overview

Online Bachelor's in Health Care Science Overview

Help people live happier, better, and longer lives in a broadly applicable health and wellness degree program.

The online Bachelor of Science in Health Care Science – Health and Wellness Promotion offered by the University of Colorado Colorado Springs Johnson Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences helps you build in-demand skills for understanding and influencing the health-related behaviors of individuals, families, and communities. This fully online degree program focuses on health and wellness promotion, preparing you for various professions in schools, worksites, corporations, community organizations, hospitals, military and veteran organizations, and senior living communities. 

As you learn from professors with real-world experience, you’ll have opportunities to explore your own passions that can fuel your individual career path in health and wellness promotion. This flexible degree program gives you the opportunity to learn from wherever you are, complete an internship with an organization local to you, and even pursue a Physical Activity and Public Health Specialist (PAPHS) certificate. During your time at UCCS, you’ll be part of a reputable institution with strong healthcare programs and graduate ready to work in an in-demand field as an interdisciplinary health promotion professional.

Health Care Science, BS

Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences
100% Online

Delivery Method

$524*

Cost Per Credit
*Approximate In-state

$723*

Cost Per Credit
*Approximate Out-of-state

Priority Application Deadline

Rolling Admissions

Application Deadline

120

Credit Hours

4 Years

Average Completion Time

courses

BS in Health Care Science Course Overview

The BS in Health Care Science – Health and Wellness Promotion is offered fully online with asynchronous courses, meaning there are no set sign-in times, and you can complete your coursework at the time and place that works best for you. Your courses will be taught by the same faculty who teach the on-campus program at UCCS, which means you receive the same high quality education with the flexibility of the online format. The uniquely small class sizes in the program mean you’ll have the opportunity to build a relationship with your instructors who can help you discover potential professions and career paths after graduation based on your interests.

In this 120-credit-hour online program, fall and spring courses are 16 weeks long, while summer courses can be four or eight weeks. Two of the courses offered as part of the curriculum can help you prepare for relevant certification exams outside the program. The required synchronous Health Coaching course (HSCI 4650) prepares you for health coaching certification exams following the course. The elective Physical Activity and Public Health course (HSCI 4580) is associated with the Physical Activity and Public Health Specialist (PAPHS) certificate and will prepare you to take the certification course following this class.

This BS in Health Care Science – Health and Wellness Promotion can be completed in approximately 45 months, or just under four years. You can potentially shorten the time to graduation if you have your previously earned college credits evaluated for transfer into UCCS.

You will learn to:

Assess the health needs of individuals, groups, families, and communities in diverse settings

Plan, implement, and evaluate health and wellness programs using health behavior theory

Communicate effectively within your profession to internal and external audiences

Understand, consider, and respect cultural factors that affect health and wellness

Develop knowledge in health behavior theory

Build foundational skills that you can use for your entire career

  • HSCI 3201: Health Behavior Change
  • HSCI 3520: Health Communication
  • HSCI 3630: Culture and Health
  • HPNU 3100: Statistics and Research Methods

  • HPNU 1010: Human Biology
  • HPNU 3100: Statistics and Research Methods
  • HSCI 1020: Personal Fitness and Wellness
  • HSCI 2010: Intro to Health Science Professions
  • HSCI 3201: Health Behavior Change
  • HSCI 3520: Health Communication
  • HSCI 3630: Culture and Health
  • HSCI 4320: Community Health
  • HSCI 4590: Concepts of Health and Disease
  • HSCI 4620: Internship in Health Sciences
  • HSCI 4621: Health & Wellness Promotion Internship Orientation
  • HSCI 4640: Program Planning
  • HSCI 4650: Health Coaching
  • HSCI 4670: Health Assessment
  • HSCI 4840: Program Evaluation

HSCI 1020: Personal Fitness and Wellness
This course investigates the value of six components of wellness: physical, social, intellectual, environmental, spiritual, and emotional. Activities include the development of tools and strategies to improve personal fitness levels, nutrition status, stress management, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle throughout the lifespan.
HSCI 4590: Concepts of Health and Disease
This course provides background and rationale for the dynamic biological, sociological and spiritual influences on health and illness and dimensions of illness that affect the individual and family. Implications of long-term catastrophic illness and life threatening illnesses are addressed.
HSCI 4650: Health Coaching
This course involves learning how to create supportive, effective coaching relationships by learning to use coaching skills, goals, and processes with clients individually or by group in consumer, corporate, healthplan, hospital, physician practice or health club settings.
career

Health Care Science Career Data

The healthcare industry needs more than clinicians. Communities also need people who coordinate wellness outreach programs, coach and advocate for patients, and manage health information, along with the essential administrative work of health promotion professionals. While this is not a clinical program, the BS in Health Care Science can be a foundation for continuing your education in physical therapy, medicine, nursing, athletic training, occupational therapy, and more.

