Health Science and Sociology, BS (Boston)

The combined Bachelor of Science in Health Science and Sociology integrates social scientific perspectives with the study of health, illness, and healthcare. Students explore basic sociological concepts relevant for the study of health and healthcare, such as social construction and medicalization. Students explore why, for instance, despite having the most expensive healthcare system, the United States ranks comparatively low in life expectancy and health and well-being outcomes. The combined major offers students an opportunity to explore the ways that societal factors such as race, class, and gender interplay with health, healthcare, and health disparities.

Complete all courses listed below unless otherwise indicated. Also complete any corequisite labs, recitations, clinicals, or tools courses where specified and complete any additional courses needed beyond specific college and major requirements to satisfy graduation credit requirements.

Universitywide Requirements

All undergraduate students are required to complete the Universitywide Requirements.

NUpath Requirements

All undergraduate students are required to complete the NUpath Requirements.

Health Science Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Public Health Core
PHTH 1260	The American Healthcare System	4
or PHTH 1261	Comparative Healthcare Systems
PHTH 2300	Communication Skills for the Health Professions	4
or PHTH 2301	Communication Skills for the Health Professions—Global
PHTH 2350	Community and Public Health	4
or PHTH 2351	Community and Public Health - Global
PHTH 2515	Healthcare Policy and Administration	4
PHTH 4120	Global Perspectives on Discrimination and Health	4
PHTH 4202	Principles of Epidemiology in Medicine and Public Health	4
PHTH 4540	Health Education and Program Planning	4
Science Requirements
BIOL 1111 and BIOL 1112	General Biology 1 and Lab for BIOL 1111	5
BIOL 1113 and BIOL 1114	General Biology 2 and Lab for BIOL 1113	5
CHEM 1161 and CHEM 1162 and CHEM 1163	General Chemistry for Science Majors and Lab for CHEM 1161 and Recitation for CHEM 1161	5
PSYC 1101	Foundations of Psychology	4

Sociology Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Required Sociology
SOCL 1101	Introduction to Sociology	4
SOCL 2321	Research Methods in Sociology	4
or INSH 3101	Research Methods in the Social Sciences
SOCL 3300	Social Theory	4
Lower-Level Electives
Complete three courses in the following range:		12
SOCL 1000 to SOCL 2999 (not used to satisfy other requirements)
Advanced Electives
Complete three courses in the following range:		12
SOCL 3000 to SOCL 4999 (not used to satisfy other requirements)

Supporting Courses

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Introduction to College
Complete one of the following:		1
HSCI 1000	College: An Introduction
SOCL 1000	Sociology at Northeastern
Writing in the First Year
ENGW 1111	First-Year Writing	4
Statistics
Complete one of the following:		4
PHTH 2210	Foundations of Biostatistics
SOCL 2320	Statistical Analysis in Sociology
or INSH 3102	Introduction to Statistics in the Social Sciences
Advanced Writing in the Disciplines
Complete one of the following:		4
ENGW 3306	Advanced Writing in the Health Professions
ENGW 3308	Advanced Writing in the Social Sciences
NUpath: Ethical Reasoning
PHIL 1165	Moral and Social Problems in Healthcare	4

Integrative Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Complete one of the following:		4
ANTH 3441	Medical Anthropology
SOCL 3441	Sociology of Health and Illness

Capstone

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Complete one of the following, based on home college:		3-4
Bouvé
HINF 5301	Evaluating Health Technologies
HSCI 4720	Health Science Capstone—Service 1
HSCI 4730	Health Science Capstone—Research 1
HSCI 4740	Health Science Capstone Seminar
HSCI 4970 and HSCI 4971	Junior/Senior Honors Project 1 and Junior/Senior Honors Project 2 2
PHTH 4515	Critical Issues in Health and Public Health Policy
PHTH 4602	Private Guns, Public Health
PHTH 4616	Addressing Rural Health Inequities
PHTH 4717	Advancing Health Justice Through the Law
PHTH 5214	Environmental Health
PHTH 5230	Global Health
PHTH 5236	Food, Nutrition, and Health
PHTH 5603	Qualitative Methods
CSSH
SOCL 4600	Senior Seminar

¹

Must complete Health Science Capstone Introduction (HSCI 4700) (0 semester hours) as prerequisite.

