Health Science
Program overview
Short-Term Option
Take your health science education beyond the classroom with a short-term study abroad experience in Dingle, Ireland! Explore topics such as speech-language pathology, cultural linguistics, healthy aging, and health promotion through interactive classes and hands-on experiences.
Learn how culture, community, and healthcare practices differ between Ireland and the United States. From exploring Dingle’s local food scene to examining communication in healthcare and approaches to healthy aging, these courses offer a unique opportunity to gain an international perspective while earning academic credit.
Semester Option
Spend a semester in Dingle while continuing to work toward your Health Science degree! Students can take courses such as General Chemistry, Introduction to Research, and Fundamentals of Nutrition while fulfilling major and core requirements.
Through small classes, practical learning experiences, and immersion in Irish culture, you’ll develop valuable skills in critical thinking, research, teamwork, and cross-cultural communication. Discover new perspectives on health and wellness while experiencing life in one of Ireland’s most welcoming coastal communities.
CH 151/153 – General Chemistry 1, Lecture & Lab
4 Credits
Liberal Arts Exploration
- Natural/Physical Science foundational core requirement
Offered
Fall Semester
Faculty
Description
CH 151 lectures explore modern theories of atomic and molecular structure, chemical bonding and periodic relations, chemical reactions and stoichiometry, states of matter, and solutions.
The lab section illustrates basic concepts presented in CH 151. Experiments include qualitative analysis of cations and anions, chromatography, synthesis, and FT-IR.
CMD 335/SLP 533 – Cultural & Structural Linguistics
3 Credits
Offered
Winter Short Term
Faculty
Caitlin Ross, Ed.D., CCC-SLP
Description
The connections between language, culture and social identify are strong. Cross-cultural variations in language are noted in differences in pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary by speakers of the same language. We will use structural and cultural linguistic frameworks to identify and understand differences in dialects of English spoken in Ireland and the United States.
SLP 665/SLHS 365 – INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES IN COUNSELLING AND COMMUNICATION
3 Credits
Offered
Summer 1 Short Term
Faculty
Kate Anderson, MSc, CCC-SLP
Description
This course will introduce students to principles and practices in counseling clients with communication disorders and their families. The course will address behavioral, humanistic, and existential models of counseling; considerations when addressing spouses, parents, and other family members, issues and specific counseling techniques related to cultural diversity, and the scope and role of counseling in the practice of Speech-Language Pathology.
HS 230 – INTRO TO GLOBAL HEALTH
3 Credits
Offered
Summer 2 Short Term
Faculty
Description
Why are some people in some countries so much healthier than others? This course will explore the factors that explain the unequal distribution of health and disease in the world. The course will begin with an introduction to the language of global health: the burden of disease, epidemiology, cost effectiveness, and health systems. It will then analyze the rationale for and modes of intervention to improve global health by exploring a number of high profile topics, including the HIV/AIDS epidemic, access to pharmaceuticals, human resources for health, and maternal and child health. The course will incorporate knowledge and views from multiple academic disciplines (public health, economics, politics, management, sociology) and does not require any background knowledge.
HS 208 – INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH
3 Credits
Offered
Fall Semester
Faculty
Description
This course is designed to provide an overview of research design, methods, and ethics for undergraduate students in health science. The course develops the basic skill of critically analyzing research findings. Research methods are introduced with emphasis placed on analyzing key elements of research reports as a basis for determining the appropriateness of the research results for evidence-based practice in healthcare. Various types of research design and methods will be explored. Students will have the opportunity to design and evaluate research projects and gain a key understanding of reliability, validity and generalizability issues related to conducting research.
HS 303/MPH 590 – Health Promotion: Food, Nutrition & Society
3 Credits
Offered
Winter Short Term
Faculty
Description
Experience the local foodie scene of Dingle, Ireland, while earning 3 credits in Health Science!
Using Irish population health goals as a framework, this course will explore health education models and health promotion interventions in a cultural context. You will visit Dingle’s famous food markets and culinary venues, and review both national and local policies in nutrition. See for yourself how built environments influence food choice and physical activity, and how the environmental differences between the US and Dingle variably support or hinder the implementation of healthy lifestyles.
This course is particularly suitable for undergraduate majors in the Health Sciences, as well as graduate students within the Master’s in Public Health program, but it is open to students of all disciplines!
HS 308/EX 255/BI 299 – Nutritional Aspects of Human Health & Performance
3 Credits
Offered
Spring Semester
Faculty
Description
This course provides an examination of the six classes of nutrients with strong emphasis on chronic disease prevention and improving athletic performance. Issues concerning dietary supplements, functional foods, and the ethics of food choices are also explored.
HS 308 – Fundamentals of Nutrition
3 Credits
Offered
Fall Semester
Faculty
Description
This course presents the fundamental scientific principles of human nutrition. Students will learn the components of a healthy diet, understand the major nutrition problems that affect individuals and populations throughout the life cycle, and understand the scientific basis for nutritional recommendations for health and to prevent disease.