New Health Sciences Degree = New Opportunities

MVNU has launched a new health major, a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences, that will begin in the fall of 2018.

This new major will allow students to pursue career opportunities in the medical field outside of the traditional nursing and patient care services. Possibilities include jobs in health education, records, communication, management, insurance, billing, marketing and sales.

The list of potential employers includes doctors offices, public health organizations, hospitals, health insurance companies, pharmacies, labs and long-term care facilities.

Dean of the School of Nursing & Health Sciences Dr. Carol Dorough said this new major is a good addition based on the current job market.

“Many of the fastest growing professions are in healthcare fields,” Dr. Dorough said.

What sets this major apart from traditional health field majors is that it appeals to students interested in the healthcare field who do not want to work directly with patient and client care.

“This is a good major for students who begin college thinking they want to provide direct care to individuals, but later realize that is not the direction they really want to take,” Dr. Dorough said.

Students will take classes in health sciences, psychology, biology, chemistry and business as part of their core curriculum for the new major.

Dorough said the major is a great combination of MVNU’s existing liberal arts and professional programs.

As an interdisciplinary major, the BSHS curriculum will draw from courses in several departments for its core curriculum, “which is an excellent use of existing resources,” she said.

As of now, no new faculty have been hired for this program. One student is registered as a BSHS major for the upcoming fall semester.

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, a career in the health field does not require a graduate degree.

“However, there are graduate degrees available in several of the career areas,” if students are interested, Dr. Dorough said.

Dr. Dorough is “looking forward” to seeing the benefits that this new major will bring to students interested in the field and those who are looking to change their major.

“There is much more variety in the curriculum than in most health-related fields, and it is expected students choosing to change their major to Health Sciences are going to be able to do so with considerably fewer complications than with other health majors,” she said.