The B.S. in Health Sciences offers a combination of basic science, behavioral science, and health science courses that provide students with a multidisciplinary understanding of health and healthcare in today's society. The elective choices are “areas of study” that fulfill the requirements for various healthcare professions.
» Ranked in the Top 10 “Best Health Sciences” degree programs by CollegeChoice.Net
Faculty and Student Publications
Publications:
Barrett, N.D., C.W. James, J.P. Tam, E.S. Levesque, A.S. Ketterer, W.R. Memon, C.S. Rakovski, and F. Frisch. Evaluating the predictive quality of the Chapman Bone Algorithm using aggregated data sets. International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health 6(1): 38-43, 2019.
Dror, A.D., K. Virk, K. Lee, A. Gerston, A. Prakash, M.J. Abbott, S.V. Jaque, and K.D. Sumida. Resistance training threshold for elevating bone mineral density in growing female rats. International Journal of Sports Medicine 39(5): 382-389, 2018.
Joo, W., H. Singh, C.P. Ahles, Y. Lee, W. Colazas, L.C. Lee, R.A. Pierce, A. Prakash, S.V. Jaque, and K.D. Sumida. Training-induced increase in bone mineral density between growing male and female rats. International Journal of Sports Medicine 36: 992-998, 2015.
Ahles, C.P., H. Singh, W. Joo, Y. Lee, L.C. Lee, W. Colazas, R.A. Pierce, A. Prakash, S.V. Jaque, and K.D. Sumida. High volumes of resistance exercise are not required for greater bone mineral density during growth. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 45(1): 36-42, 2013.
Horani, M., A. Dror, D. Holland, F. Caporaso, K.D. Sumida, and F. Frisch. Prevalence of vitamin D3 deficiency in Orange County residents. Journal of Community Health 36(5): 760-764, 2011.
Pierce, R.A., L.C. Lee, C.P. Ahles, S.M. Shdo, S.V. Jaque, and K.D. Sumida. Different training volumes yield equivalent increases in BMD. International Journal of Sports Medicine 31: 803-809, 2010.
Kayser, B.D., J.K. Godfrey, R.M. Cunningham, R.A. Pierce, S.V. Jaque, and K.D. Sumida. Equal BMD after daily or triweekly exercise in growing rats. International Journal of Sports Medicine 31: 44-50, 2010.
Godfrey, J.K., B.D. Kayser, G.V. Gomez, J. Bennett, S.V. Jaque, and K.D. Sumida. Interrupted resistance training & BMD in growing rats. International Journal of Sports Medicine 30: 579-584, 2009.
Goettsch, B.M., M.Z. Smith, J.A. O’Brien, G.V. Gomez, S.V. Jaque, and K.D. Sumida. Interrupted vs. uninterrupted training on BMD during growth. International Journal of Sports Medicine 29: 980-986, 2008.
Smith, M.Z., B.M. Goettsch, R.D. Van Ramshorst, J.A. O’Brien, S.V. Jaque, and K.D. Sumida. Resistance training & bone mineral density during growth. International Journal of Sports Medicine 29: 316-321, 2008.
For the below manuscript listings, the names of student authors are bolded.
Student Research Awards:
Woojin Joo (2012), Suzie Shdo (2010), James Godfrey (2008), and Brady Slater (2016) under the supervision of Dr. Sumida, were either awarded or among the finalist for the David Bruce Outstanding Undergraduate Abstract sponsored by the American Physiological Society.
Lucy Lee (2010) and Brittany Goettsch (2007), under the supervision of Dr. Sumida, were awarded second place for their presentation of data at the Graduate Women in Science annual meeting.
Shantae Thornton (2016), under the supervision of Dr. Abbott won the John C. Johnson award for excellence in undergraduate research poster presentation at the Tri Beta Pacific District Conference at Cal Poly Pomona, 2016.
4- Year Plan
Freshman |
|
|
Fall |
Interterm |
Spring |
BIO 204/204 L CHEM 140/140L MATH 110 |
HSCI 101 |
BIO 205/205L or BIO 208/208L CHEM 150/150L
|
Sophomore |
|
|
Fall |
Interterm |
Spring |
PHYS 107/107L MATH 203 or PSY 203** AoS* Elective |
|
HSCI/ BIO 210/210L AoS* Elective |
Junior |
|
|
Fall |
Interterm |
Spring |
HSCI 365 SOC 385*** AoS* Elective |
|
HSCI 366 PSY 436** AoS* Elective |
Senior |
|
|
Fall |
Interterm |
Spring |
HSCI Required Elective AoS* Elective AoS* Elective |
|
HSCI 498 AoS* Elective AoS* Elective |
*Area of Study (AoS) Coursework 23-24 credits
**Psychology 101 Pre-Requisite
***Sociology 101 Pre-Requisite
Program Advising
For questions about general education requirements and registration, contact the Office of Academic Advising at advising@chapman.edu.
