Gettysburg College confers a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree in Health Sciences. The major integrates a liberal arts foundation with biology, chemistry, physics, and other courses to cover a range of topics about the human body in health and disease.

The graduation requirements for either degree are:

• 32 course units
• Only full-unit courses will count toward the total units
• The standard course load will be four one-unit courses per semester
• Minimum accumulative GPA of 2.00 and a GPA of 2.00 in the major field.

Major Requirements

Health Sciences Bachelor of Science (HS BS)
Health Sciences Bachelor of Science (HS BS) majors develop a solid scientific foundation for the study of the human body, focusing on the structure and function of the body in conditions of wellness and disease. HS BS majors complete a very rigorous selection of science courses in the HS, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics Departments. The capstone experience for HS BS students is a capstone internship. The required courses in this major meet the entrance requirements for medical school. Students with this major typically attend medical school or other rigorous graduate programs. 

Core Courses

• HS 209 Human Anatomy and Physiology I
• HS 210 Human Anatomy and Physiology II
• Capstone Experience (Capstone Internship)

Electives (Choose 4 courses; 2 must have lab)

• HS 309 Exercise Physiology (lab)
• HS 310 Assessment in the Health Sciences (lab)
• HS 311 Neuromuscular Physiology (lab)
• HS 312 Cardiorespiratory Physiology
• HS 318 Kinesiology (lab)
• HS 319 Environmental Physiology
• HS 320 Public Health
• HS 322 Global Health
• HS 326 Epidemiology (lab)
• HS 330 Advanced Nutrition
• HS 376 Chronic Disease

Requirements from Other Departments

• BIO 110 (General Biology 1)
• BIO 112 (General Biology 2)
• BIO 211 (Genetics)
• BIO 212 (Cell Biology)
• BIO 260 (Biostatistics) or HS 232 (Statistics for the Health Sciences)
• CHEM 107 (General Chemistry 1)
• CHEM 108 (General Chemistry 2)
• CHEM 203 (Organic Chemistry 1)
• CHEM 204 (Organic Chemistry 2)
• PHY 103 (General Physics 1)
• PHY 104 (General Physics 2)

*HS BS majors are required to earn a B-minus or higher in both HS 209 and HS 210 the first time these courses are taken.

HS BS Major Checksheet

HS BS Major Suggested Course Sequence

Health Sciences Bachelor of Arts (HS BA)
Health Sciences Bachelor of Arts (HS BA) majors also develop a solid scientific foundation for the study of the human body, focusing on the structure and function of the body in conditions of wellness and disease.  This program includes a strong base of natural science courses, combined with human science courses.  The capstone experience for HS BA students is a capstone internship.  HS BA students typically go to graduate school in a variety of allied health fields, including physical therapy, physician assistant, cardiac rehabilitation, exercise physiology, nursing, occupational therapy and others.

Core Courses

• HS 209 Human Anatomy and Physiology I
• HS 210 Human Anatomy and Physiology II
• HS 230 Nutrition
• HS 232 Statistics for the Health Sciences (or Math 107)
• Capstone Experience (Capstone Internship)

Electives (Choose 4 courses;2 must have lab)

• HS 309 Exercise Physiology (lab)
• HS 310 Assessment in the Health Sciences (lab)
• HS 311 Neuromuscular Physiology (lab)
• HS 312 Cardiorespiratory Physiology
• HS 318 Kinesiology (lab)
• HS 319 Environmental Physiology
• HS 320 Public Health
• HS 322 Global Health
• HS 326 Epidemiology (lab)
• HS 330 Advanced Nutrition
• HS 376 Chronic Disease

Requirements from Other Departments

• BIO 110 (General Biology 1)
• BIO 112 (General Biology 2)
• CHEM 107 (General Chemistry 1)
• CHEM 108 (General Chemistry 2)
  or
• PHY 103 (General Physics 1)
• PHY 104 (General Physics 2)

*HS BA majors are required to earn a C- or higher in both HS 209 and HS 210 the first time these courses are taken.

HS BA Major Checksheet

HS BA Major Suggested Course Sequence