Foundations of Health, A.S.

CONTACT

Elizabeth Hayward Jansen, 413.552.2131, ehayward@hcc.edu

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Foundations of Health Degree is designed for students with an interest in working in Allied Health. Although the program is geared towards health careers, it allows students a degree of flexibility within the curriculum to prepare for:

certification and/or licensure in Allied Health fields such as Nursing Assistant, Community Health Worker, etc.
entrance into a specialized academic program such as nursing, radiologic technology, veterinary technology and animal sciences
career readiness and gainful employment
transfer/entrance into a four-year college or university Allied and/or Public Health program

Students will follow a course of study that includes science, math, social sciences, humanities, and practice skills appropriate for the intended career. As there are many career paths and opportunities within Allied Health, it is important for students to work closely with an advisor to outline and follow an individualized academic plan.

PROGRAM OUTCOMES

Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:

explain the United States Health Care and Public Health systems and policies.
define the code of ethics for medical practitioners and explain the importance of adhering to guidelines.
explain the consequences of behaviors that do not follow the code of ethics.
demonstrate effective written and interpersonal communication skills.
explain the scientific process and the importance of using the scientific approach versus non-scientific approaches and/or sources.
explain how culture may influence (positively and negatively) health behaviors and practices.
identify how personal biases may influence health care and discuss strategies to ensure inclusivity and equity in all realms of health care.
demonstrate critical thinking skills and apply these skills to health care practices and policies.
demonstrate practical skills appropriate to the certification/licensure and/or degree.

GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: 35-36 CREDITS

ENG 101(A) - Composition I Credit(s): 3
ENG 102(A) - Composition II Credit(s): 3
ANT 255(B) - UnNatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick? Credit(s): 3
PSY 110(B) - Introduction to Psychology Credit(s): 3
SOC 110(B) - Introduction to Sociology Credit(s): 3
Humanities Elective (C) Credit(s): 3
Humanities Elective (C) Credit(s): 3
Humanities Elective (C) Credit(s): 3
MTH 104(D) - College Algebra Credit(s): 4 ¹
or
MTH 142(D) - Statistics Credit(s): 3 ¹
Laboratory Science Elective (E) Credit(s): 4²
Laboratory Science Elective (E) Credit(s): 4²

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS: 13 CREDITS

HTH 101 - Introduction to Health Careers Credit(s): 3 ³
HTH 102(B) - Introduction to Public Health Credit(s): 3
NTR 101 - Introduction to Nutrition Credit(s): 3
Laboratory Science Elective (E) Credit(s): 4⁴

PROGRAM ELECTIVES: 12-15 CREDITS

select from the following; additional courses may be considered for electives; see your advisor or department chair for more information

ANT 114(B) - Understanding Diversity and Valuing Similarities Credit(s): 3
BIO 229(E) - Microbiology Credit(s): 4
BUS 112 - Professional Etiquette Credit(s): 1
DVD 110 - Introduction to Developmental Disabilities Credit(s): 3
HSV 120(B) - Introduction to Addiction Studies Credit(s): 3
HSV 141 - Foundations of Trauma and Trauma Informed Care/Services Credit(s): 3
HSV 212(B) - Group Dynamics and Practice Credit(s): 3
HTH 114 - Medical Terminology Credit(s): 3
HTH 124 - Core Competencies & Health Topics for CHW’s Credit(s): 6
HTH 202 - Epidemiology Credit(s): 3
HTH 210 - Field Experience Credit(s): 6
LAX 110(C) - Introduction to Latinx Studies Credit(s): 3
MTH 142(D) - Statistics Credit(s): 3
PSY 216(B) - Human Development Credit(s): 3
SPA 101(C) - Elementary Spanish I Credit(s): 3
SPA 102(C) - Elementary Spanish II Credit(s): 3
SPA 201(C) - Intermediate Spanish I Credit(s): 3
SPA 202(C) - Intermediate Spanish II Credit(s): 3

TOTAL: 60-64 CREDITS

NOTES

¹Students planning to enter a specialized program such as nursing, radiologic technology, and veterinary technician should refer to those program requirements when making a math selection

²Students with established allied health careers may be waived from this course requirement. Documentation will be required. See your advisor or department chair for further information.

³Students with established allied health careers may be waived from this course requirement. Documentation will be required. See your advisor or department chair for further information.

⁴Lab science electives must be from biology, chemistry, or physics. Students planning to enter nursing, radiologic technology, or veterinary technician should refer to those program requirements when making a lab science selection.

Students intending to apply for selective programs (Nursing, Radiologic Technology, Veterinary Technology) must complete all lab science coursework within 7 years of the start of the program. Other health programs may also require lab sciences within this 7-year window. This requirement cannot be waived, so students with lab science coursework older than 7 years are strongly encouraged to repeat prior to application. Please check with your academic advsior for more details.

Final admission to the program is dependent on successful submission of health records, passage of a CORI/SORI check, drug screening, and fingerprinting.

Some courses may appear in both the degree and certificate requirements; these courses only need to be taken once.

For more information on selective programs and their admission requirements, please visit their program webpages:

This program qualifies for MassTransfer, which guarantees credit transfer to Massachusetts state colleges and universities. MassTransfer will also grant students automatic acceptance to certain state colleges and universities by achieving the minimum grade point average and the HCC degree.

Depending on course selection, 80% of this program can be completed online. Go to Online Learning for more information.

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