For questions about program requirements, please contact your faculty advisor. If you don’t know who your faculty advisor is, please check my.chapman.edu. If you don’t see a faculty advisor listed, please email the department Administrative Coordinator, Erika Orejola, at orejola@chapman.edu.
Students interested in medical school can contact their science faculty advisor or any of the faculty listed below. Students interested in health care professions other than an allopathic medical school can contact the following individuals listed below who have knowledge of each specialty indicated:
- Dentistry - Dr. Rowland-Goldsmith, rowlandg@chapman.edu
- Veterinary - Dr. Marco Bisoffi, bisoffi@chapman.edu
- Pharmacy - Dr. Elaine Schwartz, eschwart@chapman.edu
- Optometry - Dr. Frank Frisch, frisch@chapman.edu
- Osteopathic Medicine - Dr. Caroline Wilson, cawilson@chapman.edu
- PT, OT, PA, and NP - Dr. Ken Sumida, sumida@chapman.edu
To connect with a current HSCI student peer advisor contact: Emily Myers emyers@chapman.edu
3rd Floor Keck Balcony - Walk in hours: Tuesday 1:15pm - 3:15pm or Wednesday 10am - noon
Internship Opportunities
Every Spring semester (during a Major’s Meeting), recruiters for the Clinical Care Extender Program from local hospitals and owners from rehabilitation clinics are invited to introduce their program to our majors. Interested students can sign up to gain clinical experience at these hospitals or clinics. Clinical experience hours are required for admission into any health care profession.
Bridge and Linkage Programs
- BS Health Sciences to Food Science
- BS Health Sciences to MMS Physician Assistant
- BS Health Sciences to Doctor of Physical Therapy
- BS Health Sciences to MS Health and Strategic Communication
- BS Health Sciences to Master of Healthcare Administration at Concordia University
- BS Health Sciences to Master of Public Health at Concordia University
Clubs & Honor Societies
Tri-Beta (National Science Student Honor Society)
Tri-Beta is a national honors biological society, dedicated to improving the understanding and appreciation of biological study and extending boundaries of human knowledge through scientific research, particularly for undergraduate students. The Chapman University Chapter of Beta Beta Beta holds bi-weekly meetings that are a time to connect with fellow students following the same pursuits and consist of graduate school preparation, guest speakers, and preparation for our service events. There are no GPA requirement for becoming an associate member. In order to become a full member of Tri-Beta, a B grade average must be obtained in 3 separate biology courses.
President: Mo Hijazi
mhijazi@chapman.ed
Pre-PT/OT Club
The Pre-PT/Pre-OT Club is committed to the advancement of education and research opportunities to students passionate about the fields of physical therapy and/or occupational therapy. We provide opportunities to meet with admission officers from graduate programs and help students secure internships and prepare for interviews. Our goal is to provide students with the resources and educational tools that will lead them toward a successful future.
President:Mikaela Woodhead (Physical Therapy)
woodhead@mail.chapman.edu
Pre-Dental Society
Chapman's Pre-Dental Society aims to provide students with resources to help them pursue a career in dentistry. By providing information via guest speakers and current students, we aim to give insight into the field of dentistry and share valuable knowledge so that students will be intelligent, informed, and prepared for dental school.
stariq@chapman.edu
Instagram page @cupredental
Pre-PA Club
The Pre-Physician Assistant Club aims to provide students with opportunities and resources to enhance their medical experience and enthusiasm for the physician assistant profession. The club provides educational tools, clinical experience, and guidance for pre-physician assistant students towards a successful medical education. The club brings admission officers from nearby PA schools and physician assistants to campus, as well as provide opportunities for clinical experience in the surrounding community. Through our meetings we foster a community of dedicated Chapman students and future physician assistants.
President:
Club Email: chapmanprepa@gmail.com
American Medical Student Association (AMSA)
