Associate of Science in Health Science

Description and Outcomes

If you have received military training for medical and health science occupational specialties and want to earn an associate’s degree and then continue your studies to earn a bachelor’s degree, the Associate of Science in Health Science is a military-friendly path that can help you reach your educational and career goals.

Your prior military training is applied as credit for prior learning toward degree requirements. Combined with required general education courses that broaden your knowledge and skills, and health science courses that build upon your military training, the Associate of Science in Health Science can help put you in the best position to continue on to bachelor’s-level health science programs and later graduate professional programs such as physician assistant, physical therapist, medical doctor, etc.

The program includes a capstone experience designed to integrate the academic work completed as part of the program with your prior military training and experience. Earning your Associate of Science in Health Science could help you meet educational requirements for advancement in the military, prepare you to pursue entry-level careers in allied health science should you return to civilian life, and provide you with a solid foundation for pursuing your bachelor’s degree and beyond.

Refer to the Admissions Requirements section for details on program eligibility.

Concentration

In addition to the required core and major courses, you can further specialize your degree by choosing a preprofessional concentration that could prepare you to fulfill requirements for professional programs. 

Program Length

The Associate of Science in Health Science program consists of a minimum of 90 quarter credit hours. Upon successful completion of the program, you will be awarded an associate of science degree.

Program Outcomes

Discipline-Specific Outcomes

  1. Integrate knowledge from behavioral and biological sciences as a basis for allied health practice.
  2. Use current technology in a variety of health care roles.
  3. Demonstrate competencies relevant to a career focus area within health sciences.
  4. Exhibit administration skills and management processes within the interdisciplinary health care field.
  5. Exhibit behavior consistent with the professional, ethical, and legal standards of allied health practice.
  6. Demonstrate integration of discipline-specific and general education competencies.
  7. Demonstrate sufficient academic acumen to go on to pursue a bachelor’s program upon graduation from the program.

General Education Literacies and Professional Competencies

In addition to the discipline-specific outcomes, general education literacies and professional competencies are integrated throughout your academic program. You can review the general education literacies and professional competencies associated with your academic program in the General Education and Professional Competency Requirements section of this Catalog.

Program Availability

For program availability, please refer to the U.S. State and Other Approvals section and Program Availability Information.

Policies

Admissions Requirements

You must meet the following admission requirement in addition to the Purdue Global general requirements.

Enrollment in the Associate of Science in Health Science is limited to active-duty servicemembers of the U.S. military, members of the Reserve or National Guard, and veterans of the U.S. military who have completed one of the articulated military occupation training courses. A list of currently articulated occupations can be obtained by contacting Purdue Global Military Admissions.

Certification, State Board, and National Board Exams

Certain state certification and licensure boards have specific educational requirements for programs to lead to a license or certification that is a precondition for employment in a recognized occupation. Prospective and current students must review Purdue Global’s State Licensure and Certifications site to view program and state-specific licensure information.

Unless otherwise specified, Purdue Global's programs are not designed to meet any specific state’s licensure or certification requirements. Licensure-track programs may limit enrollment to students in certain states; please see Purdue Global’s Program Availability Information to determine enrollment eligibility.

You are responsible for understanding the requirements of optional certification exams. Such requirements may change during the course of your program. You are not automatically certified in any way upon program completion. Although certain programs are designed to prepare you to take various optional certification exams, Purdue Global cannot guarantee you will be eligible to take these exams or become certified. Your eligibility may depend on your work experience, completion of education and/or degree requirements, not having a criminal record, and meeting other certification requirements.