Allied Health Program

The purpose of the allied health program is to enhance the skills and employment options in allied health management for graduates of community college allied health programs such as respiratory care, radiology technology, dental hygiene, etc. The curriculum of the allied health baccalaureate program includes a core set of courses in community health and health promotion that all students are required to complete. The healthcare management track allows two-year allied health graduates to obtain managerial courses that will prepare them for management positions in the healthcare setting.

Admission Standards

All Community Health Sciences majors must meet the following criteria:
1. an overall GPA of at least 2.5 for students transferring into the major.
2. an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher before taking any CHS courses above the
  300 level, excluding CHS430 and CHS436.
3. a grade of "C" or better in all courses required for the major.

Additionally, students interested in the Allied Health Program must have graduated from an accredited two-year allied health program with an associate degree and be eligible to sit for a national certification examination in the specific discipline area for the associate degree level allied health professional. All other admission requirements are the same as for all undergraduates at The University of Southern Mississippi

Degree Requirements

Students may transfer 62 hours from the Community College allied health program. Some of these hours will be core requirements and some will be technical electives. Any student receiving a bachelor’s degree from The University of Southern Mississippi must have a minimum of 124 hours. Of the 124 hours, 62 must come from USM, and 45 of the 62 must be in courses numbered 300 or above.

The following are requirements for the Allied Health Degree, including the USM core classes, the Allied Health core, the management track, and the remaining technical electives to complete the 124 hours.

USM Core (38 hours)

University Core category must be satisfied by transfer or The University of Southern Mississippi courses to include:

• Written and Oral communication (9 hrs)
• Basic Science and Mathematics (11 hrs)
• Global History and culture (12 hrs)
• Aesthetic Values (3hrs)
• Decision-making and Responsibility (3hrs)

 Allied Health Core (24 hours)

CHS 321 Community Health (3 hrs)

CHS 420 Communicable Chronic Disease in Man (3 hrs)

CHS 432 Introduction to Epidemiology (3 hrs)

CHS 440 Introduction to Biostatistics (3 hrs)

CHS 470 Health Law and Justice (3 hrs)

CHS 492 Special Problems (9 hrs - 3 hrs. to be senior capstone experience)

Management Track (12 hours)

CHS 425 Health Administration (3 hrs)

CHS 427 Health Policy (3 hrs)

CHS 436 Stress Management Techniques (3 hrs)

CHS 460 Long Term Care Policy and Administration (3 hrs)

Electives (50 hours)

Electives may be general elective transferred from the community college, or technical electives completed at USM. The following courses are accepted as technical electives; however, other technical courses with a management emphasis are accepted upon approval from the Allied Health degree academic advisor. The most preferred course areas include MGT, MIS, MKT, and SWK.

MGT 300 Management for Organizations (3 hrs)

MIS 300 Management Information Systems (3 hrs)

MKT 300 Principles of Marketing (3 hrs)

NFS 367 Nutrition in Health Care (3 hrs)

NSG 406 Death and Bereavement (3 hrs)

SWK 230 Introduction to Social Work (3 hrs)

SWK 315 Human Diversity in a Changing World (3 hrs)

For more information about the B.S. degree in Allied Health Sciences, contact Susan Dobson at susan.dobson@usm.edu
or 266-4828.