Update 1/5/2024: The program overview, course of study, and total program credits for the Associate of Science in Health Science have changed for the Spring 2024 semester. To review these changes, please see the Catalog Addendum p. 13 - 15.
All information listed below this alert is related to the program overview, course of study, and total program credits for Fall 2023.
Overview
Healthcare is a basic need, like food, shelter, and clothing. For this reason, there will always be a high demand for healthcare professionals and paraprofessionals. In addition, because of advances in medicine and technology, healthcare has become extremely complex, requiring workers with many different specialties. Entry-level jobs in many of these areas of specialization require only an associate degree yet offer attractive opportunities for advancement upon the completion of higher degrees and certificates. Labouré College of Healthcare’s Associate of Science in Health Science provides students with an introduction to the fast growing and dynamic field of healthcare.
Building on a core of courses in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences, the Health Science program provides a solid foundation of basic skills. In addition to this foundation, the Health Science degree includes a core of health science courses that provide a broad survey of the basic knowledge and skills required for success in many healthcare fields, with an emphasis on continued study at the bachelor’s level. In addition, students can transfer in courses from other areas of specialization. Students completing other areas of specializations may be eligible for additional exam-based credit and certifications in these fields.
Students who have credits from nursing, neurodiagnostic technology, intraoperative neuromonitoring, radiation therapy or other healthcare fields can also transfer these credits into most tracks of the Health Science associate degree (see details under each track). Credits in the Health Science program can be applied to our Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration (BSHA) degree. However, it is the student’s responsibility to research transferability of course credit to and from the college.
Students who are interested in exploring different disciplines and opportunities within the healthcare field can elect to begin their program with courses in the Pre-Health Professions Pathway. Pathway courses are a selection of core Arts & Sciences courses in the Health Science program that help develop the knowledge and skills students need to complete a specialized associate degree, whether they choose to remain in the Health Science program, or plan to transfer to the Radiation Therapy or Respiratory Care programs at Labouré. Students who successfully transfer into Radiation Therapy or Respiratory Care will count all of the Pathway courses toward meeting the Arts & Sciences course requirements in their new program.
The associate degree program is strategically designed to provide students with a focused education that enhances their professional skills through certificates, pathways, and tracks to degree completion. The diversification of program offerings is meeting community and market needs and is increasing students’ opportunities to be engaged in model work experiences through them.
Program Outcomes
Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:
- Explain and apply a broad range of medical terms and essential health-related concepts
- Apply concepts from the behavioral and biological sciences to allied health practice
- Describe in-depth the roles and functions of the various components of the U.S. healthcare system
- Explain and critique the manner in which healthcare in the U.S. is funded
- State well-supported positions on contemporary healthcare issues
- Explain the fundamental scientific components of public health practice, including epidemiology, immunology, environmental health, disease prevention, and public health informatics and surveillance
- Describe in-depth the components of a wellness approach to healthcare, including nutrition, exercise, stress reduction. and mindfulness
- Use current technology in a variety of healthcare settings
- Apply rigorous evidence-based standards to practices in allied health
- Conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the professional, ethical, and legal standards of allied health practice
The 60-credit associate degree in Health Science contains five components:
- The 30-credit Labouré College of Healthcare Arts and Sciences Common Core that provides a foundation of knowledge and skills from the liberal arts and sciences.
- MAT 1020, HUM 1010, ANA 1010, and ANA 1120 are courses within the Common Core that make up the Pre-Health Professions Pathway
- A 4-credit health-related integrative seminar that focuses on the development of signature works that require students to integrate the knowledge and skills learned in their liberal arts courses.
- A 30-credit Health Science core that encompasses essential knowledge of the healthcare field such as the nature of disease, medical terminology and procedures, the structure of the U.S. healthcare system, healthcare finance and policy, and roles and functions of healthcare providers.
- Optional elective courses
- Transfer of courses from other specialty areas.
- Some courses may be counted toward the Arts and Sciences Common Core and the Health Science core.
Program of Study
While the College makes every effort to avoid schedule changes, the College may cancel courses or alter course schedules without prior notification.
