Health Studies Electives

Health Studies students are required to complete health-related electives, which are approved by Health Studies faculty each year. The approved electives are categorized into four interest areas: 1) Health & Life Sciences, 2) Community Health Interventions & Practice, 3) Health & Society, and 4) Health Policy, Leadership, & Ethics.

Each area contains a curated list of courses that may aid in your career development and pathways in health. Students are not required to take courses within a specific interest area; the interest areas below should be used as a guide for your elective selection. Please note that the career pathways listed below are meant to be an example of how elective courses may aid students in their professional development; there may be overlap present in both the coursework and pathways.

Please direct any questions that you may have about interest areas and elective courses to your Health Studies advisor.

Check out the quarterly course information guides, found on the Overview page, to learn more about which health electives are being offered in an upcoming quarter.

Health & life sciences

Curated for students with a particular interest in the intersection of health and natural/physical sciences, and students who are seeking to fill common prerequisite courses for advanced study in the health sciences (such as biology and chemistry; or schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing, public health, etc.). If you are considering applying to a pre-professional health program after graduation, we encourage you to meet with your Health Studies advisor and the UWB Pre-Health advisor to discuss your elective selection.

The following are examples of career pathways which may be held by those interested in Health & Life Sciences:

• Medicine and Allied Health Professions: Medicine, Dentistry, Physician’s Assistant, Pharmacy, Nursing, Midwifery, and Physical Therapy.
• Infectious Disease: Epidemiologist, Infectious Disease Researcher, Pandemic Response, Contact Tracing, Medical Officer, Public Health Nurse, Public Health Veterinarian, Public Health Advisor, Vaccine Researcher, Disease Ecologist, and Infection Preventionist.
• Maternal & Child Health: Doula, Home Health Nurse, WIC Nutritionist, and Lactation Consultant.
• Chronic Disease & Cancer: Medical Epidemiologist, Cancer Biologist, Hospice Care, Tobacco Quitline Coach, Behavioral Scientist, Study Coordinator, and Chronic and Infectious Disease Specialist.
• Public Safety: Injury Prevention Specialist, Gun Safety Specialist, Forensic Nurse, Director of Emergency Medical Services, Specialist in Poison Information, Forensic Pathologist, Health & Safety Specialist, Emergency Preparedness Specialist, Disaster Preparedness Researcher, and Biodefense Researcher.
• Environmental Health: Toxicologist, Poison Prevention Specialist, Environmental Engineer, Hazardous Waste Inspector, Hydrologist, Environmental Health Nurse, and Health Physicist.
• Occupational Health: Occupational Medicine Physician, Employee Health Nurse, and Industrial Hygienist.
• Food Safety & Nutrition: Nutrition Consultant, Food Service Sanitation, Food Inspector, Consumer Safety Officer, and Food Scientist
• Pharmaceuticals & Drug Safety: Pharmacist, Medical Officer for Drug Evaluation & Safety, Biostatician, and Regulatory Affairs Specialist.
• Laboratory and Health Monitoring Professions: Biotechnology, Medical Education, Public Health Geneticist, Implementation Scientist, Nanotechnology Researcher, Health Researcher, and Medical Writer.

Community health interventions & practice

Curated for students interested in aspects of community and population level health intervention and practice, such as health communication, health promotion, healthcare services and utilization, and community-based partnership for research and practice.

The following are examples of career pathways which may be held by those interested in Community Health:

• Health Education & Communication: Health Educator / Health Education Specialist, Health Communications Director, Peer Health Educator, Health Promotion Coordinator, Sex Health Educator, Public Health Nutrition Specialist
• Community Organizing and Care: Community Health Worker, Program Director (non-profit; county, state, national, global), Social Worker, Health Outreach Assistant, Counselor, Health Care Outreach Specialist, Patient Navigator, and Community Outreach & Engagement Specialist
• Evaluation & Quality: Program Evaluator, Quality Improvement Specialist, Outcomes Researcher, Informatics Specialist, and Patient Safety Specialist
• Other: Health Coach, Dance Instructor, Urban Planner, Chef, Art / Music Therapy, and Worksite Wellness Manager

Health & society

Curated for students interested in how societal, cultural, and systems-level factors influence health. Topics explored include social determinants of health, culture of health and illness, public health history, and socio-behavioral sciences.

The following are examples of career pathways which may be held by those interested in Health & Society:

• Education: Health Educator / Health Education Specialist, Health Teacher, Continuing Education Coordinator, Education Consultant, and Professor or Dean within a University
• Health Disparities: Officer of Minority Health, Patient Navigator, Correctional Medicine Physician, Disease Prevention Activist, and Community Outreach & Engagement Specialist
• Mental Health: Mental Health Researcher, Public Health Social Worker, Case Manager, Coordinator, Behavioral Health Programs, Counselor, Health Psychology / Community Psychology
• Nonprofit Services or Government Organizations: Grant Writer, Developing Director, Program Officer / Director, Volunteer Coordinator, Director of a Professional Organization
• Health Communication: Health Journalist, Public Information Specialist, Health Communications Director, Social Marketer, Medical Illustrator, and Medical Writer
• Military: Air Force Public Health Officer, Army Preventative Medical Officer, Army Health Promotion Officer
• Other: Medical Sociology and Anthropology, Victim Advocate, Social Epidemiologist, and Health Researcher, Health Research Coordinator

Health policy, leadership, & ethics

Curated for students interested in health policy and management within health systems, health justice, leadership in health sector roles, and ethics issues in clinical and population contexts.

The following are examples of career pathways for those interested in Health Policy, Leadership, & Ethics:

• Public Health Law, Regulations, & Policy: Advocacy Director, Policy Analyst, Health Legislative Assistant, Health Economist, Public Health Lawyer, Health Policy Coordinator, Administrative Law Judge, Global Health Lawyer, Consumer Advocate, and Public Health Lobbyist.
• Health Management & Administration: Health Care Administrator, Public & Global Health Services Manager, Hospital Administrator, Health Department Administrator, Administrative Assistant, Program Coordinator, Health Commissioner, Medical Director, Federal Agency Director, and Non-profit Director/Executive
• Other: Community Organizer, Community Activist, Medical Ethicist

Approved electives

School of Nursing & Health Studies

School of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics

School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences

School of Educational Studies

Updated November 2023