Earn your BA in Health Studies

Are you interested in health care, but not sure which path is best for you? With a Bachelor of Arts in Health Studies, you can gain a broad understanding of the major determinants of health and well-being while also having time in your schedule to explore specialized coursework in an area of interest.

Create your academic path

You'll find degree overviews, requirements, course lists, academic plans, and more to help you plan your education and explore your possibilities.

Current course list

The MyUI Schedule displays registered courses for a particular session and is available to enrolled students. The list view includes course instructors, time and location, and features to drop courses or change sections.

Why choose health studies at Iowa?

  • Flexible curriculum
  • Opportunity to pair with a minor or certificate in an area of interest

Expand your career opportunities after graduation

Pair with a minor or certificate for unique career opportunities:

  • Become a health care translator using your BA in Heath Studies and Minor in Spanish
  • Enter medical sales using your BA in Heath Studies and Minor in Business Administration

Pair your major with a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBHWC) certification to compete for jobs immediately after graduation

Pair with a graduate degree to prepare for your future in one of many fields:

  • Masters in Public Health (MPH)
  • Masters in Health Administration (MHA)
  • Masters of Science (MS)

Courses you can take in this major

  • HHP:4030 Social Determinants of Health
  • HHP:4040 Healthcare Services
  • HHP:4390 Understanding Human Disease
  • HHP:3030 Lifestyle Medicine

Alumni spotlights

"As a graduate of the health studies program, I can say my learning experience was unmatched through this program...I not only learned the necessary information, but I also learned how to apply it, how to critically think about it, and how to harness it to discover what avenues I wanted to pursue in my career with health care. The professors and their dedicated TAs worked with me diligently to ensure I was comfortable, prepared, and had the same opportunities excel, even with my challenging and full schedule as a student-athlete. My professors and TAs were always encouraging and educated me

photo of woman smiling

Alexis Gay, Class of 2019

Lindsay Bright

Lindsay Bright

Title/Position
BA in Health and Human Physiology (Health Studies), 2020
Lindsay Bright graduated in May 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in Health and Human Physiology (Health Studies track) and minors in Spanish and Psychology, earned her Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree at Washington University in St. Louis, and is a program assistant with Amplify OT - Occupational Therapy Policy and Advocacy.
Portrait of Jessica Digrazia

Jessica DiGrazia

Title/Position
BA in Health and Human Physiology (Health Studies) and Certificate in Public Health, 2021
Jessica DiGrazia graduated in fall 2021 with a BA in Health Studies and now works at Northwestern University as a Research Study Assistant for the Fienberg School of Medicine in the Preventive Medicine Research Clinic.
Portrait of Tram-Anh Doan

Tram-Anh Doan, BA

Title/Position
BA in Health and Human Physiology (Health Studies), Minor in Gender, Health, & Health Care Equity, 2021
Tram-Anh Doan graduated with a BA in Health Studies in 2021, went on to earn her BSN, and is now working as a registered nurse in Plano, Texas.
Zoe Horak

Zoe Horak

Title/Position
BA in Health and Human Physiology (May 2019)
Zoe Horak graduated in May 2019 with a BA in Health and Human Physiology and is now working at UnityPoint Health as a Clinic Administrator for a their clinic that opened in 2022.

Reach out to learn more about this major

Brown Photo

Matthew Brown

Title/Position
Senior Academic Advisor
Headshot of Lucas Carr

Lucas Carr

Title/Position
Associate Professor
Director of Undergraduate Studies - Exercise Science, Health Promotion, & Health Studies
Director, Community Health Collaborative
HHP Staff Photo

Joe Cilek

Title/Position
Academic Success Administrator
This is a picture of Shawn Flanagan

Shawn Flanagan

Title/Position
Associate Professor of Instruction