BS in Allied Health

The B.A. and B.S. in Allied Health programs prepares students for careers or graduate work in nursing, nutrition, occupational therapy, chiropractic care, physician assistant positions, and more.

64 units

Allied health encompasses professions that provide technical, therapeutic, and support services within the healthcare field. The Bachelor of Science in Allied Health program comprises a rigorous curriculum that combines foundational biological, chemical, and physical knowledge with a variety of applied topics including psychology, statistics, and electives tailored to the student’s postgraduate goals. This program also provides an environment where undergraduate students can develop a Christian worldview and learn to integrate their faith into their future careers as allied health professionals.

The BS in Allied Health program is excellent preparation for a variety of allied health professions and meets most of the prerequisites for careers or graduate work in chiropractic care, clinical laboratory science, and physician assistance.

Note: Entry requirements differ among graduate schools and jobs. Students are responsible for researching the requirements of graduate programs and professions in which they are interested.

Requirements

All of the following requirements must be met to continue as an allied health, biological sciences, biochemistry, or chemistry major. A student’s failure to maintain these requirements will result in him or her being dropped from the major. Reentry to the major is by petition only.

  • Must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in all biology, chemistry, biochemistry, math, and physics courses required for the major.
  • Must complete each course required for the major with a C- or higher for the course to meet a degree requirement in the Department of Biology and Chemistry.
  • Any single course within the major can be taken only two times at APU; students must change to a major outside the department after two unsuccessful (below C-) attempts in a single required course.
  • Only two courses total within the major can be repeated; students must change to a major outside the department after unsuccessful (below C-) attempts in any three required courses.
Biology
BIOL 151General Biology I 14
BIOL 240Biology of Microorganisms4
BIOL 250Human Anatomy4
BIOL 251Human Physiology4
BIOL 280Cell Biology4
BIOL 300Genetics 24
BIOL 396Topics in Biology and Christian Thought 31
BIOL 496Writing 3: Ethics and the Sciences 43
Chemistry
CHEM 151General Chemistry I 1, 54
CHEM 152General Chemistry II 54
CHEM 240Introduction to Organic and Biochemistry 64
Mathematics
MATH 130Introduction to Statistics 73
Note: MATH 130 does not meet the math prerequisite for BIOL 151 or CHEM 151. MATH 95, ALEKS 45 or equivalent is the math prerequisite for BIOL151. MATH 110 (B-), ALEKS 65 or equivalent is the math prerequisite for CHEM 151.
Physics
PHYC 151Physics for Life Sciences I 1, 54
PHYC 152Physics for Life Sciences II 54
Psychology3
General Psychology 8
Human Growth and Development
Sociology
SOC 120Introduction to Sociology 83
Electives
Select one of the following:4
Principles of Biochemistry 9
Biomolecular Chemistry 9
Biomolecular Metabolism 9
Ecology 10
Neurobiology 2
Vertebrate Biology
Regional Human Anatomy
Mammalian Physiology
Plant Biology
Molecular Biology
Practicum and Topics in Allied Health 2
Advanced Topics in Biology
Select at least 3 units from the following: 33
Teaching and Learning in STEM 11
STEM Education Research Seminar 11
STEM Teaching Practicum 11
Medical Microbiology
Pre-health Seminar 11
Medical Missions Practicum 11
Directed Research Internship 11
Biological Science Internship 11
Stewardship Ecology
Developmental Biology
Biology Seminar 11
Advanced Topics in Biology
Readings 11
or an additional 4-unit course from the previous electives list above
Total Units64
1

Meets the General Education Natural Sciences requirement.

2

Meets the General Education Integrative and Applied Learning requirement.

3

BIOL 152 meets this requirement if taken at APU.

4

Meets the General Education Writing 3 requirement.

5

This course may be waived with an appropriate Advanced Placement test score. 

6

CHEM 251CHEM 261CHEM 252CHEM 262, and BIOC 360 taken together meet the requirements for CHEM 240 and a 4-unit BIOL upper-division lab course.

7

Meets the General Education Quantitative Literacy requirement.

8

Meets the General Education Social Sciences requirement.

9

Students should take BIOC 360 if taking only one semester of biochemistry. For a two-semester sequence, BIOC 270 and BIOC 370 should be taken. Credit will not be given for both BIOC 360 and BIOC 270, nor for both BIOC 360 and BIOC 370. BIOC 360 is an elective option only for students who have completed CHEM 252 and CHEM 262.

10

Meets the General Education Civic Knowledge and Engagement requirement.

11

Students may take a maximum of 3 units total from BIOL 311, BIOL 312, BIOL 313BIOL 390, BIOL 391, BIOL 394, BIOL 395BIOL 490, or BIOL 497 for elective credit. 

Program Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete this program shall be able to:
  1. Demonstrate a broad knowledge base in their chosen field.
  2. Effectively communicate scientific ideas and research orally.
  3. Effectively communicate scientific ideas and research in writing.
  4. Demonstrate proficiency in problem solving and applying the scientific method to scientific questions.
  5. Demonstrate laboratory skills and techniques.
  6. Express a Christian worldview that integrates faith with their vocation.