Students will be introduced to the components of a healthcare system and the history of health delivery in the United States, with an emphasis on the healthcare workforce. The emphasis on the healthcare workforce will lead to an in-depth introduction into the five health science pathways and sample career specialties: therapeutic services, diagnostic services, health informatics, support services, and biotechnology research and development. The course will provide students the opportunity to learn foundational skills related to healthcare sciences. These include effective communication, teamwork, health maintenance practice, safety, and career decision making

In this foundational course, students examine the history and evolution of nutrition and fitness in individual and community health and explore the multi-dimensional elements of wellness, including the underlying basic biology and chemistry. Students identify assessment methods used to quantify baseline nutrition, fitness, and health levels and the application of population and individual interventions to modify behavior.

This course is an introductory overview of the U.S. Public Health System with an emphasis on the core areas of public health, challenges and strategies for working with communities, and specific health issues that impact the health of the population. We will look at environmental and behavior factors associated with health promotion and disease prevention and view different national programs.

This course provides an overview of the determinants of health and how health status is measured. Students review the burden of disease, who is most affected by different disease burdens, risk factors, and key measures to address the burden of disease in cost-effective ways. Special attention is paid throughout the course to health systems issues. The course covers key concepts and frameworks but is practical in orientation. It is also global in coverage but with a focus on low- and middle-income countries, the health of the poor, equity, inequality, and health disparities.