The American Medical Student Association Pre-Medical Chapter of Chapman University (AMSA) is committed to providing the educational tools and resources needed for pre-medical and pre-health students to successfully navigate the path towards the next phase of their medical education. Through research, health seminars, community service, clinical experience, and physician interaction we aim to nurture a community of students dedicated to a life-long interest and career in the field of medicine.
President: Stephanie Munduruca
munduruca@chapman.edu
Club Email: chapmanu.amsa@gmail.com
Global Medical Brigades
Global Medical Brigades spends the school year fundraising and collecting medical supplies to prepare to brigade in a foreign country.The brigade allows students to set up a clinic in an impoverished area of the country and provide much needed medical care to those who wouldn't normally get that care.
ahamilton@chapman.edu
Club Email: chapmanmedical@globalbrigades.com
Emergency Medical Education Club
The Emergency Medical Education Club is a group intended to introduce students to the field of emergency medicine both as providers and bystanders. During the semester we will have guest speakers from the field come in to discuss different topics such as jobs in the field, medical emergencies, and emergency preparedness. We will also offer resources for those interested to further their education relating to emergency medicine. We will bring some resources to campus and we will also bring students to different training events off-campus. We will also work closely with the Chapman First Aid team to offer resources and opportunities to students such as to give them experience using their first aid and basic life support skills.
President: Chaeli Kim
chaekim@chapman.edu
Chapman MEDLIFE
Chapman MEDLIFE is a student organization dedicated to helping communities in countries with little access to health care. Members of the chapter have the opportunity to get hands-on experience in mobile clinics around the world. These mobile clinics allow members to gain real-world experience of medical insecurity in developing nations. Participants are asked to help general physicians, dentists, and obstetricians of the country to treat native patient for a duration of one week, with additional time to absorb the country’s culture. Further, participants get to work alongside community member on MEDLIFE projects such as building staircases and homes for communities in need. In addition to fundraising, members will be educated on the difficulties faced by third-world countries and participate in local community service events.
President: Georgia Stultzstultz@chapman.edu
Saddleback Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)
The Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) is made between Chapman University and Saddleback College to set forth the admission requirements for transfer from Saddleback to Chapman for the Health Sciences major.
Saddleback students wishing to transfer to Chapman University must take the following steps:
- Apply for admission through the Chapman University application process and meet all other admission requirements and deadlines as outlined by Chapman University
- Complete the preadmission course work for the intended major as specified in Section 7 below
Required Courses for Year 1 and 2 by major
BS Health Sciences
Year 1* |
Chapman |
Saddleback |
---|---|---|
General Chemistry I |
CHEM 140 |
CHEM 1A |
General Chemistry II |
CHEM 150 |
CHEM 1B |
Calculus I |
MATH 110 |
MATH 3A |
Calculus II |
MATH 111 |
MATH 3B |
General Biology I |
BIO 204 |
BIO 3A |
**Biochem+Mol. Biol. OR Gen Biology II |
BIO 208 and 209 OR BIO 205 |
BIO 3C OR BIO 3B |
Year 2 |
Chapman |
Saddleback |
---|---|---|
Human Anatomy |
BIO 210 |
BIO 11 |
Intro to Statistics |
MATH 203 |
MATH 10 |
Intro to Psychology |
PSY 101 |
PSYC 1 |
General Physics I |
PHYS 107 |
PHYS 4A |
General Physics II |
PHYS 108 |
PHYS 4B |
*Students should take Intro to Health Care Professions HESC 101 (1 credit) at Chapman during Interterm
**depends on desired area of health science emphasis
Recommend taking Intro to Sociology (SOC 1 at Saddleback) as a GE course since it is a pre-requisite for required SOC 385 class at Chapman
Spring Application Deadline= Oct. 15
Classes through end of the previous fall would be considered
