Degree type: BSc (Hons)
UCAS Code: B900 BSc/HS
Duration: 1 year (full-time)
Improving Scotland's health has been identified by the Scottish Government as a major priority. Are you interested in understanding the basis of health, wellbeing and disease prevention? Perhaps you are interested in healthcare but have not yet decided which career path to take or are a health professional looking for personal development opportunities?
Our BSc (Hons) Health Sciences straddles the professional worlds of community health and medical science and may be just what you are looking for.
Our unique course is applicable whether you have a background in biological or behavioural and social sciences - it offers you the opportunity to personalise your degree studies. There is increasing demand for an understanding of health, through a combination of academic studies and practical experience. This course aims to provide graduates with a multidisciplined view of health and the necessary employment skills for diverse career needs.
From the basis of disease to how we feel about it, the course emphasises how an understanding of your body can be used to advance healthcare and prevent illness. Focusing on human physiological studies, selected evidence from the worlds of biomedicine, psychology, sociology and health is blended with an array of optional studies including nutrition and exercise studies, to provide a stimulating, holistic, multidisciplinary and comprehensive view of health in the 21st century.
Factors that influence and challenge our health and well-being are integrated into these main study themes. By the end of your course you will be able to address problems such as: the biological basis of illness, how health can be assessed, current health concerns, individual perceptions of health, how health can be promoted, the needs of today's diverse community, the evolving healthcare services, and the changing legal and ethical considerations facing healthcare.
Please note that entry to this programme is only available directly to year 4 in September 2011.
Year 4
Cardiovascular and respiratory health and disease; advanced issues for health sciences; advanced research skills including an individual project. You will also be able to choose from a set of options including: public health nutrition; critical issues in public health; health in the community; and exercise and health-related issues.
How you learn
A variety of teaching methods is used to develop your knowledge and skills. Teaching is focused around a lecture programme supported by tutorials, practical laboratory exercises, case studies and seminars. There is a strong collaborative input from specialised health professionals to provide you with a multidisciplinary, collaborative experience of health and teamwork.
You will spend around 18 hours per week attending classes and in addition you will be required to spend at least an equal number of hours studying on your own. In year 4 the Honours project is your opportunity to integrate your learning into an individual research programme and produce a high quality project report.
How you are assessed
Assessment on this course is carried out via a combination of coursework assignments, class tests and closed-book examinations. A range of methods are used including short-answer tests, problem solving exercises, formal reports (oral, written or posters), and laboratory assignments. In the later years of the course formal examinations are a feature of most modules.
Year 4
Successful completion of an ordinary degree in a relevant subject area.
Overseas
All applicants are required to provide certified proof of competence in the English language. The University's minimum requirements are IELTS 6.0 (with no band lower than 5.0), TOEFL CBT 223, TOEFL 563, TOEFL IBT 85 or a suitable equivalent qualification.
For further advice please use our Ask a Question section.
Career
Your skills and abilities will open up a wide range of career opportunities including the NHS, social care sectors, voluntary organisations, medical research and drug screening, medical sales, healthcare industries, education and health promotion. The courses may also provide a platform for further education and vocations within allied health professions.
