Online Bachelor’s in General Studies with Healthcare Concentration CurriculumOnline Bachelor’s in General Studies with Healthcare Concentration CurriculumOnline Bachelor’s in General Studies with Healthcare Concentration Curriculum

General studies courses prepare students for a wide variety of careers while enabling them to identify their particular interests. This degree program offers an advantage for students who have not yet decided on a major or career path in the healthcare industry. It provides students with the opportunity to explore career options prior to choosing a more specialized program at the graduate level.

An online bachelor’s degree in general studies with a concentration in healthcare can build a skill set and expertise that increases a student’s access to opportunities in the field of healthcare. Students can learn professional communication techniques, and develop knowledge of healthcare management, mental health, and ethical issues.

Maryville University Online General Studies Curriculum

The online Bachelor of Arts in General Studies with a Concentration in Healthcare program at Maryville University aims to prepare students interested in pursuing healthcare related careers that are non-clinically focused as well as students interested in pursuing graduate-level degrees. Maryville’s curriculum focuses on building a substantial foundation in healthcare in which students complete courses across the breadth of healthcare in topics such as healthcare foundations, systems, cultural diversity, ethics, public health, informatics and communications. The program also offers the opportunity to choose 6 courses from any of the professional exploration areas, depending on a student’s interests.

The 128-credit curriculum includes general education courses (30 credits), health science (general healthcare) core courses (20 credits), healthcare concentration courses (30 credits), professional exploration courses (18 credits) and general electives (30 credits).

Learn more about Maryville’s General Studies course offerings here:

Health Science Core (General Healthcare)

  • An emphasis on cellular and molecular levels and a survey of organs and organ systems introduces human structure and function.

  • Biology 102 continues the study of human structure and function, emphasizing cellular and molecular levels, and survey of organs and organ systems.

  • This course introduces students to both descriptive and inferential statistics. The following concepts and techniques are included: measures of central tendency and variability; sampling distributions; interval estimation; hypothesis testing (t-test, ANOVA); correlation and regression; chi square tests. Statistical software projects are required. Prerequisite: MATH 102 or 115 or higher

  • A knowledge of normal growth and development is essential to professional practice in many disciplines. This course explores the process of human development, particularly in Western cultures. A holistic life-span approach is used to promote an understanding of the biophysical, cognitive, affective, social, and spiritual functioning of healthy individuals.

  • An interprofessional course for students in the health professions. Students will study transmission genetics, DNA and chromosomes, population genetics, genetics of immunity and cancer and ethical aspects of genetic counseling.

  • The course introduces students to the biology, chemistry and biochemistry disciplines by learning about the applications to nutrition in all three subject areas. In addition to an introduction to the human body the course covers carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and fluids. Understanding alcohol consumption, physical activity levels and healthy body weights will also be discussed.

Healthcare Concentration

  • The course offers an initial study of individual health with an emphasis on wellness and prevention. The second focus of the course is on the history, evolution, and development of the present American health care system including the role of the various health care providers.

  • A basic-level medical terminology course for those who plan to be involved or are already involved in the health care practice management field. The course will cover the definition, spelling and pronunciation of medical word roots and combining forms, prefixes, suffixes and medical abbreviations. Healthcare practice business terminology is also addressed in this course. This survey course is not recommended for students majoring in the health professions.

  • A course in professional standards for practice managers. Participants in this course will gain knowledge of how to effectively communicate within healthcare settings. Consideration will be giving to understanding the range of stakeholders in healthcare settings, the impact of social media, how to effectively communicate with patients and families, and the role of communicating for purpose and policy change. Students will develop personal communication skills and gain understanding of the importance of collaborative problem-solving, cultural sensitivity, and the need for continuous learning through presentations, case studies and written assignments.

