Allied Health Sciences (BS)

The Allied Health Sciences degree program is designed for students who wish to pursue a career in various allied health settings.  Students choose from among three options: 3+2 Athletic Training; Pre-Professional; or Healthcare Administration option.  

3+2 BS/MS Degree Option for Athletic Training

Students interested in a career in athletic training can choose our unique 3+2 option that allows students to complete a bachelor’s and master’s degree in 5 years.  Students who have completed all prerequisite courses and have a minimum 3.2 GPA at the end of their 3rd year of study will be given special consideration for early entry into the Master of Science degree program in Athletic Training beginning in their 4th year of study. The MS degree program is a two-year program constituted of years four and five for a student who entered the 3+2 program. Students who complete all requirements will earn the Bachelor of Science in Allied Health Sciences at the completion of year four and the Master of Science in Athletic Training at the completion of year five.

Pre-Professional

The Pre-Professional option serves as a Pre-Physical Therapy, Pre-Occupational Therapy, Pre-Physician’s Assistant program.  It will also prepare students to seek further study in Chiropractic medicine or to enter an accelerated/direct entry Nursing program. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required to graduate from this major, but students who intend to pursue graduate study in one of the programs listed above should strive to achieve an even stronger academic record.  Students will work closely with an academic advisor to choose the most appropriate major electives to support their intended career trajectory.

Healthcare Administration

For those students who wish to work in the medical field, but not in direct patient care, the Healthcare Administration option is a good choice. Students will combine allied health science courses with business courses to be prepared for entry-level employment in the business functions of various medical settings.  Within the HCA option, we also offer a 4+1 opportunity in which students may choose to take up to 12 graduate credits toward an MBA and then complete their MBA with one additional year earning a Bachelor’s and Master’s in 5 years.

Course Title Credits
Major Requirements
AHS 2000Introduction to Allied Health Sciences3
AHS 2001Intro to Allied Health Sciences Lab1
HHP 1000Introduction to HHP Disciplines0
AHS 3305Epidemiology and Evidence Based Medicine (GACO,QRCO,WRCO)4
MA 1800College Algebra3
BI 2110Human Anatomy and Physiology I3
BI 2130Human Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory I1
BI 2120Human Anatomy and Physiology II3
BI 2140Human Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory II1
PY 3325Medical Ethics (INCO,WECO)3
EX 3580Physiology of Exercise3
MA 2300Statistics I (QRCO)3
PE 3570Kinesiology3
PS 2015Introduction to General Psychology4
General Education
EN 1400Composition4
IS 1115Tackling a Wicked Problem4
CTDICreative Thought Direction3-4
PPDIPast and Present Direction3-4
SSDISelf and Society Direction3-4
Directions (choose from CTDI, PPDI, SSDI) 14-8
DICODiversity Connection3-4
INCPIntegrated Capstone3-4
WECOWellness Connection3-4
Choose one of the following options:45-55
Total Credits120
1

Directions should total 17-16 credits because SIDI is waived for BS Allied Health Sciences.

Pre-Nursing Option

The Pre-Nursing program is designed for students who were not initially admitted to Nursing as  first-year incoming students. Pre-Nursing AHS students must complete the first-year sequence as outlined below and earn a minimum of B- in all pre-requisite* courses.  PSU Pre-Nursing students will apply for internal transfer/admission to the Nursing program at the end of their first year of study. 

Pre-Nursing students MUST complete these courses in year 1

  • BI 2110/2120 Human Anatomy/Physiology I and II*
  • BI 2130/2140 Human Anatomy/Physiology I and II Lab*
  • IS 1115 Tackling a Wicked Problem
  • PS 2015 Intro to General Psych *
  • Intro to Allied Health Sciences
  • Intro to Allied Health Sciences Lab
  • MA 2300 Statistics I *
  • EN 1400 Composition *
  • Gen Ed Directions Course
  • Gen Ed Directions Course

Pre-Nursing Students must apply to Nursing for Internal Transfer no later than May 1st

Pre-Nursing Internal Transfer application requirements:

  • Score proficient or above on the TEAS V exam; 
  • Meet all pre-requisite requirements with a minimum grade of B- for internal transfer admission; 
  • Internal Transfer Admission applicants must submit a letter of request, addressed to psu-aprnursing@plymouth.edu addressed to the chair of the Admission, Retention, Progression (APR) committee, by May 1st  of the year requesting transfer admission. 

