Johnson & Wales students experience a truly interdisciplinary Health Science program, bringing together all of JWU’s curriculum resources while giving you flexibility to explore approaches to health and the healthcare industry. Gain knowledge that will help prepare you for an entry-level career in healthcare or for graduate studies in fields such as medicine, physical therapy, public health, occupational therapy or other healthcare-related studies. Along with basic lab techniques, you will learn how to evaluate, present and analyze data while gaining the intervention skills set to examine populations, evaluate data, identify problems and develop solutions — all with a focus on taking care of people in a range of medical specialties.
After mastering the basic sciences and lab techniques that relate to health and wellness, you could explore courses in nutrition, exercise science, psychology, sociology, public health, global health and more, discovering each subject’s importance to patient-centered, humanistic healthcare delivery. Our Health Science graduates have a more than 90% acceptance rate to graduate programs in physical therapy, nutrition, public health and more. Plus, students who pursue JWU’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) or JWU graduate degrees in Physician Assistant Studies (M.S.P.A.S.), Master of Public Health, M.S. in Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics, M.S. in Nutrition, Doctor of Physical Therapy or Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) could have an opportunity to participate in a peer-to-peer mentoring program to support you on your path.
Our small class sizes and personalized instruction mean that you will work closely with supportive, industry-knowledgeable faculty who take a personal interest in helping you prepare for wherever your future takes you. Having developed close relationships with local organizations ranging from Lifespan to Care New England to the Rhode Island Department of Health & Human Services, our faculty have the connections to introduce you to the field and can help you develop your research skills through directed learning — or even the experience of publishing your findings in scientific literature.
Associate Professor Samantha Rosenthal, Ph.D., MPH, collaborated with three JWU Health Science student interns on starting a pilot study after winning a $311,000 National Institute of Mental Health grant. “It’s one thing to study from a textbook; it’s another to really start from scratch and develop your own study and your own surveys,” she notes of the experience students would gain over the three-year period.
Students can earn a combined Health Science B.S./Public Health M.P.H. in as little as five years or a combined Health Science B.S./Occupational Therapy O.T.D. in as little as six years at JWU. Qualified students can complete five core M.P.H. graduate courses or nine Occupational Therapy doctoral courses that will count toward their undergraduate Health Science degree.
Our students are encouraged to become health scientists under the mentorship of research-focused and industry-experience faculty. This means having an opportunity to influence health at every level, whether helping to develop a brief for a local Department of Children, Youth and Families or publishing scientific literature concerning a finding from your project research. Students are encouraged to pursue their research interests, which might look like examining the intersection traumatic brain injuries and substance abuse, studying the consequences of losing a loved one to COVID-19.
In this program, you will:
This lab is located in JWU’s John J. Bowen Center for Science and Innovation. It allows students to explore the reactions and properties of substances in minute quantities.
Health Science students can also opt to take electives that allow them to use various equipment in JWU’s Exercise and Sport Science Labs
In addition to classes, free elective credit can be applied to a number of options such as Directed Experiential Education (DEE), internship, minor or study abroad. You are encouraged to contact an advisor before scheduling free elective credits.
View the JWU Catalog listing:
Some professions may require additional study, background checks, certifications, licenses, exams and/or experience as required qualifications for employment. Students are responsible for verifying that they can meet the employment requirements of potential employers.
Associate Professor + Department Chair
Cara Sammartino, Ph.D., M.S.P.H., is a health services investigator with experience in developing/analyzing program evaluation data, building analytical models, analyzing state legislation and research effective policy solutions. Her research interests include public finance, econometrics, comparative state policy and health care service utilization variation, and her professional experience includes program evaluation for Blue Cross & Blue Shield’s Health and Wellness Institute.
Associate Professor
Samantha Rosenthal, Ph.D., M.P.H., worked on pharmaceutical and vaccine development as a chemical engineer and developed novel medical devices and prostheses as a biomedical engineer. She has conducted research both locally and globally HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, mental illness, injury and violence, emerging infectious disease, and social determinants of health. She directs JWU’s Undergraduate Research Network.
Professor
Jennifer Swanberg, Ph.D. MMHS, OTR/L, is an internationally known scholar dedicated to improving the quality of work life and well-being of vulnerable working populations through research and policy interventions. Her has decades of experience in higher education as a teacher, researcher, founding director of an academic research center, school dean and as social policy advocate, and her research includes the experiences of breast cancer survivors and the meaning of work in women’s lives.
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