  • Students will learn about the evolution of software and technology in the healthcare environment and learn how to identify what technology is appropriate based on the needs, size, specialty and sophistication of a medical practice. They will also gain an understanding of federal mandates, such as “MACRA”, “MIPS”, etc., relate to technology. A discussion of privacy and security standards as related to HIPAA, including the application of HIPAA requirements as related to healthcare management software, will be undertaken. Students will learn how to maneuver through the software and technology selection, negotiation and implementation process through case studies and written assignments.

  • This course explores the theoretical and conceptual aspects of cultural healthcare. Topics include culture and ethnicity, cultural variations in response to actual or potential problems of health and illness; review of research literature; and methods of caring for and treat individuals with culturally influenced responses.

  • This course provides an introduction to core counseling skills that incorporates therapeutic listening and empathy communication techniques, crisis management, etc. related to professional/client relationships across cultures-specifically in health profession settings.

  • This course provides an overview of the discipline of ethics in the healthcare context. Ethical theories and approaches are studied, followed by an exploration of general bioethics issues. The course then proceeds into a more specific focus on ethical issues that will face the individual health care practitioner. The goal of this course is to provide the basic ethical tools necessary for recognizing ethical issues and working toward the resolution of ethical problems.

  • An introduction to public health practice in the United States, this course examines the formal structures and institutions of public health, and prominent public health problems.

  • Students will examine the policy, structure, and trends of heathcare delivery in the US, and then compare those to health services in other countries across the globe.

  • The Practicum is designed to give students the opportunity to learn about practice management by immersing themselves in the daily activities of a practice management professional. During the practicum, students often observe meetings, work collaboratively on site projects, conduct informational interviews, with the goal of increased understanding of the profession and potential career paths. Specific assignments during the practicum will be tailored to the opportunities available at the assigned site.

Professional Exploration General Studies with a Concentration in Healthcare

Students then have the opportunity to select courses from any of four (4) different healthcare disciplines and complete an additional 18 credit hours as described below. Students may take courses from any or all of these disciplines. At least three (3) courses must be from the 300-400 level.

  • This course provides a multidisciplinary perspective of the biological, psychological and sociocultural aspects of aging. An overview of the issues that significantly impact the older adult, their family and society is presented. The demographic profile of America’s older adult serves as a basis for explaining issues related to physical and mental health changes, role transitions, care and living arrangements for the older adult.

  • This course explores the processes of aging, using several theoretical frameworks and practice models to promote understanding of the biophysical and psychosocial domains of the aged person. Strategy and intervention toward health promotion is emphasized.

  • The behavioral, affective, cognitive, physiological and causative theories of delirium and dementia are presented. The assessment of individuals with cognitive impairment and interventions for the related disorders are discussed. The course also examines the effects of Alzheimer’s Disease on the total family functioning. The impact of this disease on the physical, emotional and social health of the caregiver is explored. Caregiver burden is defined and ways of assisting the caregiver are outlined.

  • This course examines legal, regulatory and policy issues as well as resulting financing options associated with elder care services.

  • The course focus is pharmacological therapies prescribed for common illnesses in the aged, with regard to complex drug regimes, polypharmacy, potential for drug-drug interruptions, side effects, and drug metabolism in the elderly. In the course, health promotion and disease prevention behaviors are discussed in relation to physiological changes associated with aging and disease states.

Psychology/Rehabilitation Services

  • Positive Psychology is an emerging field that involves the study of satisfaction among workers, policies that result in the strongest civic engagement, and how people’s lives can be most worth living. Positive Psychology focuses on building factors such as resilience, coping skills, protective factors, and strengths so that people may not just face and manage the problems of life but flourish and thrive. This course will involve an exploration of positive emotion, meaning and purpose, positive relationships, and positive accomplishments. Students will also learn about factors that influence levels of happiness, and strategies to increase well-being, life satisfaction, and longevity

  • This course examines the interaction of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors in promoting health and preventing illness. You will learn an overview of psychological research methods, theories, and principles for stress management that can be applied to enhance approaches for promoting health. Topics include but are not limited to factors underlying health habits and lifestyles, methods to enhance health behavior and prevent illness, and stress management. General Education Area: Social Science Prerequisite: PSYC 101, or PSYC 202H

  • This course covers the domains of psychopathology as it is represented in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Students will examine the nature, course, symptoms, consequences, and treatment of abnormal behavior. Current empirically-based treatments and evidenced-based practices will be reviewed.