Students who are not admitted to Nursing through the internal transfer/admission process will be moved to the Pre-Professional Option in Allied Health Sciences. All courses taken in year 1 count toward the BS in AHS: Pre-Professional Option Allied Health Sciences

 3+2 Option BS Allied Health Sciences

Course Title Credits
Pre-Athletic Training Option Requirements
BI 1110Biological Science I (TECO)4
or BI 1120 Biological Science II
CH 2335General Chemistry I (QRCO)4
HE 2500First Aid and CPR/AED1.5
HE 3220Applied Nutrition for Healthy Living (TECO)3
EX 3860Exercise Testing and Prescription3
EX 3865Exercise Testing and Prescription Laboratory1
PH 2110College Physics I4
MS in Athletic Training 3+2 1
AT 5400Preventative Theories and Psychomotor Skills4
AT 5410Lower Extremity Assessment4
AT 5420Upper Extremity Assessment4
AT 5430Spine, Posture and Function4
AT 5470Therapeutic Intervention I4
AT 5480Therapeutic Intervention II4
AT 5810Clinical Athletic Training I4
AT 5820Clinical Athletic Training II4
Electives 30-2.5
Total Credits52.5-55
1

Students who wish to be considered for early entry into the Masters degree program must complete prerequisites for that program and earn a minimum 3.20 GPA.

MS in Athletic Training (final year)

Course Title Credits
AT 5440Athletic Training Administration4
AT 5450Pathology and Pharmacology in Sports Medicine4
AT 5460Research Design and Statistics4
AT 5830Clinical Athletic Training III4
AT 5490Athletic Training Capstone4
AT 5845Clinical Athletic Training IV10
Total Credits30

BS in AHS- Pre-Professional Option 

Course Title Credits
Pre-Professional Option
HE 2500First Aid and CPR/AED1.5
HE 3220Applied Nutrition for Healthy Living (TECO)3
EX 3860Exercise Testing and Prescription3
EX 3865Exercise Testing and Prescription Laboratory1
Major Electives 116
Minimum of 10 credits at 3000/4000 level from one or more of the following disciplines: AHS, AT, BI, CH, EX, HE, NR, PBH, PE, PH, PS
Electives20.5-30.5
Total Credits45-55
1

Major Electives are chosen in consultation with the academic advisor to best prepare students for their intended career.

Overall GPA of 3.00 is required to graduate.

BS in AHS- Healthcare Administration Option

Course Title Credits
Healthcare Administration Option
PBH 2000Foundations of Public Health4
PBH 3210Social and Behavioral Health Psychology4
or PBH 3400 Program Planning for Public Health (WRCO)
SW 3300Mental Health and Society (GACO)3
or SW 3500 Health and Society (GACO,WECO)
Choose 12 credits from the following: 112
BUS 1100Introduction to Marketing and Sales4
BUS 2000Financial & Managerial Accounting4
MGM 3450Organizational Behavior & Team Development (DICO)4
MGM 4250Managing Human Resources4
Foundations of Accounting and Finance
Foundations of Management and Strategy
Human Resources in Health Care Administration
Health Care Law and Ethics
Health Care Administration and Financial Management
Electives 22-32
Total Credits61-71
1

Students must be at senior level and have a 3.0 GPA to enroll in the following courses that will count towards the MBA and graduate Healthcare Administration certificate: BU 5070, BU 5075, BU 5410, BU 5420, and BU 5430.

MBA with Healthcare Administration certificate

Course Title Credits
BU 5110Managing Organizational Behavior3
BU 5120Financial Analysis3
BU 5190Accounting for Managers3
BU 5210Economic Analysis3
BU 5220The Legal Environment of Business3
BU 5410Human Resources in Health Care Administration3
BU 5490Capstone: Health Care Topics3
BU 5510Operations Management3
BU 5700Marketing Techniques3
BU 5720Seminar in Executive Management3
5000 level courses from undergraduate program12
Total Credits42

Check all course descriptions for prerequisites before planning course schedule. Course sequence is suggested but not required.

To complete the bachelor’s degree in 4 years, you must successfully complete a minimum of 15 credits each semester or have a plan to make up credits over the course of the 4 years.  For example, if you take 14 credits one semester, you need to take 16 credits in another semester.  Credits completed must count toward your program requirements (major, option, minor, certificate, general education or free electives).