The long-standing health science program at UCCS offers students both a stepping stone to more advanced education and a complete degree from which you can launch a long, fulfilling career. Unlike many healthcare-focused degrees, the health science program can be applied to a wide range of jobs inside and outside the healthcare field, such as community outreach, school settings, and more.

What can you do with a BS in Health Care Science degree? Some potential job titles for health care science graduates could include: health coach, community health program manager, health behavior specialist, health communications professional, outreach and education coordinator, health information manager, or health and wellness coordinator.

Male nurse in blue scrubs holding a folder walking with blonde woman in blazer with lanyard around her neck.

$46,190*

Community Health Workers

$59,990*

Health Education Specialists

$74,240*

Social and Community Service Managers

*Data retrieved from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); Median Annual Wage in the U.S. in 2022

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Take the First Step

Complete the form on this page to be contacted by an Enrollment Advisor.

tuition

Tuition and Fees

At UCCS Online, we strive to keep our tuition costs affordable so that you can get a world-class education that fits your budget. When you earn a degree, you’re not simply getting a diploma — you’re making a lifelong investment in yourself and empowering your future career. We know that affordability is an important factor, and that’s why we’re here to help you explore all of the options available to fund your education.

We’re here to answer your questions about tuition and financial aid, help you take care of the paperwork, and make sure you’re able to focus on reaching your goals. From financial aid and scholarships to corporate tuition assistance programs, we’ll work with you to find the best way to finance your degree.

A $50 application fee applies for this program; however, once per year this fee is waived for Colorado residents.

You may be eligible to pursue scholarships. Each year, UCCS awards $100 million in financial aid, and you can explore options through the UCCS Financial Aid Office.

Complete the formComplete the form on this page to connect with our Enrollment Team and get more information about tuition, fees, scholarships, and financial aid.

In State Cost Per Credit:

$524

Approximate tuition per credit hour based on the number of credits taken

Out of State Cost Per Credit:

$723

Approximate tuition per credit hour based on the number of credits taken

We know that affordability is an important factor, and that’s why we’re here to help you explore all of the options available to fund your education. Our Enrollment Navigators can answer any of your questions about tuition and financial aid, help you take care of the paperwork, and make sure you’re able to focus on reaching your goals. From financial aid and scholarships to transfer credits and corporate tuition assistance programs, we’ll work with you to find the best way to finance your UCCS Online degree. Complete the formComplete the form on this page to be contacted by an Enrollment Advisor.

Financial aid is available for eligible students to use toward paying educational costs while enrolled in a UCCS Online program. To determine your eligibility and apply for financial aid, you’ll need to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). When you submit your FAFSA, you will be considered for three types of aid: grants, work-study, and student loans. To be considered for federal financial aid, you will need to apply early and annually.

  • Scholarships | You may be eligible for scholarships at UCCS. We offer many scholarships and grants to students who are ready to earn their degrees and achieve success. Between both UCCS-offered and external scholarships, our students earned more than $10 million in scholarship awards last year alone.
     
  • College Opportunity Fund (COF) | The College Opportunity Fund (COF) is a trust fund created by the Colorado Legislature that provides a tuition stipend to eligible undergraduate students. The stipend pays a portion of your total in-state tuition when you attend a participating college. All students must create a COF account directly through the College Opportunity Fund (COF) website.
     
  • WICHE | The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) has given many students from Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming the opportunity to study at UCCS. The Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) is an agreement through which 160+ participating public colleges and universities provide significant nonresident tuition savings for undergraduate programs, with eligible students pay no more than 150 percent of resident tuition rates.

UCCS Online is military-friendly and committed to providing service members and their families with a high-quality education that fits their distinct needs. As a UCCS Online student, you will have access to the UCCS Veteran and Military Affairs, which connects veteran, active duty, reservist, National Guard, and dependent students with fundamental support, services, and resources to ensure academic and professional success. UCCS is a proud home campus to many veteran and military students.

