Dec 05, 2025  
2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
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2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog

Applied Health Sciences (BS)

The Bachelor of Science (BS) in Applied Health Sciences in the School of Integrated Health Sciences allows undergraduate students to customize an academic pathway toward 1) application to an accredited undergraduate or graduate healthcare program; and 2) entry-level careers in healthcare and wellness environments.

Please see the UNLV School of Integrated Health Sciences web page for information about school programs, faculty and facilities.  Degree worksheets and 4/5 year plan for the major are available on the UNLV Degrees Directory.

Learning Outcomes

  • Develop foundational knowledge in domains of health and life sciences.
  • Understand the principles of providing culturally appropriate, ethical, evidence-based practice in healthcare settings.
  • Locate, comprehend, and apply information from scientific peer-reviewed journals.
  • Apply evidence-based principles to build an understanding of the human experience in relation to health and wellness.
  • Develop effective communication skills to disseminate evidence-based health and well-being information to individuals from diverse populations.
  • Gain a comprehensive and holistic perspective of culturally appropriate health promotions and interventions across a person’s lifespan.
  • Apply health-related knowledge through community service and experientially-based learning opportunities.
  • Be informed of requirements for professional healthcare and graduate schools (e.g., medical imaging, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, doctor of medicine) and certifications related to healthcare, health, and wellness.

Career Opportunities

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2020), the employment outlook for all healthcare-related professions is expected to increase 14% by 2028 (https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/home.htm).

Because the B.S. in Applied Health Sciences is designed to provide a pathway to a degree for students with varying interests in health-related fields, the degree is not geared toward a single industry or career path. Completing the B.S. in Applied Health Sciences is valuable because it provides a foundation to advance one’s education through graduate and professional programs, possibly leading to a higher salary. In addition to readiness for graduate school in an academic setting, undergraduates can focus on preparatory coursework for bachelor’s degrees in nursing, health physics, and comprehensive medical imaging (computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, radiography, and ultrasound). Professional graduate programs that students can pursue after completing the degree include those that lead to the following careers: nurse, physician, occupational therapist, physical therapist, dentist, pharmacist, and physician’s assistant. Employment opportunities for health-related fields in Nevada for students with a B.S. in Applied Health Sciences substantiate a critical need for this degree program.

https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ecopro.pdf

https://owinn.nv.gov/Misc/InDemandOccupation/

https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nv.htm

Advising

Please see advising information at the UNLV Division of Health Sciences Academic Advising Center.

Accreditation

For information regarding accreditation at UNLV, please head over to Academic Program Accreditations.

University Graduation Requirements

Please see Graduation Policies  for complete information.

Applied Health Sciences (BS) Degree Requirements - Total Credits: 120

General Education Requirements - Credits: 41-47

First-Year Seminar - Credits: 2-3

English Composition - Credits: 6

Second Year Seminar - Credits: 3

Constitutions - Credits 3-6

Mathematics - Credits: 3-5

Must earn a minimum of C grade.

See notes 1 & 4

  •  or higher.

  • Satisfied in the major.  Please see academic advisor to determine which Math class is best to take. 

Distribution Requirement - Credits: 18

Please see Distribution Requirements  for more information.

Multicultural and International - Credits: 6

Major Requirements - BS in Applied Health Sciences - Credits: 73-79

Sciences Requirement - Credits: 15-16

Minimum C grade for all courses.

Applied Health Sciences Foundation Courses - Credits: 28

Minimum C grade in all courses.

Guided Electives - Credits: 29-36

Minimum C grade in all courses. 

(see notes 3-6)

  • Students choose guided electives from BIOL, CHEM, CMI, HCA, HPS, HSC, KIN, MATH, NUTR, PBH, PHYS, RAD, PEX, or PSY. 

Total Credits: 120

Notes

  1. For those who choose a track, the GE Math will be determined by the student’s specific track. Talk with an academic advisor to know which math course to take.
  2. No more than 6 PEX credits are allowed.
  3. Some tracks require higher-level math courses which may require students to take additional gateway math to satisfy prerequisites if needed.
  4. A student cannot earn duplicate credit in MATH 124 , MATH 126 , and MATH 128  or in MATH 127  and MATH 128 . Please speak with your advisor about the best course(s) to take.
  5. Students do not have to select any track and instead can take 29-36 credits from the guided electives list.
  6. Physician Assistant and Imaging Sciences focus students should take BIOL 189A  and BIOL 189L .
  7. Dental, Health Physics, Medicine, Occupational Therapy, Pharmacy, and Physical Therapy focus students should take BIOL 190A  and BIOL 190L .

