Bachelor of Health Sciences

The Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHlthSci) prepares students for a rewarding career in the general health and community services sector. Designed to meet contemporary industry needs, the BHlthSci provides the knowledge and skills directly suited to working in health care, including an understanding of the health system, communication skills and a strong health science research focus. The BHlthSci also equips students with a portfolio of skills that are in demand throughout the wider community both locally and globally. With its flexible and multidisciplinary approach, the BHlthSci allows students to branch out in almost any direction, either through further studies or through employment opportunities.

The BHlthSci is recognised by the University of Sydney as a generic, foundation degree for a wide range of graduate programs. This means that students, after completing the BHlthSci with relevant majors, can apply for entry into right-of-practice health professional programs such as dentistry, medicine, pharmacy, nursing, health informatics, nuclear medicine technology, radiation therapy, radiography, occupational therapy, orthoptics, physiotherapy and rehabilitation counselling.

Double major structure

The BHlthSci offers flexibility and choice. The course is designed so that students can maximise their flexibility through two major sequences of study. All students will have a major in health sciences and will take another major in an area related to health. The double major structure allows students to tailor their degree to their own interests, needs and career plans.

Examples of majors relevant to health from the Arts, Economics and Business and Science faculties include:

• Social Policy
• Psychology
• Biochemistry
• Cell Pathology
• Management Decision Science
• Nanoscience and Technology.

Other majors are possible: students should discuss their degree pathway with the program coordinator.

When choosing units of study, students should consult the appropriate faculty handbook to determine the course rules related to studying their second major. Online versions of the handbooks can be found at sydney.edu.au/handbooks.

Examples of additional majors from the Faculty of Health Sciences include:

• Hearing and Speech
• Movement Science.

As an example of the double major structure, see Table 1.2 for the course outline of the Bachelor of Health Science with a second major in Hearing and Speech, and Table 1.3 for the course outline of the Bachelor of Health Science with a second major in Movement Science.

Admission requirements

There are no specific prerequisites for admission to this course. However, students who have taken chemistry at HSC level will find that this is advantageous.

Honours

An additional fourth-year honours program is available to students who have achieved a commendable standard in the first three years of the program. Students undertake a small number of specialised electives and conduct a research project under the supervision of a member of the academic staff. Admission to the honours program is competitive; students must demonstrate a high level of performance throughout their studies and be judged to have the capacity to conduct a research project.

Course outline

The course outlines for the Bachelor of Health Sciences at both pass and honours levels are presented in Tables 1.1 and 1.1.1. The course outline for the Bachelor of Health Sciences with a second major in Hearing and Speech is presented in Table 1.2, while Table 1.3 shows the Bachelor of Health Sciences with a second major in Movement Science. Units of study descriptions and a list of faculty electives are provided in Chapter 7.

Important notes

See Chapter 5 for information about the combined degrees of Bachelor of Health Sciences/Master of Health Informatics.

See Chapter 9 for information about the combined degrees of Bachelor of Health Sciences/Master of Clinical Vision Sciences.

See Chapter 11 for information about the combined degrees of Bachelor of Health Sciences/Master of Rehabilitation Counselling.

Table 1.1: Bachelor of Health Sciences (Pass)

Table 1.1.1: Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours)

Table 1.2: Bachelor of Health Sciences with a Hearing and Speech second major

Table 1.3: Bachelor of Health Sciences with a Movement Science second major

Bachelor of Health Sciences/Master of Nursing

The Bachelor of Health Sciences/Master of Nursing is a four-year pre-registration course for students wishing to undertake a combined degree. Students are required to complete 96 credit points in the Bachelor of Health Sciences. Master of Nursing units are begun in the second year of the undergraduate degree.

Students are generally expected to obtain a credit average in Year 1 to be permitted to commence study in the Master of Nursing in Year 2. Students are not permitted to enrol in Year 4 units without having completed their Bachelor of Health Sciences degree.

The combined study of general health sciences with a professional qualification in nursing means that graduates have broader range of skills and knowledge. Examples include positions working in scientific, research and management positions in health-related organisations in the public and private sectors health and medical industries, in clinical and non-clinical settings such as forensic science, journalism, environmental science media and communications, in research, government and public institutions, community organisations and the private sector.

At the conclusion of the course, students, subject to the requirements of the Nurses Act of NSW, will be eligible to apply for registration with the Nurses and Midwives Board, NSW.

Admission requirements

Candidates should refer to the Faculty of Health Sciences and Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery handbooks for admission requirements.

Prospective students should note in particular Division 5, 29A of the Nurses Act 1991 No 9 as described above.

Course outline

The course outline for the Bachelor of Health Sciences/Master of Nursing is presented in Table 1.4. Units of study are described in Chapter 7.

Table 1.4: Bachelor of Health Sciences/Master of Nursing