Eligible veteran and military students may use veteran benefits, military tuition assistance, and/or financial aid to pay for their education. Military benefits with UCCS Online include:

  • Waived application fee for active duty and veterans
  • Military benefits approved program

Connect with our Enrollment NavigatorsConnect with our Enrollment Navigators to learn more about the benefits and financial assistance available to military and veteran students.

All students are automatically opted in to the TAAP program with the choice to opt out. The TAAP program provides all your course materials for one flat fee per credit hour. That means no more time spent searching for, ordering, and paying out of pocket for your own course materials.

Many companies offer tuition assistance benefits as part of their employee compensation program. Generally, these policies determine a set number of credit hours per year that the company will pay for on behalf of the student/employee. Some policies place a cap on eligible tuition dollars and related expenses while others reimburse employees on a per-credit-hour basis. Get in touch with your organization's human resources department to learn more about your educational benefits.

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admissions

Admissions Information

Interested in the UCCS Online BS in Health Care Science program? In your application, simply select the Bachelor of Science in Health Care Science (Health and Wellness Promotion) online program. For students applying to start the program as a freshman (first year student), the following admission criteria will apply:

  • GPA of 2.5 or better
  • Composite score of 18 on the ACT or a total score of 840 (prior to March 2016) or 920 (after March 2016) on the SAT (92 index)

The ACT and SAT are accepted but not required for this program. If your records vary in any way from the above admissions criteria, you will be considered on an individual basis by evaluation of your overall academic records, including:

  1. The quality of your high school program of study
  2. The level of your college entrance test scores (SAT or ACT)
  3. Any information unique to your individual situation

The priority application deadline for this program is November 1. Start the application process by filling out the formfilling out the form on this page.

Health Care Science Success Stories

A young smiling female with long brown hair, Nadine is a UCCS student in the Health Care Science, BS program.

When I began applying to schools, I wanted to be in a program that fostered growth. Now four years later, I am beyond grateful that I chose the Health & Wellness Promotion program at UCCS. The program has incredible faculty that want the best for their students. They truly care about our education, which allowed me to excel in the program. I am honored and grateful that I was able to experience a program that builds connections and grants many opportunities along the way.  

– NADINE A. | HEALTH CARE SCIENCE STUDENT

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Expand Your Opportunities

Earn an education that creates opportunity. Start the admissions process with an enrollment advisor by filling out the form on this page today.

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faq

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The health sciences are in demand, and the industry needs graduates who can enter the workforce equipped with interdisciplinary skills and experiences for a wide range of jobs connected to the healthcare field. A health sciences degree can prepare you to advance your education and your career while being flexible enough to keep your professional options open. Since it is so broad and versatile, studying health science and health and wellness promotion can be a great fit for students from all kinds of backgrounds and previous work experiences.

After you graduate with your bachelor’s degree, you can leverage your knowledge and skills to build upon your existing career, or you can pursue a career change. Some jobs you may want to pursue could require advanced education in a master’s or doctoral program. UCCS offers several graduate programs both online and on campus that can help you reach your goals.

During the program, you will complete an internship along with a variety of coursework like prerecorded lectures, related videos, readings, discussion boards, quizzes and more. For every three-credit-hour class, you should expect to dedicate around five hours to your studies per week. Shorter classes such as those offered during the summer term will require more time each week.

Online learning will offer you the flexibility to study at the place and time that works best for you. You can also choose a pace that is sustainable for your lifestyle, which can help you take into account your current career, family, and commitments outside of school. 

Additionally, UCCS’s online programs are taught by the same faculty who teach on campus, which means you’re earning the same high quality degree as students on campus, and your diploma will not mention that your degree was earned online.

The UCCS T. Rowe Price Career and Innovation Center career is available to help you prepare to change or advance your career after graduation. They offer:

  • Handshake, a career management platform with thousands of internship and job postings
  • Career events aimed at exploring fields and connecting with alumni and employers
  • Customized classroom workshops aimed at integrating career development into curriculum
  • Curated resources for students from specific populations

The Health Care Science faculty members are accomplished in research, ethics, and teaching. Several have been recognized for awards such as:

  • The Daniel’s Fund Ethics Faculty Award
  • Johnson Beth-El College Pre-Tenure Track Teacher of the Year
  • Johnson Beth-El College Pre-Tenure Track Research of the Year
  • Interdisciplinary Research Team Civic Engagement Award