BSIS: Health Sciences

Basic Requirements – 18 units

All School of Continuing & Professional Studies undergraduate students must satisfy the same general-education requirements.

• Analytical Writing (U11 111)*
• Critical and Researched Writing (U11 203)*
• One additional 3-unit advanced writing course, which may be chosen from EComp 304 Exposition, EComp 3120 Argumentation, EComp 324 Writing for Public Speaking, or EComp 331 Technical Writing.*
• One 3-unit course in numerical applications with a minimum grade of C-
• One 3-unit course in moral reasoning
• One 3-unit course in cultural diversity: Courses that satisfy the cultural diversity requirement explore issues of global human diversity and the interactions among cultures.

These requirements are effective as of Spring 2023. Students admitted to School of Continuing & Professional Studies programs prior to Spring 2023 are expected to fulfill the requirements in place at the time of their admission.

This program is offered either mostly or fully online. Students entering the U.S. on an F-1 or J-1 Visa must enroll in a program full time. F-1 students are only permitted to enroll in one online course per semester and J-1 students may only enroll in non-credit online courses that do not count toward their degree program. The School of Continuing & Professional Studies (CAPS) cannot guarantee face-to-face enrollment options each semester of full time enrollment, therefore cannot issue an I-20 or DS 2019 to F-1 and J-1 students for this program. If you are an F-1 or J-1 student and wish to enroll in a CAPS program while here on a Visa, please contact our recruitment team to discuss your options for face-to-face program enrollment. F-1 and J-1 students should not enroll in online courses or programs without first consulting the university’s Office for International Students and Scholars (OISS).

*Students who receive a grade lower than a C- in EComp 111 Analytical Writing taken at the School of Continuing & Professional Studies must repeat the course. Students who receive a grade lower than a C- in EComp 203 Critical and Researched Writing taken at the School of Continuing & Professional Studies must, in consultation with the Department of English and the School of Continuing & Professional Studies, choose between two options to satisfy the requirement: (1) repeat the course; or (2) complete a 3-unit composition tutorial with a grade of C or higher. Students who have completed English composition courses at another college or university should be well prepared for the required writing courses at the School of Continuing & Professional Studies, and transfer credit will be awarded for this work according to our regular transfer credit policies. However, new students will begin with EComp 111 in the School of Continuing & Professional Studies. Students who feel they have a strong writing background may petition to take a placement test to demonstrate the skills needed to begin with EComp 203 instead. All students will complete EComp 203 and a 300-level writing course at the School of Continuing & Professional Studies.

Distribution Requirements – 27 units

27 units, 9 units in each area noted below.  Field-of-study courses also may fulfill basic and distribution requirements; however, each distribution area must include course work from at least two disciplines:

• Humanities: (9 credits) Courses from Art History, Classics, History, Literature, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Creative Writing, Film Studies, Foreign Languages, Music, and Speech
• Social Sciences: (9 credits) Courses from Anthropology; Economics; Political Science; Psychology; Sociology; and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
• Natural Sciences & Mathematics: (9 credits) Courses from Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Physics, and Science

These requirements are effective as of Summer 2023. Students admitted to CAPS programs prior to Summer 2023 are expected to fulfill the requirements in place at the time of their admission.

Additional Information

Advanced Courses

At least 30 units of advanced courses must be completed at Washington University.

Residency Requirement

Students working toward the Bachelor of Science degree at Washington University must complete the final 36 units of course work at Washington University. At least half of the units for the major must be completed at Washington University.

Additional Elective Courses

Students must complete a total of 120 credit units of course work for the degree by taking additional courses in either the liberal arts or professional areas. No more than 10 percent of a student’s course work may be in independent work (including internships, directed readings), and no more than 60 units in one department may count toward the degree.

Grade Requirements

To receive the Bachelor of Science degree, you must maintain a 2.0 GPA in all courses taken and receive a grade of C- or better in all courses applied to your major.

Field of Study Requirements – 26 units

Students in BSIS programs must complete certificates, tailoring their degrees to their educational and professional goals. Students in BSIS programs each must also complete a Community Engagement course. A designated course in the Strategic Communications program will fulfill this requirement.

• Psych 358 – Health Psychology (3 units)
• Phil 233 – Biomedical Ethics (3 units)
• HCARE 313 – Introduction to Public Health (3 units)
• Bio 101 – General Biology I (with Lab) (4 units)
• Bio 102 – General Biology II (with Lab) (4 units)
• Bio 342 – Introduction to Human Disease and its Scientific Basis (3 units)
• HCARE 103 – Introduction to Health Professions (3 units)
• Integrated Studies Capstone (3 units)

Note: At least 15 units in the field of study must be in upper-level (300-level or higher) courses.

Elective Requirements – 9 units

Students choose from among the following:

• Chem 105 Introductory General Chemistry I PB (3 units)
• Chem 106 Introductory General Chemistry II PB (3 units)
• Chem 151 General Chemistry Laboratory I PB (2 units)
• Chem 152 General Chemistry Laboratory II PB (2 units)
• Chem 261 Organic Chemistry I with Lab PB (4 units)
• Chem 262 Organic Chemistry II w/ Lab PB (4 units)
• Phys 211 General Physics (4 units)
• Phys 212 General Physics II (4 units)
• Bio 322 Human Anatomy & Physiology I 4-5 or Bio 220 Anatomy and Physiology I
• Bio 323 Human Anatomy & Physiology II 4-5 or Bio 240 Anatomy and Physiology II
• Bio 431 Biology of Aging (3 units)
• Psych 322 Developmental Psychology (3 units)
• Psych 3200 Child Health Psychology (3 units)
• Psych 460 Behavioral Medicine (3 units)
• Anthro 387 Medical Anthropology (3 units)
• Bio 406 Introduction to Biochemistry (3 units)