Health, Society and Policy
Capstones
Program
277
Declared
Majors
2
Average
Class Size
Courses
Getting Started
- Take HSP 1001 - Intro to HSP
- Enroll in a learning community like LEAP, BlockU, or Honors College
- Explore HSP through Gen Ed courses
- Meet with a pre-professional advisor
Making Progress
- Begin taking upper-division HSP courses such as ethics, statistics, research methods, health economics, or social epidemiology
- Add classes for any second majors or minors into your schedule
- Continue with your HSP major, minors, upper-division general education, and any pre-professional requirements as planned in your four-year road map
Finishing Up
- Take HSP 5000 - Capstone
- Take final courses for your degree(s) and any pre-professional programs
- Take relevant graduate school entrance exams
- Apply for graduation
Community
Getting Started
- Attend CSBS Welcome Week and PlazaFest
- Join at least one student group
- Follow CSBS and other campus groups on Instagram and Twitter
Making Progress
- Plan or attend an event hosted by a student group
- Consider a leadership role within a student group
- Attend office hours for at least two of your courses
- Attend or create a study group with your peers
Finishing Up
- Work with peers in the HSP capstone course to develop and pitch a possible policy solution to a real-world health issue
- Join the Alumni Association
Knowledge & Skills
Getting Started
- Explore other majors or minors; attend major exploration events
- Learn how to read your Degree Audit
- Become familiar with academic support resources like the Writing Center
Making Progress
- Choose coursework in elective tracks that align with possible career paths
- Begin exploring research opportunities through the OUR, and attend its Education Series
- Prepare for graduate school entrance exams, if applicable (i.e, LSAT, MCAT, GRE, GMAT)
- Begin researching specific pre-professional or graduate school admission requirements.
Finishing Up
- Create an ePortfolio to showcase and archive your most significant learning as an undergraduate student
Transformation
Getting Started
- Identify which HSP course offerings interest you the most
- Explore programs like Solution Scholars and Learning Abroad
- Start pre-professional extracurricular activities
Making Progress
- Create a four-year roadmap for degree completion and customization; adjust as needed
- Apply for an award or scholarship
- Conduct research with a faculty mentor; apply for an award through UROP
Finishing Up
- Complete patient exposure, physician shadowing, and other extracurricular activities
- Participate in commencement ceremonies
Impact
Getting Started
- Volunteer in the community with organizations that align with your personal or professional interests
- Go on an Alternative Spring or Fall Break
- Study abroad; consider the Global Public Health program
Making Progress
- Apply to be a CSBS Ambassador, a peer mentor, or Solutions Scholar
- Volunteer in the community with organizations that align with your personal or professional interests
Finishing Up
- Present or publish your research
- Write a capstone project or Honors thesis based on your community engaged learning, study abroad, or internship experience
Careers
Getting Started
- Create your LinkedIn and Handshake profiles
- Meet with your career coach to identify your professional interests
- Consider taking a career exploration course such as SBS 2700 - Career Exploration in Social & Behavioral Science
Making Progress
- Take advantage of CPDC tools and resources
- Draft a resume or biosketch
- Network at U of U career fairs
- Conduct informational interviews with professionals to explore career possibilities
- Complete local, national, or international internships through the Hinckley Institute of Politics or CSBS
Finishing Up
- Meet with a career coach to practice interviewing, and refine your resume or biosketch
- Apply for graduate school or jobs at least six months prior to graduation
Start Your Career Journey
Find support at the Career and Professional Development Center (CPDC)
About the Major
The Health, Society, & Policy (HSP) program is an interdisciplinary undergraduate degree (BA or BS) that focuses on the many factors that affect human health. After completing the HSP major, you will recognize that human health is determined not only by things like pathogens, illness, and genetics, but also by lifestyle and behavioral choices, environmental exposures, socioeconomic resources, and cultural affiliation. HSP majors take courses from a variety of fields including epidemiology, social sciences, biological and natural sciences, research methods and statistics, political science, health care administration, and philosophy. This interdisciplinary approach to studying human health and health care is applicable to a wide range of careers in the health sciences and public administration. With an HSP major, you can tailor your studies to meet your personal interests, passions, and goals related to health, society, and policy.
Learning Outcomes
- Integrate learning from different disciplines to understand the complexities of human health and health care.
- Be able to discuss the ways specific politics, policies, and health care practices influence human health at the individual, social, cultural, ecological, and/or global levels.
- Work with interdisciplinary teams to address concerns related to human health and health care in the community.
- Articulate how an interdisciplinary study of human health and health care has informed your own professional identity and career aspirations.
Plan & Prepare
At the U, we plan for our students to have an exceptional Educational Experience identified by four broad categories we call the Learning Framework: Community, Knowledge & Skills, Transformation, and Impact. This major map will help you envision, explore, design, and plan your personalized Exceptional Education Experience with the Learning Framework at the core. In addition to assisting you in planning your coursework and navigating the requirements of your major, this map will help you incorporate other kinds of experiences to expand your knowledge, support your development, and prepare you for the future you want.