College Life

Private Schools That Are Well Known for This Major

• Boston University
• Johns Hopkins University
• Northwestern University
• Northeastern University
• University of Miami

State Schools That Are Well Known for This Major

• University of Florida
• University of Missouri
• University of Washington in Seattle
• Indiana University
• California State University—Long Beach

Classes in the Major

Health and Diseases. In a health and diseases course, you'll probably learn about the history of diseases and how they've affect people over time (ebola, anyone?), antidotes and vaccines, and there will probably be an assignment or two (or more) on identifying the symptoms and causes of diseases. It's a lot of rote memorization, so get ready to make some flashcards. These courses will help in distinguishing cholera from cholesterol (etymologically related, yet totally different), and yellow fever from hay fever (both warm colors, except you don't want the former).

Anatomy and Physiology. The body is made up of a bunch of different systems (cardiovascular, digestive, reproductive, endocrine, urinary, etc.) and it's important to know what each of them does and how they interact with each other. In an anatomy course, these systems and their functions are discussed, and there will be plenty of opportunities to check out some tissue samples and human/animal cadavers. And you may feel invincible now, but you'll soon learn the actual physiological effects of drugs, alcohol, and heavy nights of partying.

Biology. We're sure you've heard about zombies—not of the Rob variety, but the undead, brain-eating kind. There are dozens—nay, hundreds—of movies about zombies and zombie apocalypses, and there are people who are actually worried about this stuff. "Do we have enough canned food?" "Does anyone know how to use a shotgun?" "Is killing the undead ethically wrong?" At the risk of being total buzzkills, health science majors—and the divine Neil DeGrasse Tyson, or any scientist for that matter—would tell you not to worry, because the concept of zombies is a load of phooey. They'd be able to tell you all about rigor mortis and leptin and how diseases actually spread—all thanks to biology courses. (Even though biology is the study of living things.)

Physics. You might be wondering why taking physics is necessary for a health sciences degree. Well, Shmoopers, it turns out that physics is very helpful in understanding advanced chemistry—and the universe in general. Taking physics is especially useful in fueling all those existential discussions, like whether we're truly alone in the universe (probably not), or how very insignificant life on planet Earth is, relatively speaking. Students have to learn about matter, energy, and momentum if they really want to know how the body works, inside and out. There are usually some math prerequisites for physics, but that's a given. After all, what good is a formula if you can't use it?

Chemistry. In case the latest Breaking Bad craze hasn't gotten you more interested in chemistry, maybe Shmoop can make an enthusiast out of you. Chemistry is all about the fundamentals, people, and overlooking even the nittiest, grittiest detail can lead to disaster. Health science majors need to learn about all the physical properties of compounds found in drugs and medicines. Sometimes, using a different solution is the right solution. You'll never know unless you take some chemistry courses.