BS Health Sciences: Curriculum

We know nearly all professional programs expect applicants to have documented job shadowing experience. It's crucial for students to understand their intended career before committing their resources to a graduate program, and we encourage our students to take that opportunity for growth. When students arrange their own job shadowing to cater to their personal interests, it yields the most formative experience. We recommend our students begin job shadowing during his or her sophomore or junior years.

Hands-on experience dealing with patients is often a prerequisite for students applying for professional health care positions. We recommend upwards of 2,000 clinical hours, or the equivalent of one year's full-time work.

Our students volunteer in the local community, embark on mission trips, and actively broaden their understanding of underserved populations. This is all founded on building a personal philosophy of healthcare as ministry. Service learning opportunities are also integral to the Health Sciences major, connecting course objectives with service projects.

For students planning to apply to a Physician Assistant (PA) program, depending on the PA program that you apply to, the standardized examination may differ. Some PA programs require the PA-CAT and others may require the GRE. Here at AHU, the PA-CAT is the required standardized examination to enter the PA program. Information about each test can be found at:

PA-CAT: https://www.pa-cat.com

GRE: https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/about