Professional Courses
Arts and Sciences Courses
Total Credits: 60
Students are awarded the degree after meeting the requirements listed below:
- Completion of a minimum of 30 credit hours at the College
- Successful completion of the degree program as prescribed by the College
- A cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher
- A minimum grade of C in degree professional courses and science courses (i.e., Anatomy & Physiology I and II, Biology, Microbiology, etc.) Some colleges may only allow students to transfer C+ or higher for science courses.
- A minimum grade of D- in all other associate degree courses. Courses with a grade of less than C are not transferrable.
- Completion of all program requirements within six years of enrollment at the College
Specialty Tracks
The Associate of Science in Health Science offers students the opportunity take courses as part of specialty tracks. Specialty tracks are a great way to use electives to explore an area of healthcare administration that interests you.
Labouré College of Healthcare offers several specialty tracks within the associate degree:
- Electrocardiogram (EKG)
- Generalist
- Gerontology
- Medical Administrative Assistant
- Phlebotomy
Each track is described below.
Electrocardiogram EKG
EKG stands for electrocardiogram. EKGs are recordings of electrical signals sent out by the heart. EKG technicians are healthcare professionals who administer non-invasive tests to assess the cardiovascular system of patients. The duties associated with EKG technicians include performing diagnostic tests on patients, blood pressure monitoring, patient preparation, appointment scheduling, and maintaining patient medical records.
This track prepares students for job placement in hospitals, physician offices, and more. Students study the anatomy and physiology of the heart, circulatory system, and conduction system in detail. The EKG, heart, circulation, and conduction must be covered with appropriate terminology and abbreviations with appropriate knowledge of equipment, proper lead placement, reading of EKG waves, arrhythmias and blocks, calculations, codes, and markings. Students learn by a combination of academic and practical application with a required completion of 10 EKG tracings in a laboratory setting.
Upon successful completion of the EKG technician course of study, students are eligible to sit for a national EKG certification exam.
Generalist
Please note: this is not a stand-alone certificate. You must complete the required courses within the associate of health science curriculum in addition to the specialty track courses below in order to complete the Generalist pathway.
Gerontology
This track provides students with foundational concepts in aging and adult development and identify the many career opportunities in the field of gerontology. This contemporary curriculum begins by exploring healthy aging from bio-psycho-social perspectives and highlights the social determinant of health that affect an individual aging pathway. Students gain individual insight on their own aging and a vision of professional competencies needed to work with older adults. Exploring health disparities is critical to understanding risk factors that impact aging and a health equity goals will be introduced early in the program and explored in depth in the second course of the sequence. This track will also address the continuum of care that older adults navigate, from community dwelling to end of life care decisions. Special emphasis will be placed at the end of the track on funding sources available to older adults, as they encounter the continuum of care and the health care professional’s roles and responsibilities.
Medical Administrative Assistant
This track provides students with requisite knowledge and skills to perform in an area of administration. Medical administrative assistants play an important role in the patient's experience and are critical to medical offices and health care facilities. In addition to the required Health Science Professional courses, this track rounds out the domains of eligibility to take the exam to become a Certified Medical Administrative Assistant.
Please note: this is not a stand-alone certificate. You must complete the required courses within the associate of health science curriculum in addition to the Medical Administrative Assistant Track courses to be eligible to take the certification exam.
| HSC 2040 | Introduction to Medical Practice Management | 3 |
| HSC 2045 | Introduction to Healthcare Payment Systems | 3 |
| HSC 2060 | Patient Safety and Compliance | 3 |
Phlebotomy
Phlebotomists are professional clinical team members within the healthcare system whose primary responsibility is to procure blood and other specimens for diagnostic testing.
This track prepares students for job placement in hospitals, physician offices, and more. Students are introduced to the clinical laboratory and phlebotomy with the exploration of how these areas contribute to the healthcare system, including: history of phlebotomy, hospital organization, legal and ethical concerns in healthcare, regulatory agencies and quality assurance, safety, infection control, and phlebotomy basics. Students learn by a combination of academic and practical applications and culminate their experience with a clinical practicum at a clinical affiliate.
Upon successful completion of the phlebotomy course of study, students are eligible to sit for the American Society of Clinical Pathology Phlebotomy Technician Certification Exam.
| PHL 1010 | Clinical Laboratory Basics | 3 |
| PHL 1025 | Principles and Methods of Phlebotomy | 4 |