Areas of Focus

Instead of the guided electives, a student may choose one of the optional following applied preparation programs (APP). 

Please also note these courses are required for application to most health science programs. You will still need to apply and be admitted into the desired health science field as completion of these courses does not guarantee acceptance into it. 

(See notes 3-6)

Dental APP Track Requirements - Credits: 32-36

For those interested in future dental graduate or professional programs. 

Please also note these courses are required for application to most health science programs. You will still need to apply and be admitted into the desired health science field as completion of these courses does not guarantee acceptance into it. 

Minimum C grade in all courses. 

Foundations of Nursing and Health Focus

Foundations in Nursing and Health prepares students to apply to the Direct Entry Master of Science in Nursing (DEMSN) program at UNLV. Admittance is not guaranteed. Students interested in applying to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) should enroll in the Pre-Nursing pathway in the School of Nursing.

Minimum C grade in all courses.

Imaging Sciences Focus Requirements - Credits: 29-35

For those interested in the Comprehensive Medical Imaging Bachelor of Science degree. 

Please also note these courses are required for application to most health science programs. You will still need to apply and be admitted into the desired health science field as completion of these courses does not guarantee acceptance into it. 

Minimum C grade in all courses.

Mathematics - Credits: 0

This course will also satisfy the General Education Mathematics requirement.

See Note 4

Imaging Sciences Focus Core - Credits: 17

Guided Electives - Credits: 12-18

Select courses from BIOL, CHEM, CMI, HCA, HPS, HSC, KIN, MATH, NUTR, PBH, PHYS, RAD, PEX, or PSY. 

Medicine APP Track Requirements - Credits: 32-35

For those interested in future graduate or professional programs in medicine. 

Please also note these courses are required for application to most health science programs. You will still need to apply and be admitted into the desired health science field as completion of these courses does not guarantee acceptance into it. 

Minimum C grade in all classes.

Occupational Therapy Focus Requirements - Credits: 31-35

For those interested in future graduate or professional programs in occupational therapy. 

Please also note these courses are required for application to most health science programs. You will still need to apply and be admitted into the desired health science field as completion of these courses does not guarantee acceptance into it. 

Minimum C grade in all classes.

Mathematics - Credits: 0

This course will also satisfy the General Education Mathematics requirement.

See Note 4

Occupational Therapy Focus Core - Credits: 13

Guided Electives: 18-22

Select courses from BIOL, CHEM, CMI, HCA, HPS, HSC, KIN, MATH, NUTR, PBH, PHYS, RAD, PEX, or PSY. 

Pharmacy APP Track Requirements - Credits: 32-36

For those interested in future pharmacy graduate or professional programs. 

Please also note these courses are required for application to most health science programs. You will still need to apply and be admitted into the desired health science field as completion of these courses does not guarantee acceptance into it. 

Minimum C grade in all courses.

Physical Therapy Focus Requirements - Credits: 30-36

For those interested in future graduate or professional programs in physical therapy. 

Please also note these courses are required for application to most health science programs. You will still need to apply and be admitted into the desired health science field as completion of these courses does not guarantee acceptance into it. 

Minimum C grade for each course. 

Mathematics - Credits: 0

This course will also satisfy the General Education Mathematics requirement.

See Note 4

Physical Therapy Focus Core - Credits: 23

Guided Electives - Credits: 7-13

Select courses from BIOL, CHEM, CMI, HCA, HPS, HSC, KIN, MATH, NUTR, PBH, PHYS, RAD, PEX, or PSY.

Physician Assistant APP Track Requirements - Credits: 32-36

For those interested in future physician assistant graduate or professional programs. 

Please also note these courses are required for application to most health science programs. You will still need to apply and be admitted into the desired health science field as completion of these courses does not guarantee acceptance into it. 

Minimum C grade for all courses.

Radiation Protection Sciences Focus Requirements - Credits: 30-32

For those interested in the Health Physics Bachelor of Science degree.

Please also note these courses are required for application to most health science programs. You will still need to apply and be admitted into the desired health science field as completion of these courses does not guarantee acceptance into it. 

Minimum C grade in all classes. 

Mathematics - Credits: 0

This course will also satisfy the General Education Mathematics requirement.

See Note 4

Radiation Protection Sciences Core - Credits: 16

Guided Electives - Credits: 14-16

Select courses fromBIOL, CHEM, CIM, HCA, HPS, HSC, KIN, MATH, NUTR, PBH, PHYS, RAD, PEX, or PSY.