Health Studies

75% or more of this program can be completed online.

Take a big step toward a bachelor’s degree — and a career in health

Monroe Community College’s Health Studies AS degree offers a great foundation for various health-related careers. You’ll get a broad, practical education in multiple domains of health, enabling you to explore different career paths in the field of health.

MCC’s Health Studies classes are taught by experienced professors who have spent many years working in their health specialty. You’ll build high-quality credits that you can apply toward health-related bachelor’s degrees.

Health-related careers continue to grow at a faster than average rate. Chronic disease, an aging population, and rising healthcare costs have created the need for a strong workforce that is able to address prevention, treatment, and coordination of care. The Health Studies program offers different track options with coursework that is tailored to your interest and career goals. Whether you picture yourself working in the community, a corporate facility, or a health-related organization, the health studies degree from MCC is a solid foundation for your career.

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School of Health Sciences & Physical WellnessThe School of Health Sciences & Physical Wellness prepares you to deliver quality patient/client care, and improve the health of individuals and communities through education and service.

Health Studies Degree - Three Program Track Options

  • Clinical (Healthcare Careers): The Clinical track offers a pathway to apply for programs in clinical healthcare careers. The Clinical track includes quality point courses for competitive health-related programs at MCC, as well as courses that are needed in order to apply for BSN and other health-related programs at transfer schools.
  • Community Health: The Community Health track offers the flexibility to prepare for transfer into a number of health-related career programs such as Counseling, Healthcare Studies, Health Education, and Public Health.
  • Healthcare Administration: For students who have interest in management within healthcare, there is also a Healthcare Administration track that prepares students for transfer into Bachelor's degree programs in Healthcare Administration.

By working closely with advisors at MCC, electives can be tailored to optimize transfer into your desired program at your transfer school.

MCC’s Health Studies Associate Degree Gets You Halfway Toward a Bachelor’s Degree

The health studies associate degree at Monroe Community College includes courses in liberal arts, biology, psychology, social science, humanities and mathematics. The core program requirements include introductory health courses such as foundations in personal health and wellness, and other health courses tailored to the needs of the career path chosen.

Graduates from our health studies associate degree program have an outstanding record of continued education and career success. Our students have gone on to pursue health care bachelor’s degrees in many leading health sciences programs, including Ithaca College, the University of Rochester, multiple SUNY campuses, and the St. James School of Radiological Science.

Graduates with the Health Studies degree will be prepared to apply to transfer programs and complete bachelor’s degrees that can lead to health-related careers such as:

  • Community Health
  • Counseling
  • Health care administration
  • Medical and health services
  • BS Nursing
  • Public Health/Global Health
  • Substance abuse counseling
  • Wellness promotion/Health coaching

For more information about the health care career opportunities you can pursue with a health studies associate degree, contact Monroe Community College’s admissions office at (585) 292-2200 or admissions@monroecc.edu.

HEALTH STUDIES

A.S. Degree - Transfer Program

Department:Health and Physical Education

School(s): Health Sciences & Physical Wellness

MCC Program Code: HS01

75% or more of this program can be completed online.

This program's design is based on: New MCC General Education

Description
The Health Studies program includes courses in liberal arts, biology, psychology, social science, humanities and mathematics, and prepares students for transfer into a variety of health-related career paths. The program offers three different track options from which students may choose; Clinical, Community Health and Healthcare Administration.
The Clinical Track is designed for students interested in preparing to apply to healthcare career programs, such as nursing, or for select clinical careers. This track includes point-bearing courses, such as anatomy and physiology, microbiology, nutrition, and chemistry, that may be needed for application to competitive health-related programs.

Students interested in careers in Community Health, Healthcare Studies, Health Education, Counseling, or Public Health could utilize the Community Health Track as a foundation for transfer to programs leading to these health-related careers. Students who plan to transfer into career programs involving management in healthcare can complete the Healthcare Administration Track. Both the Community Health and Healthcare Administration Tracks include natural science electives and other courses tailored to the needs of the career path chosen.

