Health Studies A.S.

School: Health Sciences and Wellness
Academic Dept:
HEGIS: 5299.00

Important Note about Program Requirements

The requirements listed below are for students entering into this program from Fall 2025 to Summer 2026. Students who entered the program during a prior semester will find their specific requirements listed in the Catalog under which they entered. Archived Catalogs are accessible through the dropdown menu above.

Program Description

The Associate in Science (A.S.) degree program in Health Studies provides a foundation for transfer into a bachelor’s degree program in healthcare and preparation for a health-related career. This program introduces students to the broad scope of healthcare issues to help prepare them for a professional education and for future careers. The multidisciplinary design of the program permits students to take courses in a variety of health-related disciplines, such as nutrition, health education, first aid/safety, and anatomy and physiology. The curriculum exposes students to the diverse roles and responsibilities of professionals who work in healthcare. Students will develop knowledge of the delivery of health services in diverse communities. Through coursework and applied learning opportunities, students will gain insight into the trends and practices in healthcare delivery across the continuum of care. Because of flexibility in course requirements, students will be able to develop a particular area of interest across an array of healthcare specialties while gaining valuable and practical experience in a health-related environment.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, students will:

Demonstrate an understanding of the variety of roles, responsibilities, and requirements of healthcare practitioners across settings
Demonstrate an understanding of the socioeconomic factors that drive healthcare practices
Demonstrate how research informs clinical practice in the healthcare setting
Demonstrate communication, problem solving and critical thinking skills that are pertinent to the healthcare industry and related health fields

Accreditation

SUNY WCC is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. https://www.sunywcc.edu/about/accreditation/

Program Notes

No additional notes for this program.

Program Requirements

60 credits are required for the degree:

General Education - 31 credits
Required Degree Courses - 29 credits

General Education Requirements - 31 Credits

Communication - Written and Oral (3 credits): ENG 101 Writing and Research
Humanities (3 credits): ENG 102 Writing and Literature
Mathematics (and Quantitative Reasoning) (3 credits): MATH 117 - College Quantitative Reasoning OR MATH 131 - College Algebra
Natural Sciences (and Scientific Reasoning) (4 credits): BIOL 101 - Principles of Biological Science with Lab , BIOL 103 - Human Biology with Lab , BIOL 115 - General Biology 1 - Lecture & Lab OR BIOL 121 - Anatomy and Physiology 1 - Lecture & Lab
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice (3 credits): HSERV 200 - Diversity and Social Justice OR SOC 206 - Race and Ethnicity in the U.S.
Social Sciences (9 credits): PSYCH 101 - Introduction to Psychology ; and SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology OR SOC 102 - Sociology of Families ; and PSYCH 232 - Child Development OR PSYCH 233 - Adolescent Development OR PSYCH 231 - Lifespan Development
The Arts OR World Languages (3 credits): choose from either category, The Arts or World Languages
US History and Civic Engagement (3 credits): POLSC 102 - American Government and Issues

Where specific courses are not listed within the categories above, courses must be selected from the list of all general education courses .

Required Degree Courses - 29 credits

Program Map

The program map is a recommended semester-by-semester schedule of courses based on degree requirements and serve as a general guideline to help students complete their program in two years. Although designed for full-time enrollment, these are easily adaptable for part-time study. For additional, individualized guidance, students should review Degree Works and consult an Academic Counselor or Faculty Advisor to ensure they are on track to complete their program.

Semester 1

Course	Credits
ENG 101 Writing and Research	3
HCTAL 102 - Exploring Health Careers	3
BIOL 101 - Principles of Biological Science with Lab , BIOL 103 - Human Biology with Lab , BIOL 115 - General Biology 1 - Lecture & Lab OR BIOL 121 - Anatomy and Physiology 1 - Lecture & Lab	4
PE 116 - First Aid/CPR/AED	1
PSYCH 101 - Introduction to Psychology	3
Semester Total Credits	14

Semester 2

Course	Credits
ENG 102 Writing and Literature	3
HCTAL 103 - Introduction to U.S. Healthcare Systems	3
HCTAL 106 - Personal and Community Health	3
PSYCH 232 - Child Development , PSYCH 233 - Adolescent Development OR PSYCH 231 - Lifespan Development	3
BIOL 109 - Basic Anatomy and Physiology - Lecture & Lab , BIOL 117 - General Biology 2 - Lecture & Lab OR BIOL 123 - Anatomy and Physiology 2 - Lecture & Lab	3
Semester Total Credits	15

Semester 3

Course	Credits
SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology OR SOC 102 - Sociology of Families	3
The Arts Gen. Ed. Course OR World Languages Gen. Ed. Course	3
Major Elective	3
MATH 117 - College Quantitative Reasoning OR MATH 131 - College Algebra	3
NUTR 101 - Foundations of Nutrition OR NUTR 109 - Nutrition for Health Care	3
Semester Total Credits	15

Semester 4

Course	Credits
HCTAL 105 - Practicum in Healthcare	3
HSERV 200 - Diversity and Social Justice OR SOC 206 - Race and Ethnicity in the U.S.	3
Major Elective	3
MATH 140 - Statistics	4
POLSC 102 - American Government and Issues	3
Semester Total Credits	16

Minimum Total Credits: 60

Transfer Opportunities

Westchester Community College is committed to facilitating a smooth transfer process to ensure that graduates of the college are prepared to transfer with junior status, and are able to complete a bachelor’s degree within two years of full-time study upon transfer. View 4-year institutions’ transfer agreement information by program here.