Pre-health and certificate preparation
Program overview
Prepare for allied health pathways through biology, public health, communication, and patient-care fundamentals.
Who this pathway serves
This pathway serves students interested in health care, public health, community wellness, patient support, or preparation for a selective allied health program.
Program focus areas
- Health foundations: Students study body systems, prevention, wellness, terminology, and the role of health education in communities.
- Communication and ethics: Assignments emphasize patient-centered language, confidentiality awareness, teamwork, and culturally responsive communication.
- Selective-program readiness: Advising helps students understand prerequisites, grades, timelines, and expectations for future allied health options.
What students learn
- Use health terminology
- Describe public health principles
- Practice patient-centered communication
Courses in this pathway
| Course | Title | Units | Prerequisite | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIO 110 | Human Biology | 4 | Placement into college reading | Studies body systems, wellness, genetics, disease, and laboratory skills for health science pathways. |
| COMM 115 | Interpersonal Communication | 3 | None | Studies communication theory, listening, conflict, culture, and professional interaction. |
| HLTH 120 | Foundations of Public Health | 3 | None | Studies prevention, wellness, health systems, community education, and public health communication. |
| HLTH 180 | Community Wellness Practicum | 2 | HLTH 120 | Provides supervised community wellness planning, outreach, reflection, and professional communication practice. |
| PSYC 101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 | None | Surveys human behavior, development, learning, cognition, personality, and mental health. |
Program and schedule planning
Science and communication courses require consistent study time. Students should review mathematics, biology, and program-specific prerequisites before building a full course load.
Applied work students may complete
Students may design a community wellness activity, explain a health topic for a public audience, and reflect on communication choices used with patients or community members.
Questions to discuss with advising
- Are you preparing for a selective health program with specific prerequisites?
- Can your schedule support lab study, reading, and memorization time?
- Do you need biology, math, or English readiness review before a full science load?
Career and transfer direction
- Health office assistant
- Community wellness aide
- Pre-nursing student
Support for program students
Students in Health Sciences should use advising before registration, tutoring or lab support when assignments become difficult, and library or technology help when projects require research, data, writing, or digital production.
Students should contact an instructor or advisor early if the pathway workload, schedule, language demands, field expectations, or prerequisite sequence becomes difficult to manage.