Shaping and Contributing to the Health & Welfare of Others.
According to the US Department of Labor, overall employment in healthcare occupations
is projected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations from 2023 to
2033.1 This growth has been attributed to an increase in the aging population and greater
demand for healthcare services from Baby Boomers and newly-insured patients since
the inception of the Affordable Care Act. They also note that this growth will be
the result of increased awareness regarding the benefits of exercise, wellness, nutrition,
and preventive measures designed to prevent chronic disease and the need to employ
individuals with these areas of expertise.1
Our Health Sciences major will provide students with the skills needed to both conduct
comprehensive health, wellness and fitness assessments, and develop programming to
address the needs of clients, patients and populations. Furthermore, our students
will be equipped to assess the outcomes associated with these intervention strategies
and prepared to implement changes accordingly.
For those students who may be considering pursuit of a professional healthcare degree,
our Health Sciences major will serve as a gateway designed to prepare students for
graduate degree programs in Medicine, Athletic Training, Physical Therapy, Occupational
Therapy, and Physician Assistant Studies.
Students from our Health Sciences Program will have opportunities to gain the necessary
knowledge and skills to factor prominently into a variety of healthcare arenas, including
human performance, strength & conditioning, corporate wellness, exercise physiology,
health education, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, and community health & wellness.
Possible Career Settings & Paths
Hospital/Medical Setting - Cardiac rehabilitation,health care facility management, mental health & wellness
Public Sector - Public health, health education, community health
Administrative Setting - Health informatics, marketing and public relations
1. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook,
Health Sciences, on the Internet at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/home.htm (Accessed
May 25, 2025).
Program Information
Duquesne University Bachelor of Health Sciences is a comprehensive program for aspiring
health professionals, providing a strong foundation through diverse coursework and
hands-on experiences. Pathways & Concentrations available with this program.
Students can now reach their bigger goals completing the Bachelor of Science in Health
Sciences degree with Pathways in Pre-PA, Pre-PT, Pre-OT, Pre-Med and Concentrations
in Exercise Science, Health, Strength & Conditioning.
I feel very prepared to enter medical school knowing that I’m part of an educational
and social network at Duquesne that will continue to support me throughout my life.
I’ve met so many great professors and peers and I know those relationships will continue
to help me.
The faculty made me feel so welcomed. They were all very passionate about health
care and their classes and talked about networking and extracurricular activities,
too.
Zach MariniS'24, Health Sciences, biochemistry and public health minors, Army Second LieutenantRead Zach's Inspirational Story
Learning Outcomes
Upon graduation, you'll have acquired the ability to:
Use current information technologies to locate and critically evaluate health & exercise
science research and information in order to design and execute evidence driven health-related
initiatives
Appreciate the value and implication of lifelong physical activity and exercise in
culture and society
Demonstrate a specialized understanding of nutritional concepts and their implications
with respect to wellness, injury prevention, and performance
Demonstrate a specialized understanding of exercise and conditioning in the context
of performance, injury prevention, injury rehabilitation, and working with apparently
healthy and those with chronic illness/controlled disease
Demonstrate an applied understanding of human anatomy and physiology and their applications
to comprehensive health, wellness and fitness assessments, and exercise/wellness programming
across the lifespan
Duquesne University Bachelor of Health Sciences is a comprehensive program for aspiring
health professionals, providing a strong foundation through diverse coursework and
hands-on experiences.
BIOL 111/L Biology I/Lab (4/0 credits)
BIOL 112/L Biology II/Lab (4/0 credits)
HLTS 115 Intro to Health & Exercise Science (1 credits)
HLTS 120 Elements of HS, Info Lit & Term (3 credits)
BRDG 101 Writing & Analysis (3 credits)
BRDG 102 Writing & Literature (3 credits)
BRDG 105 Intro to Ethical Reasoning (3 credits)
Communication & Creative Expression (3 credits)
PSYC 101 Introduction to Psychology (3 credits)
MATH 225 Introduction to Biostatistics (3 credits)
