Health Care Studies

Description:

The Health Care Studies program is designed for students interested in entering the health care profession. The program provides students with the foundational courses necessary to either enter one of the College's other health care programs, or, for interested students, transfer to bachelor's or master's degree programs in the health sciences fields such as nursing, health information management, occupational therapy and speech therapy. The program also enables students to graduate with an A.A. degree in Health Care Studies. While in the program, students may also opt to obtain a proficiency certificate to enhance their knowledge and skills of a particular area in health care and to increase their employment opportunities upon graduation from the College.

Program Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this program, graduates will be able to:

  • Communicate effectively with others orally and in writing.
  • Demonstrate quantitative reasoning skills, particularly as they apply to the health care setting.
  • Explain the factors that influence health and disease.
  • Explain social and psychological factors that influence human behavior.
  • Define a career goal and outline the academic process required to reach that goal.

Program Entry Requirements:

Students are required to satisfy placement at the time of admission. Students identified as needing developmental course work must satisfactorily complete the appropriate English and mathematics courses as a part of the degree program.

Program of Study and Graduation Requirements:

Allied Health 101, Introduction to the Health Care Professions, must be taken before 12 college credits have been earned. This course is a cornerstone of the Health Care Studies program, requiring students to define a career goal and outline the academic process required to reach that goal.

To qualify for the A.A. Degree in Health Care Studies, students must complete a minimum of 60 credit hours as prescribed and attain a 2.0 cumulative grade point average and complete all course and credit requirements with no grade below a "C" in any course. It is recommended that students who transfer into the program with earned credits take AH 101 during their first semester in the Health Care Studies Program.

Course Sequence:

Semester 1

Course Number and Name Prerequisites and Corequisites Credits Gen Ed Req.
AH 101 - Introduction to the Health Care Professions   3 credits  
ENGL 101 - English Composition I or
ENGL 101H - English Composition I (Honors)
  3 credits Writing, Research, and Info Lit 1
CIS 103 - Introduction to Information Technology   3 credits Technological Competency
FNMT 118 - Intermediate Algebra or higher For FNMT 118: FNMT 017 or FNMT 019 completed or FNMT 118 (or higher) placement 3 credits Quantitative Reasoning
BIOL 106 - General Biology I or
BIOL 109 Anatomy and Physiology I *
  4 credits Scientific Reasoning

Semester 2

Course Number and Name Prerequisites and Corequisites Credits Gen Ed Req.
ENGL 102 - The Research Paper or
ENGL 102H - The Research Paper (Honors)
ENGL 101 with a grade of "C" or better 3 credits Writing, Research, and Info Lit 2
MATH 150 - Introductory Data Analysis or
MATH 251 - Statistics for Science

For MATH 150: FNMT 118 ready
For MATH 251: FNMT 118 with a grade of "C" or better, or MATH 150 with a grade of "C" or better

3 or 4 credits  
BIOL 108 - Essentials of Human Anatomy and Physiology or
BIOL 109 - Anatomy and Physiology I or
BIOL 110 - Anatomy and Physiology II *
For BIOL 110: BIOL 109 with a grade of "C" or better 4 credits  
SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology or
SOC 101H - Introduction to Sociology (Honors) 
  3 credits Cultural Analysis and Interpretation
AH 116 - Therapeutic Communication **   3 credits Oral Communication/
Creative Expression

Semester 3

Course Number and Name Prerequisites and Corequisites Credits Gen Ed Req.
NUTR 106 - Nutrition for Healthy Lifestyle or
NUTR 111 - Introduction to Nutrition
For NUTR 111: ENGL 101 and BIOL 109 3 credits  
General Elective***   3 or 4  credits  
General Elective***   3 or 4  credits  
PSYC 101 - Introduction to Psychology or
PSYC 101H - 101H Introduction to Psychology (Honors) or
PSYC 215 - Developmental Psychology or
PSYC 215H - Developmental Psychology (Honors) or
Health Elective 
For PSYC 215: PSYC 101 101 or BIOL 109 3 or 4 credits  
Health or Science Elective   3 or 4 credits  

Semester 4

 

Course Number and Name Prerequisites and Corequisites Credits Gen Ed Req.
PSYC 101 - Introduction to Psychology or
PSYC 101H - 101H Introduction to Psychology (Honors) or
PSYC 215 - Developmental Psychology or
PSYC 215H - Developmental Psychology (Honors)  or
Health Elective  
For PSYC 215: PSYC 101 or BIOL 109 3 or 4 credits  
Health or
Science Elective
  3 or 4 credits  
General Elective***   3 or 4 credits  
General Elective***   3 or 4 credits  
General Elective***   3 or 4 credits  

Minimum Credits Needed to Graduate:

60

*Students should select Biology courses according to academic goal. Required science courses vary per program or certificate.

**Students planning to apply for admission to the Dental Hygiene program should see an advisor about substituting ENGL 115: Public Speaking for AH 116.

***All students must have a minimum of 60 credits in order to graduate. Depending on courses selected above, the number of general electives required will vary.  Students must earn at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average and complete all course and credit requirements with no grade below a "C" in any course.

† Health Elective – includes any Allied Health, Dental Hygiene, Diagnostic Medical Imaging, Medical Laboratory Technology, Nursing, Ophthalmic Technician, Physical Education, Public Health, or Respiratory Technology course.

‡ Science Elective – includes any Biology, Chemistry, Physics or STS course

General Education Requirements:

All general education requirements necessary for graduation are met through the courses in the program as indicated above. Students who wish to take courses that differ from the general education courses indicated above must complete a course substitution request form. To access the form, login to the MyCCP portal, and in the Student tab, under Electronic Forms, click on the Records and Registration Forms link, then choose Request For Course Substitution Of Graduation Requirement link. A more detailed explanation of the College's general education requirements is also available.

For More Information, Contact:

Contact The Division of Math, Science and Health Careers, Room W1-1, 1700 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130, Telephone (215) 751-8430; or the College Information Center (215) 751-8010