BS in Allied Health Sciences- Pre-Professional Option

Plan of Study Grid
Year OneCredits
AHS 2000 Introduction to Allied Health Sciences 3
AHS 2001 Intro to Allied Health Sciences Lab 1
MA 1800 College Algebra 3
BI 2110 Human Anatomy and Physiology I 3
BI 2120 Human Anatomy and Physiology II 3
BI 2130 Human Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory I 1
BI 2140 Human Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory II 1
EN 1400 Composition 4
IS 1115 Tackling a Wicked Problem 4
MA 2300 Statistics I (QRCO) 3
Directions (choose from CTDI, PPDI, SSDI) 1 6-8
 Credits32-34
Year Two
EX 3580 Physiology of Exercise 3
HE 2500 First Aid and CPR/AED 1.5
PE 3570 Kinesiology 3
PS 2015 Introduction to General Psychology 4
PY 3325 Medical Ethics (INCO,WECO) 3
Directions (choose from CTDI, PPDI, SSDI) 1 6-8
Major Electives (AHS, AT, BI, CH, EX, HE, NR, PBH, PE, PH, PS) or Electives 7-10
 Credits27.5-32.5
Year Three
HE 3220 Applied Nutrition for Healthy Living (TECO) 3
WECOWellness Connection 3-4
Major Electives (AHS, AT, BI, CH, EX, HE, NR, PBH, PE, PH, PS) or Electives 15-18
 Credits21-25
Year Four
DICODiversity Connection 3-4
INCPIntegrated Capstone 3-4
Major Electives (AHS, AT, BI, CH, EX, HE, NR, PBH, PE, PH, PS) or Electives 20-24
 Credits26-32
 Total Credits120
1

Directions should total 16-17 credits because SIDI is waived for BS Allied Health Sciences.  Students need one each of SSDI, CTDI, and PPDI AND 16 TOTAL credits (e.g. students may complete this requirement with four 4-credit courses).

Overall GPA of 3.00 is required to graduate.

BS in Allied Health Sciences- Healthcare Administration Option

Plan of Study Grid
Year OneCredits
AHS 2000 Introduction to Allied Health Sciences 3
AHS 2001 Intro to Allied Health Sciences Lab 1
MA 1800 College Algebra 3
BI 2110 Human Anatomy and Physiology I 3
BI 2120 Human Anatomy and Physiology II 3
BI 2130 Human Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory I 1
BI 2140 Human Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory II 1
EN 1400 Composition 4
IS 1115 Tackling a Wicked Problem 4
MA 2300 Statistics I (QRCO) 3
Directions (choose from CTDI, PPDI, SSDI) 1 6-8
 Credits32-34
Year Two
EX 3580 Physiology of Exercise 3
PBH 2000 Foundations of Public Health 4
PE 3570 Kinesiology 3
PS 2015 Introduction to General Psychology 4
PY 3325 Medical Ethics (INCO,WECO) 3
SW 3300
Mental Health and Society (GACO)
or Health and Society (GACO,WECO)
3
Directions (choose from CTDI, PPDI, SSDI) 1 6-8
Electives 3-4
 Credits29-32
Year Three
AHS 3305 Epidemiology and Evidence Based Medicine (GACO,QRCO,WRCO) 4
EX 3860 Exercise Testing and Prescription 3
EX 3865 Exercise Testing and Prescription Laboratory 1
HE 3220 Applied Nutrition for Healthy Living (TECO) 3
PBH 3210
Social and Behavioral Health Psychology
or Program Planning for Public Health (WRCO)
4
PBH 4000 Ethics, Social Justice, and Policy in Public Health 4
WECOWellness Connection 3-4
Electives 10-12
 Credits32-35
Year Four
Choose four BU courses from the following: 2 12
Introduction to Marketing and Sales
Financial & Managerial Accounting
Managing Human Resources
Organizational Behavior & Team Development (DICO)
Foundations of Accounting and Finance
Foundations of Management and Strategy
Human Resources in Health Care Administration
Health Care Law and Ethics
Health Care Administration and Financial Management
DICODiversity Connection 3-4
INCPIntegrated Capstone 3-4
Electives 10-12
 Credits28-32
 Total Credits121-133
1

Directions should total 16-17 credits because SIDI is waived for BS Allied Health Sciences.  Students need one each of SSDI, CTDI, and PPDI AND 16 TOTAL credits (e.g. students may complete this requirement with four 4-credit courses).