  • This course addresses mental illness and its impact on various institutions of society.The definitions and symptoms of mental illnesses will be presented.The focus will be on how mental illness impacts societal institutions, including criminal justice, occupational, educational, and others.Particular emphasis is placed on problems and limitations in the mental health system and how society is adversely affected by those problems.The course objective is to learn a realistic appraisal of mental illnesses and effective philosophies and methodologies to begin correcting problems related to mental illness in society.

  • This course surveys the social, biological, and psychological aspects of human sexual behavior. Scientific research related to sexual anatomy, arousal, gender, and life span sexual behavior will be explored. Topics may also include but are not limited to sexual orientation, cultural variations in attraction and love, and sexual morality. Cross-listed: SOC-330

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Exercise Sciences

  • Course description coming soon.

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Psychology Speech & Communication Disorders

  • Course description coming soon.

To ensure the best possible educational experience for our students, we may update our curriculum to reflect emerging and changing employer and industry trends. Undergraduate programs and certificates are designed to be taken at a part-time pace. Please speak to your advisor for more details.

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Skills, Concepts, or Opportunities Gained With a Bachelor’s in General Studies: Healthcare Concentration

General studies courses focused on healthcare can give students an understanding of the intricacies of the complex industry while they develop an appreciation of the following:

  • Communication in a healthcare setting. Communication is one of the most important skills for providing good patient care. Poor communication can lead to misdiagnosis, deterioration of a patient’s condition, and reduced patient satisfaction. While communication between patient and healthcare professional is critical, effective peer-to-peer communication among healthcare professionals is just as important.
  • Psychology of stress. In psychology, stress is a feeling of pressure and strain. In the context of healthcare, it can lead to depression and increased physical harm. Stress can also increase the risk of strokes and heart attacks.
  • Specialized elderly care. Students can gain an appreciation of the specialized care required to meet the needs of the elderly in various settings. Courses may impart knowledge of specialized nursing care, hospice care, day care, home care, and assisted living.
  • Fundamentals of counseling. Courses in counseling can give students an understanding of the role of a counselor in healthcare. Students may also gain knowledge of social, cultural, and discrimination issues that have an impact on counseling.
  • Mental illness in modern society. The stresses of modern society have led to the development of several mental illnesses, including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and thoughts of suicide. Students may gain knowledge of how these mental illnesses can affect a patient’s physical health.

Common General Studies Courses

These are some of the common courses for a general studies curriculum with a healthcare concentration:

Professionalism and Communications in the Healthcare Setting: This course outlines the professional standards expected in healthcare management. It covers the impact of social media while teaching students how to communicate effectively with patients and their families. Students may also gain an understanding of collaborative problem-solving and cultural sensitivity.

Counseling: Students can gain knowledge of the key concepts behind counseling and learn counseling techniques. The role of therapists and clinicians is covered while addressing the cultural, legal, and ethical issues facing counselors.

Mental Illness and Society: This course addresses mental illness and its impact on various institutions of society, including occupational, educational, and criminal justice institutions. The goal of this course is to teach students how to appraise mental illness and educate them on effective philosophies and methodologies to correct problems related to mental illness in society.

Psychology of Stress and Health: Students may gain an understanding of the biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors that promote health and prevent illness. This course covers the theories, principles, and methods used for stress management.

Issues of Aging: This course explores the social issues associated with aging and their effect on the elderly. Students can learn about societal and cultural viewpoints around these issues, as well as the resources available to the elderly to solve problems.

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