The Bachelor of Science in Health Studies offers two major options that prepare students to enter a variety of non-clinical management positions, or to enter a specific health professional field such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician assistant or DO schools. Students take courses that focus on business basics, healthcare delivery systems, cultural diversity, ethics, healthcare law, leadership and research in healthcare. Students also complete a senior-level practicum experience with on-the-job training while under supervision at an approved agency.
Dynamic degree options are interdisciplinary in nature and provide flexible options for students with an interest in health professions to explore opportunities in the field and to develop knowledge, values, and interpersonal skills needed to be successful in today’s health and human service setting. We aim to give you the best foundation possible from which to launch your professional career.
Health Studies: Healthcare Management & Marketing
The Health Studies - Healthcare Management and Marketing Track prepares students for
a career as a healthcare administrator, wherein they will plan, direct, and coordinate
medical and health services. Through high-quality education, students will develop
leadership values, essential healthcare operations management skills, cultural awareness,
interpersonal skills, and critical thinking needed to be successful in today’s health
and human service settings.
Health Studies: Healthcare Management & Marketing - Online
The 100% online format of this degree program offers courses in an 8-week accelerated
system providing limited disruption to a student’s life. Visit the Health Studies Online page for more details.
Health Studies: Pre-Professional
The Health Studies Pre-Professional Track prepares students for application to medical
school, physician assistant, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and many other
allied health graduate programs. The degree program provides students with advanced
knowledge in biology, physical sciences, statistics, applied research, public and
private healthcare delivery, healthcare law and ethics, teamwork, cultural awareness,
and professionalism. Health Studies: Pre-Professional graduates have a 100% acceptance rate into graduate and professional programs.
Graduate Certificate in Interprofessional Leadership
The graduate certificate in Interprofessional Leadership is designed for those planning
or enhancing a career in the clinical, corporate, and public healthcare sectors. The
certificate will provide core knowledge for leadership and change, health systems
management and research, and evidence-based models that support interprofessional
practice.
We aspire to be an exemplary interprofessional academic program that prepares students for their professional lives in the 21st century; empowering, engaging, and educating students to be the next generation of healthcare leaders who will meet the diverse needs of today’s workforce.
The University of Louisiana Monroe's Health Studies program seeks to provide:
while holding in the highest regard the values of:
Making sure your program is the right financial investment is an important part of the search process.
COST & FINANCINGHealth Studies courses are built around current, industry-specific skills to support students' future professional goals. Health Studies faculty provide excellent mentoring to help students explore potential career paths, develop networks in their chosen field, sharpen in-demand professional skills, and develop a professional career portfolio. For example, our students get to participate in
our Annual Health Science Professional Luncheon where they network with potential healthcare employers in the region.
Health Studies faculty are experts in their fields and are available to discuss a wide range of health-related careers and application processes in areas such as medicine, dentistry, physician assistant, optometry, nursing, healthcare administration, occupational and physical therapy. We help guide students towards course selections, application processes and volunteer opportunities that support application to their desired professional school.
The Health Studies program is offered on campus and 100% online providing flexibility in course offerings. Health Studies faculty help guide students to consider earning a minor in complementary areas such as Psychology, Gerontology, Spanish, Biology, and Business Administration. Earning a minor is a great way to learn more about another field, and helps broaden students' transcript for career options and application to professional programs.
ULM's Health Studies program emphasizes hands-on experience through internships, job shadowing, community events, and research opportunities, preparing students for successful careers in healthcare. The Health Studies Practicum provides students with on-the-job healthcare experiences and the opportunity to gain necessary observation hours in their professional discipline under an approved agency’s supervision.
The Health Studies Practicum is a 3-credit course wherein students complete a minimum of 104 hours in a professional healthcare atmosphere. Typically completed in the student’s senior year during the summer, the practicum allows students to explore interests and experience different career options while in school. Students will see how what they have learned in class applies to real-world situation as well as their future employment.
Health Studies seniors must apply for practicum placement in the spring semester by submitting the Intent to Register form to the Practicum Coordinator, Dr. Jodi Bower. The Practicum Coordinator organizes all matters related to finding and approving practicum sites, reviews and approves applications, assures students and preceptors adhere to practicum policies, and resolves conflicts between the practicum sites and students.Dr. Bower can be reached at jbower@ulm.edu for more information.
Program, Career & Demographic Info:
The Health Studies program shares information on potential career outcomes, practicum
partnership sites, and the academic makeup of Health Studies majors.
Advising Resources
Health Studies faculty serve as academic advisors and mentors and help guide students along their path to complete the Bachelor of Science degree in Health Studies. Health Studies faculty support an Appreciative Advising approach which is an intentional collaborative practice of asking positive, open-ended questions that helps students identify goals and develop educational plans to reach them, understand degree requirements and course planning, and recognize resources across campus that will support their academic performance.
