Greetings from McMurry’s Department of Human Health Science (HHSC) – where a promising future and a fulfilling career in healthcare begins. Whether you’re envisioning a career as a physician, dentist, pharmacist, medical researcher, occupational therapist, physical therapist, chiropractic, nutritionist, wellness expert or public health professional, McMurry has a multidimensional program to prepare you well.
The department offers two Bachelor of Science degrees – Human Health Science and Public Health and Wellness. The Human Health Science degree is a single major with two concentrations to choose from. Each concentration is tailored to prepare you for continued study in a professional degree program, such as pharmacy, medicine, dentistry, chiropractic, and occupational or physical therapy. The Public Health and Wellness major is designed for those interested in nutrition, wellness and public health. A minor in allied health is also available, and complements various McMurry majors, including Kinesiology, Business, Multidisciplinary Studies, Sociology, Psychology, Servant Leadership and more.
Areas of Study
Human Health Science
The B.S. in Human Health Science is offered, with two concentrations for unique groups of students.Allied Health Concentration
Allied health professionals deliver healthcare services in different settings outside of a traditional physician’s office. This profession includes physical and occupational therapists, chiropractors, dieticians and nutritionists, speech language pathologists and imaging/radiology technicians. With a focus on improving a patient’s quality of life, you’ll work with people of all ages – bringing skill, passion and compassion to the hospital, rehabilitation center, home, school or work setting. McMurry offers both a major and minor in Allied Health. Allied HealthMedical and Research Concentration
The Medical and Research emphasis prepares you for research within the medical field. Medical researchers design and conduct studies to learn more about diseases, treatment methods and pharmaceuticals. You’ll dive deep into chemistry, physics and biology, with a particular emphasis on human biology – from anatomy and physiology to genetics and research methodology. This program prepares you to pursue a doctorate degree health professions like medicine, dentistry and pharmacy. You’ll also be equipped with the foundational knowledge needed for graduate work in molecular biology, biotech and genetics. Medical ResearchPublic Health and Wellness
Help your community lead healthier, happier lives. An education in public health, trains you identify health challenges that plague families, communities and global populations – and work to solve them. You might help prevent the spread of disease, research the impact of illness and injury, expand healthcare access to underserved populations, promote healthy life choices to families and communities, and advocate for policies that improve the human condition. Public health professionals work in a variety of settings across a range of health and safety issues, often overlapping with fields like psychology, management, education, nursing and servant leadership. Open the door to countless opportunities with a public health and wellness degree. Public Health and Wellness
Student Opportunities
Students majoring in Human Health Science experience the support and mentorship of an engaged faculty, staff, alumni and fellow students, as well as the many extracurricular programs offered by the department and the University. With access to a variety of clubs, professional associations, research projects, internships and other activities, you’ll enhance your knowledge, skills and future prospects.
Pre-Professional Programs
The mission of the McMurry University Pre-Professional Program is to provide the curricular advising and career guidance needed by our students as they prepare themselves for application to and successful completion of a professional school program. Pre-Professional ProgramsDepartmental Honors and Awards
Students of high achievement are encouraged to pursue Departmental Honors in Human Health Science by completing an Honors research project and writing an honors thesis. In addition, departmental awards are presented annually to top achieving students in the department. Honors ProgramBrady Cox Endowment
The Brady Cox endowment, honoring the late Dr. Brady Cox, funds a scholarship to support students by broadening their experiences to improve their preparation for successful futures as health professionals. Students may apply for a maximum of $250 to defray travel expenses associated with conference attendance or group trips with a health professions theme. Contact Erica Medina, your faculty advisor, or your academic coach for more information! More InformationUndergraduate Research Opportunities
Putting theory into practice is the essence of all health professions, and at McMurry, you’ll be actively engaged in research as part of your required courses with the opportunity to studies with the opportunity to take your research through completion and nomination for a STEM Research Certificate. Here are several ways HHSC majors get involved in the process of discovery:CURES Participation. Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CURES) are research projects done as a part of your core HHSC education. You design a project, do the science, evaluate the results and present your findings in a research poster at the end of the semester. You will expand your knowledge, enhance your analytical and critical thinking skills, and be a better student in all your courses.
Research Team. Our faculty are active researchers and invite you to join their teams to take a “deep dive” into research. These projects are more involved and long-term, often taking more than one semester. On a research team, you will learn how science is done, build key relationships, and have the opportunity to pursue the STEM Research Certificate, which can elevate your application to professional and graduate school.
Senior Capstone Experience. As a senior, you’ll choose a capstone experience that demonstrates the depth and breadth of your knowledge and skills in your chosen HHSC major. The experience can take the form of an internship, capstone project, or Honors research.
