What makes the Queen's BHSc program unique?

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Mon, 03/18/2019 - 09:54

The Queen’s University Bachelor of Health Sciences is a health science program delivered in a unique format that focuses on application of course material. This degree builds on the success and reputation of the Queen’s Faculty of Health Sciences and offers an undergraduate pathway to health sciences professions.

This honours degree is offered in both a fully online format and, beginning in September 2019, on-campus in Kingston. In both delivery formats, students begin their first year with health science-focused core courses in anatomy, pharmacology, physiology, social and physical determinants of health, history and philosophy of health and healthcare, and statistics. Right from year 1, students are provided with biomedical and social science perspectives on health, which will be carried throughout the 4 years.

The online stream is a flexible option that allows students to complete the degree from anywhere at their own pace. Courses are taught through online learning modules that have been designed for students to engage with all of the content, instead of simply reading through documents of text or watching a video version of an in-person lecture. These modules use videos, podcasts, images, animated graphics, and a variety of question formats to ensure that the material is understood.

"It's well recognized that everyone learns in different ways," says Dr. Michael Adams, Director of the Bachelor of Health Sciences. "We're going to give you every opportunity to learn the material you need to be successful in this world."

This commitment to engaging course material and academic excellence continues to be reflected in the on-campus BHSc program. Core courses will be taught in a flipped classroom format, where students work through course content in the online modules in advance of their scheduled in-class sessions so that they are prepared to discuss that content with their peers and instructors. This classroom format allows the opportunity for engaging discussion about course material, rather than passively receiving information as is often the case in a traditional lecture. These in-class sessions will guide students through the application of course content in real-world contexts.

BHSc students have the ability to customize their degree by focusing on one or more of the six optional learning tracks. These tracks range from Global and Population Health to the Molecular Basis of Biology and require the student to take a collection of courses that focus on that topic. Upon graduation, the completed tracks will appear on the student's official transcript.

The program curriculum is distinct in that it focuses on developing core competencies that align with the competency frameworks of health professions. As it is based on the competencies of health professional programs including Medicine, BHSc students will master skills such as collaboration, advocacy, communication using content from courses as an underpinning for these skills. In this way, the BHSc program will provide students with the language of competencies that are used in professional programs that may be of interest to BHSc students.

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What makes the Queen's BHSc program unique?