Undergraduate students must maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative and 2.75 GPA on Health
Studies courses to progress to their final practicum course. Failure to earn a “C”
in a Health Studies course or other required course will require students to re-rake
the course for a higher grade. Graduate students cannot not earn a grade lower than
a C and must maintain a GPA of 3.0 when all coursework is finished. The Graduate School
will deny further continuance in graduate work to any student who does not meet these
conditions.
ULM Student Advising Resources
Time Management Tips (Dartmouth)
Video: Top 10 Study Tips(Students’ Perspectives – USC)
Overcoming Procrastination(Rhodes College)
Practicum Resources
Practicum students receive a variety of formal and informal hands-on learning opportunities that help build self-confidence, professionalism, and personal growth. The experiential learning opportunities available to Health Studies students range from experiences in medical facilities to public service and community-based activities, and expose students to new ways of understanding while engaging them in relevant activities that help connect their coursework to the workplace.
Practicum FAQ
Practicum Site Industry Lists
Practicum Handbook
Practicum Application
Certification Options in Healthcare Careers
The job outlook for healthcare administration is expected to see a 32% growth rate
from 2020 to 2030 in the United States, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
(BLS). Graduates of ULM's Health Studies Management & Marketing program can further
their career goals by earning qualifications, credentials, and competitive skills
through various professional certifications.
Certification Options in Healthcare Management Fields
Peer-Reviewed Journal
The Journal of Interprofessional Practice and Collaboration (JIPC) is an open access
peer-reviewed online journal by the faculty of the College of Health Sciences (COHS) at the University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM). The Journal’s mission supports the development
and dissemination of original research, interprofessional and clinical practice, evidence-based
knowledge, patient-centered healthcare, and innovative ideas to inform health professional
students, educators, healthcare leaders, and practitioners for best practice.
Accreditation
The University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM) is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), an institutional accrediting body to award associate, baccalaureate, post-baccalaureate, masters, and doctorate degrees. The Health Studies Baccalaureate degree programs, within the School of Allied Health and the College of Health Sciences at ULM, meets high quality faculty and education standards that are consistent with the program, college, and university’s mission according to SACSCOC accrediting body. In addition, the Health Studies program participates annually in a comprehensive institutional assessment and planning process associated with data collection, analysis, and actions to improve the program.
Quality Matters
All Health Studies courses are Quality Matters – Certified indicating the courses meet Quality Matters standards for quality and continuous improvement.
Transfer Agreements
Program-to-program articulation agreements are formal agreements between ULM and various
community colleges and programs to transfer block credits toward the Bachelor of Science
in Health Studies.
ULM Health Studies Transfer Agreements
Complaints and Appeals
The academic grade appeal provides a fair means for appealing a final grade in a course
if the student believes the final grade to have been determined unfairly. Procedures
for appealing a final grade can be found in the most current edition of the Student
Policy Manual.
Grade Appeal Policy
To file an informal or formal complaint against another university student, service
or department, follow the steps listed in the Student Policy Manual: Charging a Student or Student Organization wiht a Violation
of the ULM Code of Student Conduct, to determine your next role in reporting a complaint/grievance to the University
of Louisiana at Monroe. Read completely, the Procedures for Complaint Resolutions,
posted in the Student Policy Manual, before continuing with the process.
Student Policy Manual - Student Complaint Policy
A career in healthcare is very rewarding for students with a passion for helping others and provides an invaluable service to the community. Healthcare managers and licensed healthcare providers are a critical component for a smoothly operating healthcare organization, overseeing the daily services, and operations in a healthcare organization, which can include hospitals, group medical practices, nursing homes, and hospice care facilities.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of medical and health services managers is predicted to grow rapidly with a projected 32% job growth rate over the next 10 years. The median annual wage for licensed healthcare practitioners is $69,870 and the annual wage for entry level health service managers is $49,000 (BLS Statistics).
| Job Opportunities | Employers | Graduate & Medical School Acceptance |
| Administrative Specialist Case Manager | ECR Pharmaceuticals | University of Louisiana Monroe (MFT, MBA, MOT, GERO, MPH, PYSCH, RT, NURS, OTA) |
| Administrative Office Manager | Children's Hospital New Orleans | VCOM - Auburn and Louisiana Monroe (College of Osteopathic Medicine) |
| Certified Applications Counselor | Children's Coalition | Augusta Florida University Health Sciences |
| Clinical Allergy Specialist | Harbor House | Conway Arkansas Health Sciences |
| Community Education Coordinator | Louisiana Pain Care | Grambling State University |
| Compliance Assistant | Morehouse Hospital | Louisiana Tech University |
| Director of Quality Assurance | North Oaks Medical Center | Louisiana State University Medical Center |
| Human Resource Director | Physician and Surgery Hospital | Texas Women's University Health Sciences |
| Marketing/Communication Specialist | Vantage | Tulane University |
| Pharmaceutical Sales Associate | Willis Knighton Hospital | University of Tennessee Health Sciences |
| CHIROPRACTIC |
| Council on Chiropractic Education |
| DOCTOR OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE |
|
American Osteopathic Association American Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine |
| HEALTHCARE ADMINISTRATION |
|
The Association of University Programs in Health Administration The University of Louisiana at Monroe, College of Business MBA Program Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and information Management Education |
| MEDICAL SCHOOL |
|
Liaison Committee on Medical Education Directory of Accredited Medical Schools |
| OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY |
| PHYSICAL THERAPY |
This Health Studies Healthcare Management/Marketing (HSMM) option is designed for students interested in health-related careers for management employment in healthcare. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of medical and health services managers is projected to grow 20% over the next 10 years creating more healthcare management jobs in a variety of settings. The degree program provides student with fundamental knowledge and skills in public and private healthcare delivery, applied research, healthcare law and ethics, healthcare human resources, health and business management, cultural awareness, and applied business coursework.