Fall Application Deadline= March 15
Classes through end of spring would be considered
*Students must apply for admission by the priority deadline to be considered for TAG
Global Education Opportunities
Europe
- AIFS Salamanca (Fall only): Health Communication; Medical Spanish Grammar, Bioethics
- University of Glasgow, Scotland: Health and Health Inequalities - A Policy Context; Exercise and Sports Nutrition; Human Life Sciences; Functional Anatomy; Medical Microbiology; Nutrition Advanced Studies, Physical Activity, Fitness and Metabolic Health option; Physical Activity and Public Health option; Physiology and Sports Science 3A; SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY AND HEALTH 4H
- American College of Greece (Athens): Health Psychology, Abnormal Psychology
- CEA Seville, Spain: Intercultural Communication; Cultural Psychology, General Sports Psychology
- University of Tartu, Estonia: Health Care Management and Health Economics, Psychological and Social Principles of Health Behaviour, Wellness and Health Tourism, Neuropsychology of Religion and Ritual Behavior, Cross-Cultural Psychology, Medical Theory and Ethics, Clinical Pharmacology
- University of Oulu, Finland: Health Care Systems in Finland and Inter-professional Networking
- University of Auckland, New Zealand: Families, Labour and Love; Medical Anthropology; Psychology of Communication Disorders; Sport and Exercise Physiology I; Physiochemical Principles for Pharmacy; Social Psychology; Human Neuroscience; Psychology of Communication Disorders; Life Span Development; Health Psychology; Equity and Inequalities in Health; Community Nutrition; Health in Asian Communities
- University of Otago, New Zealand: Bioethics and the Life Sciences; Health Policy and Politics; Pacific Health: Advanced Applied Knowledge; Kaupapa Māori, and Indigenous Approaches to Social Work; Health Psychology
- CEA Costa Rica (San Jose): Intercultural Communication, Costa Rican Health Care System and Tropical Medicine; Conflict Resolution and Health Care; Holistic Health Approaches; Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Exercises for Common Sports Injuries; Health and Psychology; Cultural Psychology; LGBTQ Diversity and Sexual Identity in Latin America
- University of Cape Town, South Africa: (no health science-specific courses available to visiting students): health psychology
- University of Ghana: Abnormal Psychology; Health Psychology, Sports Psychology, Working with Persons with HIV and AIDS; Medical Social Work, Sociology of the Family, Medical Sociology; Culture and Reproductive Health
- Korea University: Philosophy of Science; Abnormal Psychology, Health Psychology, Adult Development and Aging, Sociology of Family, Sociology of Health and Health Care; Sociology of Mental Health; Gender and Society
Students can partake in a Summer International Internship to obtain hands-on work and culture experience while earning 3 Chapman credits. Internships are offered in seven locations worldwide including Santiago, Shanghai, Prague, Madrid, Dublin, Australia (multiple cities), and New Zealand (multiple cities). Placements are customized and based on the student’s major, career goals, and interests. Apply the fall semester prior.
Every Interterm and summer, Chapman faculty lead groups of students on Travel Courses for 1-4 weeks and you can earn 3-4 Chapman credits to a range of international and domestic locations. Apply one semester prior. Health Science majors may consider ENV 277 Darwin & The Galapagos offered each interterm or a Travel Course in language, leadership, business, humanities, and others. Visit the Center for Global Education to register for a Global First Steps session and subscribe to the monthly newsletter.
Alumni Spotlight
Physical Therapy

Kellen Matsuno

Emily Schlaefer

Elizabeth Avazian

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Physician Assistant

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Vivian Acevedo

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Doctor of Medicine

DJ Smithers

Veronica Yim

Allysa Abram

Elaine Oldford

Dwight Curry
Dentistry

Avrita Brar

Thimanthi Withana

Allie Kawata
Podiatry

Quinton Wong
Nursing

Elena Granadino

Kinnera Reddy

Lauren Deats
Occupational Therapy

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Master of Public Health
