Health Services, Bachelor of Science
VCU
The Bachelor of Science in Health Services prepares future health care leaders with the knowledge, skills and competencies to meet the challenges of managing responsibilities across the range of health care organizations. With an emphasis on evidence-based practice, the program prepares students to work as non-clinical health services providers charged with planning, directing and coordinating medical and health services. Graduates will be able to work in diverse health care settings, such as hospitals, specific clinical areas or departments within those facilities, health management organizations or in medical practice groups. Students in the program will have a course in their senior year that will provide an opportunity for service learning and relevant experiential, applied learning in a health services field.
The program is designed for students who wish to create a pathway into a health care field. It provides a core set of courses to build a foundation of health care knowledge. It also provides the flexibility for students to focus their studies on a particular area of interest through the selection of open and restricted elective courses. The flexibility gives students an opportunity to identify how their strengths, values and skills can best serve the health of their communities.
Graduates of the B.S. in Health Services will be prepared to serve in entry-level and middle-level healthcare administrative positions within settings such as hospitals, hospital systems, managed care organizations, outpatient clinics, physician practices, public health facilities, inpatient treatment facilities, accountable care organizations, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, and retirement and long-term care facilities.
The Health Services major can also help prepare students for graduate study in areas such as Health Administration, Mental Health Counseling, Addiction Counseling, Public Health, Social Work, and Research Evaluation. An accelerated masters option is also available with the Health Services major and the MS in Gerontology.
- Health Services Administrator
- Managed Care Coordinator
- Patient Advocate/Navigator
- Practice Administrator
- Community Health Worker
- Health Administrator
Telephone: (804) 827-1349
Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu
VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist
Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638
Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.
Completion of associate degree
Minimum GPA of 2.5
All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better
- STAT 210
- Natural Sciences requirement only
- No
- Yes
- 2.0+ cumulative GPA, 2.0+ major GPA
Health Services, Bachelor of Science
Richard Bland College of William and Mary (Associate of Science)
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING | GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY | DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY | EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS | PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE | ||
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Explore | Year 1 |
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Experience | Year 2 |
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MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Attend RBC Orientation.
- Explore GRASP financial aid resources and submit the FAFSA on time.
- Schedule an appointment with your Learner Mentor to discuss your degree and class plan.
- Use tutoring to get ahead.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Volunteer for service learning or community service projects.
- Learn about the transfer admission process for VCU.
- Consider applying for the summer Allied Health Career Exploration (AHCE) program.
- Register to vote.
- Get involved with student clubs and organizations.
- Explore the VCU BS in Health Services website.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Attend cultural events at RBC and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
- Attend VCU's annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
- Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Explore possible career opportunities for health services majors.
- Build a LinkedIn profile.
- Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Familiarize yourself with the career services offered at RBC and VCU and explore career pathways on the VCU Career Services website.
- Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
- Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Visit the Health Services department website to become familiar with upcoming course offerings, syllabi, and professors.
- Submit the FAFSA on time.
- Be prepared for academic challenges by meeting with your Learner Mentor and understanding RBC Student Support available.
- Explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
- Use tutoring to get ahead.
- Submit a transfer advising request to the VCU Transfer Center.
- Explore the accelerated BS and MS in Gerontology program.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Research housing for next year.
- Take service-learning classes or volunteer to address a current issue through ConnectVA.
- Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
- Consider learning a foreign language or make a plan for undertaking that study at VCU.
- Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or College of Health Professions-related events.
- Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Plan to complete at least two job experiences, (e.g., internships) before your senior year of college.
- Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
- Attend Career & Internship Fairs at RBC or VCU to explore your interests.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
- Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
- Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
- Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
- Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
- Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
Health Services, Bachelor of Science
Richard Bland College of William and Mary (Associate of Science)
Course | Title | Equivalent course | Credits | Requirements |
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Students who earn this associate degree before enrolling at VCU will be eligible for a waiver of VCU's general education requirements. | ||||
ENGL 101 | Rhetoric and Research I Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENGL 102 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. | UNIV 111-112 | 3 | General education |
ENGL 102 | Rhetoric and Research II | UNIV 200 | 3 | General education |
MATH 110 | Contemporary Mathematics | MATH 131 | 3 | General education |
MATH 217 | Statistics | STAT 210 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
Human Experience | PSY 210 Survey of Psychology | PSYC 101 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
U.S. & World Cultures | ECON 202 Principles of Microeconomics | ECON 210 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
PSY 250 | Developmental Psychology | PSYC 304 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
BUS 201 | Principles of Accounting I | ACCT 203 | 3 | Major |
Complete general education and elective requirements for associate degree | VCU equivalents | 36 | General education | |
Richard Bland credits transferred to VCU | 60 |
Course | Title | Credits | Requirements |
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Your GPA Doesn't Transfer With You Although you worked hard to earn your grades at your current institution, they will only be considered by VCU for an admission decision. Once you enroll at VCU, your GPA will reset to 0.0, and your new GPA will be determined by your level of success in your classes at VCU. | |||
ALHP 310 | Introduction to Health Care Professions | 3 | Major |
ALHP 320 | Person-centered Care | 3 | Major |
ALHP 325 | Introduction to Rehabilitation Services | 3 | Major |
ALHP 330 | Human Growth and Development for the Health Professions | 3 | Major |
ALHP 340 | Health Care Technology and Innovation | 3 | Major |
ALHP 410 | Professional and Clinical Ethics | 3 | Major |
ALHP 415 | Health Care Financing and Budgeting | 3 | Major |
ALHP 416 | Health Care Economics | 3 | Major |
ALHP 420 | Health Care Leadership Development | 3 | Major |
ALHP 425 | Health Care Management and Performance | 3 | Major |
ALHP 430 | Overview of Research in the Health Professions | 3 | Major |
ALHP 435 | Health Care Career Development and Planning in Allied Health Professions | 3 | Major |
HCMG 300 | Health Care Organization and Services | 3 | Major |
Restricted electives (See VCU advisor for course options) | 18 | Major (Ancillary) | |
Open elective | 3 | Elective | |
REAL | The REAL requirement may be satisfied by successfully completing a 300-level (or higher) course that has received a REAL attribute of Level 2, 3 or 4 or through an approved “REAL” co-curricular experience that has received a REAL attribute of Level 3 or 4. See VCU advisor for options. | 0 | Major |
Credits completed at VCU | 60 | ||
Bachelor's degree total | 120 | ||
The accelerated B.S. and M.S. program allows qualified students to earn both the B.S. in Health Services and M.S. in Gerontology in a minimum of five years by completing approved graduate courses during the senior year of their undergraduate program. Minimum qualifications for entrance to this accelerated program include completion of 84 undergraduate credit hours including ACCT 202, ECON 210 and STAT 210; an overall GPA of 3.0; and a GPA of 3.0 in core ALHP courses and restricted electives. |