Students should consult regularly with their program advisor to make certain that their course selections meet the requirements of the four-year college and major to which they plan to transfer.
(Housed in the Department of Health and PE within the School of Health Science and Physical Wellness)

Program Learning Outcomes
PLOs for Health Studies, Clinical Track
1. Describe personal health behaviors within integrative dimensions of health that promote prevention of common illness, injury, addiction, disease, disability or death.
2. Use critical thinking skills to differentiate between unreliable and accurate, evidence-based health information.
3. Identify factors that may influence health and wellness within diverse cultures and communities
4. Evaluate healthcare/community issues or options related to quality of life, chronic disease, or death.
5. Demonstrate skills for addressing life threatening situations.

PLOs for Health Studies, Community Health Track:
1. Describe personal health behaviors within integrative dimensions of health that promote prevention of common illness, injury, addiction, disease, disability or death.
2. Use critical thinking skills to differentiate between unreliable and accurate, evidence-based health information.
3. Identify factors that may influence health and wellness within diverse cultures and communities
4. Evaluate healthcare/community issues or options related to quality of life, chronic disease, or death.

PLOs for Health Studies, Healthcare Administration Track
1. Describe personal health behaviors within integrative dimensions of health that promote prevention of common illness, injury, addiction, disease, disability or death.
2. Use critical thinking skills to differentiate between unreliable and accurate, evidence-based health information.
3. Identify factors that may influence health and wellness within diverse cultures and communities
4. Identify influences on the creation and maintenance of health policies impacting the health and wellness of diverse cultures and communities.

Employment Potential
For related jobs: Career Coach
Occupational Resource: https://www.onetonline.org

Requirements for Program Entrance
Intermediate Algebra with Trigonometry (or Math 104 at MCC). Biology and Chemistry recommended.

Distribution Requirements

Credit Hours
HEALTH STUDIES: HEALTHCARE ADMINISTRATION TRACK:
FIRST SEMESTER
ENG 101 College Composition OR
ENG 200 Advanced Composition
3
MTH 160 Statistics I
3
HED 130 Foundations of Health and Wellness
3
SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology
3
SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION - HUMANITIES (SUNY-H) OR
SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION - NATURAL SCIENCES (SUNY-NS) ELECTIVE
3-4
First Semester Total:
15-16
SECOND SEMESTER
HED 209 Drugs and Behavior
3
PSY 101 Introduction to Psychological Science
3
SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION - HUMANITIES (SUNY-H) ELECTIVE
3
SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION - AMERICAN HISTORY (SUNY-AH ) OR
SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION - OTHER WORLD CIVILIZATIONS (SUNY-OWC) ELECTIVE
3
SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION - SOCIAL SCIENCES (SUNY-SS) ELECTIVE
3
Second Semester Total:
15
THIRD SEMESTER
ACC 101 Accounting Principles I
4
CRC 125 Microsoft Office
4
HED 207 Emotional Wellness
3
SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION - FOREIGN LANGUAGES (SUNY_FL) OR
SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION - WESTERN CIVILIZATION (SUNY-WC) ELECTIVE
3
PROGRAM ELECTIVE**
1-3
Third Semester Total:
15-17
FOURTH SEMESTER
ACC 102 Accounting Principles II
4
SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION ELECTIVE#
3
OPEN ELECTIVE
3
OPEN ELECTIVE
2-3
PROGRAM ELECTIVE*
3
Fourth Semester Total:
15-16
TOTAL CREDITS:
60-64
Healthcare Administration Track:
*Choose any course with an HED or HEG prefix.
**Choose any course with an HED, HEG, PE, PEC, or PPE prefix.

#Choose any SUNY-GER course from a category not selected, excluding SUNY-A.