2

Students must be at senior level and have a 3.0 GPA to enroll in the following courses that will count towards the MBA and graduate Healthcare Administration certificate: BU 5070, BU 5075, BU 5410, BU 5420, and BU 5430.

3+2 Option BS Allied Health Sciences

Plan of Study Grid
Year OneCredits
AHS 2000 Introduction to Allied Health Sciences 3
AHS 2001 Intro to Allied Health Sciences Lab 1
MA 1800 College Algebra 3
BI 2110 Human Anatomy and Physiology I 3
BI 2130 Human Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory I 1
BI 2120 Human Anatomy and Physiology II 3
BI 2140 Human Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory II 1
EN 1400 Composition 4
IS 1115 Tackling a Wicked Problem 4
MA 2300 Statistics I (QRCO) 3
Directions (choose from CTDI, PPDI, SSDI) 1 3-8
 Credits29-34
Year Two
BI 1110
Biological Science I (TECO)
or Biological Science II
4
EX 3580 Physiology of Exercise 3
HE 2500 First Aid and CPR/AED 1.5
PE 3570 Kinesiology 3
PS 2015 Introduction to General Psychology 4
Directions (choose from CTDI, PPDI, SSDI) 1 6-8
Connections (choose from DICO, INCO, WECO) 2 3-4
Pre-Professional Sports Medicine Elective 3
 Credits27.5-30.5
Year Three
AHS 3305 Epidemiology and Evidence Based Medicine (GACO,QRCO,WRCO) 4
CH 2335 General Chemistry I (QRCO) 4
EX 3860 Exercise Testing and Prescription 3
EX 3865 Exercise Testing and Prescription Laboratory 1
HE 3220 Applied Nutrition for Healthy Living (TECO) 3
PH 2510 University Physics I 4
Directions (choose from CTDI, PPDI, SSDI) 1 3-4
Connections (choose from DICO, INCO, WECO) 2 6-8
Electives 0-2.5
 Credits28-33.5
Year Four
AT 5400 Preventative Theories and Psychomotor Skills 4
AT 5410 Lower Extremity Assessment 4
AT 5420 Upper Extremity Assessment 4
AT 5810 Clinical Athletic Training I 4
AT 5430 Spine, Posture and Function 4
AT 5470 Therapeutic Intervention I 4
AT 5480 Therapeutic Intervention II 4
AT 5820 Clinical Athletic Training II 4
 Credits32
 Total Credits120
1

Directions should total 17-16 credits because SIDI is waived for BS Allied Health Sciences.  Students need one each of SSDI, CTDI, and PPDI AND 16 TOTAL credits (e.g. students may complete this requirement with four 4-credit courses).

2

Student must choose a course from each connections category - DICO, INCP, WECO - for a total of 9-12 credits.

Major Electives:  Major electives will be chosen in consultation with the academic advisor to best prepare the student for their intended career.

*  Use these electives and major electives to complete pre-requisites for grad school admission

Complete 9 credits from one or more of the following disciplines:. AT, BI, CH, NR, PH

AT BS/MS students will need at least one semester of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. 

Complete 18 UL (3000 or higher) credits from one or more of the following: AT, BI, CH, HE, EX, PS, NR

  • Employ critical thinking and innovation to analyze challenges, concepts, research, and clinical outcomes and apply them to professional practice
  • Analyze, interpret, integrate and evaluate information with the ability to communicate findings in a written or oral format
  • Demonstrate a broad-based and integrative understanding of basic biological, physical, chemical, and/or psychological concepts that prepare them for careers in health science.
  • Approach patient care from a cultural humility perspective that respects varied backgrounds including but not limited to: cultural, social, religious, racial, gender, and ethnic diversity of the patient and family regarding disease and their health.
  • Integrate concepts from various scientific fields to meet the requirements for entry-level healthcare administrative positions or admission to professional programs in allied health fields (e.g. athletic training, physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician assistant, chiropractic, etc).

The Allied Health Sciences degree program is designed to provide students with the background and pre-requisites for a career in the medical/allied health fields. The program is designed to meet the needs of students interested in pursuing graduate study in various fields of allied health such as Athletic Training, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Chiropractic medicine, Physician’s Assistant or wish to work on the business end of healthcare.