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HLST 2002- Healthcare Informatics |
|
HLST 2003 - Introduction to Healthcare Delivery |
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HLST 3002 - Social Epidemiology |
|
HLST 3004 - Research Design for Healthcare |
|
HLST 3005 - Professionalism in Healthcare |
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HLST 4003 - Health Science Practicum |
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HLST 4005 - Principles of Leadership in Healthcare |
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HLST 4006 - Healthcare Administration |
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HLST 4009 - Cultural Diversity |
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HLST 4010 - Health Law & Ethics |
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plus an additional 9 hours of guided electives |
See Course Catalogfor full semester course schedules and course descriptions.
The Health Studies Pre-Professional (HSPP) major option is designed to prepare students for entry into graduate professional health-related schools such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician assistant, or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. The curriculum includes a solid foundation in humanities, advanced sciences and health studies courses which prepare undergraduates for a health professional career. The most outstanding feature of the HSPP is that course requirements for entry into professional schools are incorporated into the plans of study, resulting in no extra coursework for our HSPP majors. HSPP students have the option of completing a practicum experience which can provide required observation and volunteer hours needed for application to their professional programs.
|
HLST 2002- Healthcare Informatics |
|
HLST 2003 - Introduction to Healthcare Delivery |
|
HLST 3002 - Social Epidemiology |
|
HLST 3004 - Research Design for Healthcare |
|
HLST 3005 - Professionalism in Healthcare |
|
HLST 4003 - Health Science Practicum OR |
|
HLST 4005 - Principles of Leadership in Healthcare |
|
HLST 4006 - Healthcare Administration |
|
HLST 4008 - Motor Development |
|
HLST 4009 - Cultural Diversity |
|
HLST 4010 - Health Law & Ethics |
|
plus an additional 3 hours of guided electives |
See Course Catalog for full semester course schedules and course descriptions.
The 100% online Graduate Certificate in Interprofessional Leadership in Healthcare can provide students with core knowledge needed to position themselves for leadership opportunities in various healthcare organizations, government offices, public health, and other business settings.The program helps students focus on strength-based leadership, emotion-related skills, reflective practice and evidence-based approaches which can open endless possibilities for interprofessional collaboration, organizational efficiency and personal growth.
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HLST 5000 - Interprofessional Leadership in Healthcare |
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HLST 5001 - Research Methods for Health Professionals |
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HLST 5002 - Effective Interprofessional Teams |
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HLST 5003 - Healthcare Strategic Planning |
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HLST 5004 - Evidence-Based Practice in Healthcare |
See Course Catalog for course descriptions and admission requirements.
While in the Health Studies program, you can build a resume full of diverse experiences based on your interests and career goals. We offer opportunities for students to do job shadowing, volunteerism, community activities and much more. In addition, our Health Studies Student Association (HSSA) is a very active ULM student association participating in as many as 25 on-campus and community projects each year. Here are a few extracurricular activities you could be involved in:
Annual Health Science Professional Business Luncheon – meet and mingle with regional healthcare leaders
Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home - Foster Parents Training Night 2x a year– topics: Nutrition, Safe Medication Administration, Structured Home Environment
Community Outreach: Local and Regional Community Health fairs – Topics: nutrition, chronic disease, living healthy longer, women’s and men’s health
Pink Pumpkins for Breast Cancer Awareness
ULM Trunk or Treat
National Student Leadership Conferences
ULM Research Symposium
Mentorship program at ULM
Emerging Scholar program at ULM
Participation in on-campus recruitment fairs such as PREP, Browse and College Fairs
ULM offers various scholarship opportunities for Health Sciences students, including merit-based scholarships, need-based scholarships, and scholarships specific to healthcare professions. ULM Foundation Scholarships - funded by alumni and community donors and open each February - has a range of scholarships, including those specific to allied health fields.
Learn more about financial aid options: https://www.ulm.edu/financialaid/
Learn more about scholarship opportunities: https://www.ulm.edu/scholarships/
Learn more about Foundation Scholarships: https://ulm.academicworks.com/
The University of Louisiana Monroe
700 University Avenue
Monroe, LA 71209
318.342.1000