²

Junior/Senior Honors Project 1 (HSCI 4970) will count as a 4-semester-hour general elective.

Optional Co-op

Students can choose to complete one or two six-month co-op experiences, or none at all, during their course of study. Students must consult with their advisor regarding the prerequisite course for co-op.

Health Sciences GPA Requirement

A grade of C or higher is required for the public health core, science requirement, and HSCI and PHTH capstone courses. Students who take College: An Introduction (HSCI 1000) and Professional Development for Bouvé Co-op (HSCI 2000) must achieve a C or higher.

Program Requirement

131 total semester hours required

Sample Plans of Study

Four Years, One Co-op in Spring/Summer First-Half

Year 1
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours	Summer 1	Hours	Summer 2	Hours
BIOL 1111	4	BIOL 1113	4	Vacation		Vacation
BIOL 1112	1	BIOL 1114	1
HSCI 1000 or SOCL 1000	1	CHEM 1161 and CHEM 1162 and CHEM 1163	5
PHTH 1260	4	ENGW 1111	4
PSYC 1101	4	General elective	4
SOCL 1101	4
	18		18		0		0
Year 2
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours	Summer 1	Hours	Summer 2	Hours
ANTH 1101	4	SOCL 2321 or INSH 3101	4	PHIL 1165	4	Vacation
PHTH 2210 or SOCL 2321	4	SOCL 3300	4	PHTH core	4
Lower-level SOCL elective	4	PHTH core	4
PHTH core	4	Lower-level SOCL elective	4
	16		16		8		0
Year 3
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours	Summer 1	Hours	Summer 2	Hours
ANTH 2305	4	Co-op	0	Co-op	0	ENGW 3306 or 3308	4
HSCI 2000 or EESH 20001	1					PHTH core	4
PHTH core	4
General elective	4
Advanced SOCL elective	4
	17		0		0		8
Year 4
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours
SOCL 3441 or ANTH 3441	4	General electives	12
Advanced SOCL elective	4	PHTH core	4
General elective	4
Capstone	3-4
	15-16		16
Total Hours: 132-133

Four Years, Two Co-ops in Spring/Summer First-Half

Year 1
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours	Summer 1	Hours	Summer 2	Hours
BIOL 1111	4	ANTH 1101	4	General elective	4	General elective	4
BIOL 1112	1	BIOL 1113	4	PHTH core	4	General elective	4
HSCI 1000 or SOCL 1000	1	BIOL 1114	1
PHTH 1260	4	CHEM 1161 and CHEM 1162 and CHEM 1163	5
PSYC 1101	4	ENGW 1111	4
SOCL 1101	4
	18		18		8		8
Year 2
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours	Summer 1	Hours	Summer 2	Hours
HSCI 2000 or EESH 20001	1	Co-op	0	Co-op	0	ENGW 3306	4
SOCL 2320 or PHTH 2210	4					PHIL 1165	4
SOCL 2321 or INSH 3101	4
SOCL 3300	4
PHTH core	4
	17		0		0		8
Year 3
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours	Summer 1	Hours	Summer 2	Hours
ANTH 2305	4	Co-op	0	Co-op	0	PHTH core	4
SOCL 3441 or ANTH 3441	4					PHTH core	4
Lower-level SOCL elective	4
PHTH core	4
	16		0		0		8
Year 4
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours
Social change or social inequality selective	4	PHTH core	4
Capstone	3-4	Social change or social inequality selective	4
Advanced SOCL elective	4	General electives	8
General elective	4
	15-16		16
Total Hours: 132-133

¹

Students that choose to complete at least one co-op experience must complete either Professional Development for Bouvé Co-op (HSCI 2000) or Professional Development for Co-op (EESH 2000) (based on home college) prior to co-op.