | Community Health; Health & Society |
BHLTH 441 Community Engagement in Health Interventions | Community Health |
BHLTH 442 Family Caregiving Across the Lifespan | Community Health |
BHLTH 443 Assessment of Older Adults | Community Health |
BHLTH 444 Disaster Preparation | Community Health |
BHLTH 460 Women, Rhetoric, & Healing | Health & Society |
BHLTH 497 Selected Topics in Health | Varies by topic |
School of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
Course | Interest area |
BBIO 180 Intro Biology I | Health & Life Sciences |
BBIO 200 Intro Biology II | Health & Life Sciences |
BBIO 220 Introductory Biology III | Health & Life Sciences |
BBIO 231Genes, Genomes, & Heredity (duplicate course to BISSTS 231) | Health & Life Sciences |
BBIO 232 Embryos, Genes, & Reproductive Technology | Health & Life Sciences |
BBIO 233 Cancer: Biology, Risk, & Treatment (duplicate course to BHLTH 225) | Health & Life Sciences |
BBIO 310 Brain & Behavior | Health & Life Sciences; Community Health; Health & Society |
BBIO 351 Anatomy & Physiology I | Health & Life Sciences |
BBIO 352 Anatomy & Physiology II | Health & Life Sciences |
BBIO 355 Behavioral Endocrinology | Health & Life Sciences |
BBIO 360 Intro to Genetics | Health & Life Sciences |
BBIO/BCHEM 364 Biochemistry I | Health & Life Sciences |
BBIO/BCHEM 365 Biochemistry II | Health & Life Sciences |
BBIO 370 Microbiology | Health & Life Sciences |
BBIO 372 Stem Cells | Health & Life Sciences |
BBIO/BCHEM 375 Molecular Biology | Health & Life Sciences |
BBIO 380 Cell Biology | Health & Life Sciences |
BBIO 383 Bioinformatics | Health & Life Sciences |
BBIO 390 Diseases of the Nervous System | Health & Life Sciences |
BBIO 470 Microbiology II | Health & Life Sciences |
BBIO 480 Neurobiology | Health & Life Sciences |
BCHEM 143/144 Chemistry I with Lab | Health & Life Sciences |
BCHEM 153/154 Chemistry II with Lab | Health & Life Sciences |
BCHEM 163/164 Chemistry III with Lab | Health & Life Sciences |
BCHEM 237 Organic Chem. I | Health & Life Sciences |
BCHEM 238/241 Organic Chem.II with Lab | Health & Life Sciences |
BCHEM 239/242 Organic Chem. III with Lab | Health & Life Sciences |
BCHEM 312 Inorganic Chemistry | Health & Life Sciences |
BEARTH 320 Impacts of Climate Change | Health & Life Sciences |
BEARTH 341 Natural Hazards & Disasters | Health & Life Sciences |
School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences
Course | Interest area |
BIS 170 Intro to Psychology | Health & Life Sciences; Health & Society |
BIS 220 Developmental Psychology | Health & Life Sciences; Health & Society |
BIS 221 Gender & Sexuality | Health & Society |
BIS 222 Intro to Human Sexuality | Health & Society |
BIS 225 Social Psychology | Health & Society |
BIS 226 Foundations of U.S. Social Services | Health & Society; Health Policy |
BIS 242 Environmental Geography | Health & Society |
BIS 265 Intro to Comparative Ethnic Studies | Health & Society |
BIS 270 Abnormal Psychology | Health & Life Sciences; Health & Society |
BIS 307 Environmental Justice | Health & Society; Health Policy |
BIS 310 Women, Culture, & Development | Health & Society |
BIS 318 Global Scholars: Foundations & Prep* *approved for Autumn 2023 forward NOTE: 3 credit course | Health & Society |
BIS 349 Personality Psychology | Health & Society |
BIS 352 Community Mapping | Community Health |
BIS 353 Human Rights Theory & Practice | Health & Society |
BIS 355 History of Science & Technology | Health & Society |
BIS 364 Representation of Adolescent Development | Health & Society |
BIS 369 Indigenous Psychology | Health & Society |
BIS 380 Bioethics | Health & Life Sciences; Health Policy |
BIS 384 Health, Medicine, & Society | Health & Life Sciences; Health & Society; Health Policy |
BIS 386 Climate Change Adaptation Policy | Health & Society |
BIS 415 Public Policy & Law | Health & Society; Health Policy |
BIS 418 Global Scholars: Global Citizenship* *approved for Autumn 2023 forward | Health & Society |
BIS 448 Social Policy | Health Policy |
BIS 468 Human Rights & Sustainable Development | Health & Society; Health Policy |
BISAES 305 Power, Dissent, & American Culture | Health & Society |
BISGWS 301 Critical Gender & Sexuality Studies | Health & Society |
BISGWS 302 Histories of Gender & Sexuality | Health & Society |
BISGWS 303 Approaches to Feminist Inquiry | Health & Society |
BISLEP 301 Law, Economics, & Public Policy | Health & Society; Health Policy |
BISPSY 337 Risk & Resilience | Health & Life Sciences |
BISPSY 343 Community Psychology | Health & Society |
BISPSY Cultural Psychology | Health & Society |
BISPSY 350 Intergroup Relations | Health & Society |
BISSTA 304 Institutions & Social Change | Health & Society; Health Policy |
BISSTA 359 Ethics & Society | Health & Society; Health Policy |
BISSTS 231 Genes, Genomes, & Heredity (duplicate course to BBIO 231) | Health & Life Sciences |
BISSTS 307 Science, Technology, & Society | Health & Life Sciences; Health Policy |
BISSTS 420 Race, Gender, Science, & Medicine | Health & Society |
School of Educational Studies
Course | Interest area |
BEDUC 220 Education & Society | Community Health; Health Policy |
BEDUC 230 Culture, Knowledge, & Education | Community Health |
BEDUC 402 Human Growth & Learning | Health & Life Sciences |
BEDUC 456 Adolescents in School & Society | Health & Society |
BEDUC 460 Moral Dimensions of Education | Health & Society; Health Policy |
BEDUC 470 Disability Culture in Schools & Society | Health & Society |
BEDUC 481 Adolescent Development | Health & Society |
Updated November 2023