Applied Health Science Minor

Summary

Applied Health Science is for students interested in the field of health and seeking to support their current major. By choosing from courses encompassing a wide variety of health topics, students can focus on specific areas of interest and tailor their selections to meet professional goals. 

Catalog Year

2024-2025

Degree

Minor

Total Credits

21

Locations

Mankato

Career Cluster

Health Science

Program Requirements

Core

An introduction to the dimensions of wellness; physical, emotional, occupational, intellectual, financial, interpersonal, cultural, environmental, and spiritual health of the individual.

Prerequisites: none

Goal Areas: GE-10

HLTH 260 Introduction to Applied Health Science is required of all Applied Health Science majors and minors. This is the foundation class for the professional preparation of health educators. The course explores the knowledge, skills, and competencies of health educators in various settings.

Prerequisites: none

Restricted Electives

200-Level Elective - Choose 3 Credit(s).

This course provides the knowledge and skills necessary to respond and perform in an emergency to help sustain life, reduce pain, and minimize the consequences of injury or sudden illness. This course includes an advanced level of First Aid certification, including bloodborne pathogens, and all aspects of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillation (CPR/AED) for the Emergency Medical Responder.

Prerequisites: none

Goal Areas: GE-11

This course is an overview of Human Sexuality with special emphasis on how sexuality relates to marginalized populations. This course requires a supervised fieldtrip.

Prerequisites: none

Goal Areas: GE-07

Diverse Cultures: Purple

This a course designed to examine health products, services, and information from the consumer's perspective. Emphasis will be placed on those factors that influence and ultimately determine which products, services, and information sources that you will either accept or reject.

Prerequisites: none

Goal Areas: GE-02

This course provides information on a variety of topics related to chemical use, abuse and dependency. Students will be exposed to chemical dependency counseling, assessment and intervention techniques. Different drug classifications will be discussed in detail. Counselor core functions and ethics will be discussed also.

Prerequisites: none

Goal Areas: GE-05

Addresses drugs and drug use from psychological, behavioral, pharmacological, historical, legal and clinical perspectives - while examining the effects of drug use on personal health and social functioning.

Prerequisites: none

Goal Areas: GE-05

300-400 Level Electives - Choose 12 Credit(s).

Explores biological, physiological, and sociological perspectives of human sexuality. The course examines personal and family relationships and addresses family life and sex education teaching methods for school and community settings.

Prerequisites: none

This course presents a study of the essential nature and characteristics of total health. The course explores dimensions of mental, physical, social, and spiritual wellbeing. Various approaches to holistic health and wellness are considered.

Prerequisites: none

For health care personnel, emphasis on spelling, pronunciation and meaning.

Prerequisites: none

An in-depth review of significant current health concerns and controversies in health science using the elements of reasoning as the framework for critiquing the issues.

Prerequisites: none

Explores the relationship of death concerns to the process of meaningful living. Uses a variety of learning strategies to examine death attitudes, values and related behaviors.

Prerequisites: none

To promote identification and analysis of environmental influences upon health status. Health concerns related to residential, occupational, and other environments are explored. Problems pertaining to air, water, solid waste, housing, land use, toxic waste, and sanitation are addressed.

Prerequisites: none

Emphasis is on recognition of, and enhancing awareness about, how stress affects human health and performance. Stress management techniques such as relaxation, effective communication, cognitive-behavioral approaches, eating behaviors, regular exercise, and time management are explored.

Prerequisites: none

The purpose of this course is to develop the knowledge and understanding of the causes, symptoms and methods of controlling and preventing chronic and infectious diseases. Primary and secondary prevention strategies will be identified. Emphasis will be placed on those behaviors that foster and those that hinder well-being.

Prerequisites: none

This course investigates the physical and mental health concerns of the aging process. Explores specific health problems confronting older persons, and examines preventive health behaviors and health maintenance practices.

Prerequisites: none

An in-depth study of specific topics of current interest in the Health Science discipline.

Prerequisites: none

Examines the philosophy and rationale of current epidemiological practice. Requires the application of epidemiological techniques to selected health concerns. Explores the interaction of agent, host and environment with the emphasis on application of principles of prevention.

Prerequisites: none

Addresses the history, organization, influences, and delivery of healthcare in the United States (U.S.) and abroad. A focus will be on analyzing the factors that have shaped the healthcare system, including the U.S. Constitution, compared to other parts of the globe. Additional focus will be placed on the legal and social justice framework for urgent public health issues.

Prerequisites: none

This course focuses on the determinants of health, the concept of culture, and the intersection of health issues, culture, and health status. Linkages between health and development are addressed and research methods instrumental for identifying relationships between culture and health are discussed. The course examines diverse strategies for measuring health and explores how public health efforts (domestic and global) benefit from understanding and working with cultural processes. Emphasis is placed on the burden of disease, risk factors, populations most affected by different disease burdens, and key measures to address the burden of disease in cost-effective ways.

Prerequisites: none

Diverse Cultures: Purple

An examination of the judicial system and the development, enactment and enforcement of laws as they relate to the public's health.

Prerequisites: none

Introduction to statistical analysis as applied to the health sciences. Examines concepts and methods of statistical procedures applied to health problems and issues.

Prerequisites: MATH 110, STAT 154, Or any other mathematics course higher than MATH 110.

Behavior Change Foundations and Strategies (3 semester credits) is a course that focuses upon the complexity of health behavior change and the skills necessary for a health promotion professional to assess, plan, and evaluate behavior change interventions for individuals and communities. Health behavior change theories and strategies will be discussed. Topics covered in class will include: behavior modification, goal setting, self-management, coping skills, and social support. Emphasis will also be given to the impact of policy and environmental influences on behavior.

Prerequisites: none

The course examines approaches to promote health and prevent disease and injury, and explores other health related issues at the workplace. Assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation strategies are addressed. Model programs are reviewed and analyzed.

Prerequisites: none

Supervise individual research or investigation in Health Science under guidance of a faculty mentor. Culminating research project with paper and/or presentation required.

Prerequisites: none

Policies

Admission Requirements: None

Progression/Graduation Requirement: Students must complete all courses in the minor with a “C-” or better.

Academic Integrity Policy. The Department of Health Science values and supports an environment conducive to learning as well as academic integrity. Therefore, students are expected to comply with Minnesota State Mankato student responsibilities and policies for academic integrity. Academic integrity includes meeting one's responsibilities in an honest and forthright manner and avoiding acts of dishonesty, plagiarism, cheating, collusion, and other forms of academic misconduct. An act of dishonesty, cheating, collusion, and/or any other form of academic misconduct will result in a 0 on the assessment and a full letter grade deduction from the final course grade (e.g., "A-" to "B-"). An act of plagiarism will result in a 0 on the assessment or assessments and the student will be encouraged to meet with the chair of the Department of Health Science and receive remediation related to plagiarism. Two acts of any form of academic misconduct will result in a final course grade of "F". Evidence related to any act of academic misconduct will be submitted to the Chairperson of the Department of Health Science. Two acts of academic misconduct in any Health Science course or courses will result in discontinuance from, or eligibility to enroll in, the academic programs offered by the Department of Health Science. Additionally, evidence related to academic misconduct will be submitted, as appropriate, to the Office of Academic Affairs and/or the College of Education. Please note: Policy reflects minimum departmental standards. Individual instructors may impose more severe sanctions for an act of academic dishonesty within their courses.