Undergraduate

We take a multidisciplinary approach to health, helping students understand health at both the individual and population levels. Students benefit from hands-on learning, personalized advising, and opportunities for internships, research, and community engagement in Chicago. Accelerated pathways to graduate programs allow some students to complete both a bachelor’s and advanced degree in less time, saving a full year.

Staff academic advisors, pre-health advisors, and faculty mentors help with:

•    Degree planning and course selection
•    Preparing for medical or other health professional programs
•    Exploring internships, research, and experiential learning     opportunities
•    Identifying career pathways in health-related fields

Students interested in graduate health programs receive support from the Pre-Health Advising Committee (PAC), a dedicated team of faculty and staff who help strengthen applications through personal statement review, mock interviews, and letters of recommendation.

Other campus resources include:

•    Career exploration and internship searches - The Career Center 
•    Exploring and/or changing your major - Office for Academic Advising Support 
•    Financial aid and scholarships  - OneDePaul
•    Personal or medical crises - Dean of Students Office 
 

Students are encouraged to meet with their advisor at least once per year and anytime they have questions about course planning, academic progress, or career goals. Appointments are available in person, online, or by phone and can be scheduled through BlueStar. Brief same-day advising for quick enrollment questions is typically offered during the first week of each quarter and the first week of enrollment.

Health Sciences graduates pursue diverse careers in healthcare and public health. Common paths include medicine, physician assistant, dentistry, physical therapy, occupational therapy, nursing, pharmacy, speech-language pathology, and podiatric medicine. Graduates also work in healthcare administration, clinical or public health research, and community or global health organizations.

Many students continue to graduate or professional programs, while others begin careers directly in health-related fields. Our multidisciplinary curriculum prepares students to explore these paths and make a meaningful impact on the health of individuals and communities.

There is no single correct answer to this question - it all depends on you! You can prepare for medical and other health professional programs while pursuing nearly any major. The best choice is the one that aligns with your interests while completing the necessary prerequisites.

The Health Sciences major with a Bioscience concentration is a great option for students interested in a human-centered multidisciplinary approach to healthcare. Students explore population health while completing the natural science courses commonly required for medical and other health professional programs, giving students a broad understanding of health at both the individual and community level.

No. Many Health Sciences students are exploring their career interests! The program helps students learn about a variety of healthcare fields through coursework, advising, student organizations, and hands-on experiences. Advisors help students plan next steps as their interests become clearer.
 

The Health Sciences major offers two main concentrations: Bioscience and Public Health Studies. In both concentrations, students complete a common set of core courses that prepare them to collaborate across health professions in their careers.

•    Bioscience focuses on the health of individuals and prepares students for clinical careers such as medicine, nursing, physical therapy, and dentistry.
•    Public Health Sciences focuses on the health of populations and prepares students to address community health through programs, policy, and healthcare systems.

Our accelerated degree programs are specialized concentrations that reduce the time to complete both a BS and advanced degree by one year.

Accelerated options leading to DePaul graduate programs:
•    Master of Public Health (MPH)
•    Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
•    Master of Occupational Therapy (MSOT)

Accelerated options leading to Rosalind Franklin University programs:
•    Physician Assistant Practice (MS)
•    Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)
•    Pharmacy (PharmD)
•    Pathologists’ Assistant (MS)
•    Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM)
 

Yes. Students complete at least one experiential learning experience. These opportunities include community-based courses, research with faculty, internships, study abroad, and service programs. The experience is paired with a course in which students reflect on their work.

Students may complete the experiential learning requirement through courses offered across the university or within the department. Health Sciences offers options such as HLTH 346 Environmental Outreach and HLTH 397 Mentored Research Experience, and many students gain hands-on experience through the University Internship Program.

Yes. Students may have opportunities to work with faculty on research projects related to health, biomedical science, or public health. Students interested in research are encouraged to reach out directly to faculty members or their academic advisor about opportunities.
 

Yes. Many DePaul student organizations focus on healthcare careers, research, service, and community health. These groups offer opportunities to explore professional interests, volunteer, attend guest lectures, and connect with other students interested in health-related fields.

Organizations that Health Sciences students often participate in include:
•    Arnold Mitchem Fellows
•    DePaul MEDLIFE
•    DePaul Organization for Intersectional Health
•    Global Medical Brigade DePaul Chapter
•    McNair Scholars Program
•    Medical Sciences Journal Club
•    The DePaul Pre-Dental Association
•    Pre-Health Student Network
•    Pre-Med Pals
•    Pre-Occupational Therapy Club 
•    Pre-Optometry Association
•    DePaul Public Health Student Organization
 

We offer courses in several formats to provide flexibility while maintaining the same academic expectations.

•    In-person courses meet in a classroom setting, typically twice per week for 1.5 hours.
•    Online courses are taught fully online. Some are asynchronous, meaning students complete assignments without a scheduled class meeting time, while others include synchronous components, such as scheduled virtual class meetings.
•    Hybrid courses combine in-person or synchronous online meetings with asynchronous online work. For example, a hybrid course may meet once per week for 1.5 hours, with the remaining material completed asynchronously online.
 

Yes. Many Health Sciences students add a minor to explore additional interests or strengthen preparation for graduate programs. Common minors include: Biological Sciences, Bioethics and Society, Psychology, or a Modern Language. Students work with their academic advisor to choose a minor that aligns with their academic and career goals.

Most upper-level classes are small and discussion-based, fostering close interaction with faculty and classmates. In lecture-lab courses with larger lectures, labs are capped at 20-30 students and led by faculty with support from teaching assistants, ensuring personalized support and opportunities to build relationships with faculty.