HEALTH STUDIES: COMMUNITY HEALTH TRACK:
Credit Hours
FIRST SEMESTER
ENG 101 College Composition OR
ENG 200 Advanced Composition
3
MTH 160 Statistics I
3
HED 130 Foundations of Health and Wellness
3
SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology
3
MTH 104 - Intermediate Algebra OR
MCC GENERAL EDUCATION - SCIENTIFIC REASONING (MCC-SCI) ELECTIVE
3-4
First Semester Total:
15-16
SECOND SEMESTER
BIO 134 Essentials of Human Anatomy and Physiology I OR
BIO 133 Human Biology AND
BIO 132 Laboratory to Accompany Human Biology
3-4
HED 115 Death and Dying OR
HED 209 Drugs and Behavior
3
PSY 101 Introduction to Psychological Science
3
SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION - HUMANITIES (SUNY-H) ELECTIVE
3
SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION - SOCIAL SCIENCES (SUNY-SS) ELECTIVE
3
Second Semester Total:
15-16
THIRD SEMESTER
HED 207 Emotional Wellness
3
PSY 212 Developmental Psychology-Lifespan
3
BIO 135 Essentials of Human Anatomy and Physiology II OR
SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION - NATURAL SCIENCES (SUNY-NS) ELECTIVE
3
SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION - AMERICAN HISTORY (SUNY-AH) OR
SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION - THE ARTS (SUNY-A) OR
SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION - FOREIGN LANGUAGES (SUNY-FL) OR
SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION - OTHER WORLD CIVILIZATIONS (SUNY OWC) OR
SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION - WESTERN CIVILIZATION (SUNY-WC) ELECTIVE**#
3
SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION - AMERICAN HISTORY (SUNY-AH) OR
SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION - THE ARTS (SUNY-A) OR
SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION - FOREIGN LANGUAGES (SUNY-FL) OR
SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION - OTHER WORLD CIVILIZATIONS (SUNY OWC) OR
SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION - WESTERN CIVILIZATION (SUNY-WC) ELECTIVE**#
3
Third Semester Total:
15
FOURTH SEMESTER
SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION - AMERICAN HISTORY (SUNY-AH) OR
SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION - THE ARTS (SUNY-A) ELECTIVE OR
SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION - FOREIGN LANGUAGE (SUNY-FL) OR
SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION - OTHER WORLD CIVILIZATIONS (SUNY OWC) OR
SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION - WESTERN CIVILIZATION (SUNY-WC) ELECTIVE**#
3
OPEN ELECTIVE
2
OPEN ELECTIVE
3
OPEN ELECTIVE
3
PROGRAM ELECTIVE*
3
PROGRAM ELECTIVE***
1-3
Fourth Semester Total:
15-17
TOTAL CREDITS:
60-64
Community Health Track:
*Choose any course with an HED or HEG prefix.
**Choose from any SUNY Gen Ed category not yet completed 
***Choose any course with an HED, HEG, PE, PEC, or PPE prefix.
# Excluding performance and studio art courses from SUNY-A (Arts) category that do not fulfill state liberal arts requirements



HEALTH STUDIES: CLINICAL TRACK:
Credit Hours
FIRST SEMESTER
ENG 101 College Composition OR
ENG 200 Advanced Composition
3
MTH 160 Statistics I
3
BIO 144 Human Anatomy and Physiology I
4
HED 130 Foundations of Health and Wellness
3
SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology
3
First Semester Total:
16
SECOND SEMESTER
BIO 145 Human Anatomy and Physiology II
4
HED 115 Death and Dying
3
PHL 103 Introduction to Ethics OR
PHL 250 Professional Ethics
3
PSY 101 Introduction to Psychological Science
3
PROGRAM ELECTIVE*
2-3
Second Semester Total:
15-16
THIRD SEMESTER
BIO 202 Microbiology
4
PSY 212 Developmental Psychology - Lifespan
3
HEG 215 - Global Health and Culture
3
OPEN ELECTIVE**
3
OPEN ELECTIVE
3
Third Semester Total:
16
FOURTH SEMESTER
Choose two courses (only one CHE course) from the following
BIO 217 Nutrition,
CHE 124 General, Organic, and Biochemistry,
CHE 151 General College Chemistry,
MTH 165 College Algebra##
6-7
HED 101 Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Care OR
HED 114 Health and Safety in the Workplace OR
HED 118 Introduction to Safety and Emergency Care
1-3
OPEN ELECTIVE
3
OPEN ELECTIVE
3
Fourth Semester Total:
13-16
TOTAL CREDITS:
60-64
Clinical Track
*Choose any course with prefix HED, HEG, PE, PEC, or PPE.
**Choose from: BIO 120, 132 with 133, 155; CHE 100, 145; MTH 104; any course with HED or HEG prefix. Consult an advisor before making course selection. NOTE: some of the listed courses are 4 credits.
##Nursing interest students should choose CHE and BIO 217; Radiologic Technology and Surgical Technology interest students should choose MTH 165. NOTE: CHE 151 has pre-requisites.


revised 6/23/2021