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Healthcare Professions

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Is your future in health care? Healthcare professions encompass a wide range of careers dedicated to maintaining and improving people's health. These professions include doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists, dentists, and many others. They play a crucial role in promoting wellness, preventing diseases, and ensuring the well-being of individuals and communities through their expertise and compassionate care.

Degrees & Offerings
  • A.A.S.
Location
  • Bloomsburg
  • Clearfield
  • Lock Haven
  • Mansfield
Department
College
Program Contact
Chair, Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences / Associate Professor of Biology
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Commonwealth University’s Associate of Applied Science in Healthcare Professions is a two-year degree program which provides an opportunity for credentialed allied health professionals who lack an academic degree to complete an associate’s degree. A separate option is available for entry-level students who lack a healthcare credential.

Program Overview

  • The concentration with healthcare credentials allows students who are certified or licensed in a healthcare profession to earn credit for that prior learning and then apply it toward completion of the Associate of Applied Science in Healthcare Professions.
  • The concentration without credentials consists of coursework that provides an academic foundation for students who are interested in a future healthcare career.
  • The AAS in Healthcare Professions degree offers you a solid foundation to pursue a higher degree in a healthcare field. Whether you are considering entering the field, or are presently employed in a healthcare profession and looking for advancement, our program will help you meet your goals.

Course Delivery

  Bloomsburg

  Face-to-Face
  Online
  Hybrid

  Lock Haven

  Face-to-Face
  Online
  Hybrid

  Mansfield

  Face-to-Face
  Online
  Hybrid

  Clearfield

  Face-to-Face
  Online
  Hybrid

Courses and Curriculum

Degree Requirements (with Credentials) Degree Requirements (without Credentials)

  Degree Progress: Enrolled students can review program requirements and track progress toward degree completion using the university’s degree audit and advising tool, Degree Works.

Both concentrations require Medical Terminology (HLSC108) and Introduction to Public Health (HLSC140).

The concentration with credentials offers flexibility in the courses that a student selects based on their academic goals.

Students in the concentration without credentials take courses in anatomy and physiology (HLSC115 and 120), nutrition (NUTR200), biology (BIOL110), as well as an orientation to health and exercise science class that informs students about healthcare careers and the training required for each.

The goals of the Healthcare Professions (AAS) program are to:

  • Provide seamless academic progression for students
  • Expand personal and professional development
  • Offer an accessible, affordable, and flexible program of study to meet the academic needs of nontraditional students and allied health professionals
  • Our students will develop the essential skills to:
    • Describe the basic concepts and knowledge necessary for a career in an allied health field
    • Communicate effectively and professionally in a healthcare environment
  • Describe the basic concepts and knowledge necessary for a career in an allied health field.
  • Communicate effectively and professionally in a healthcare environment.
  • Develop essential skills obtained through general education that prepare for a healthcare career.
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Practical Learning

Professional Preparation

Students who complete the with-credential option often use the degree to advance within the organization in which they are employed. Graduates of both options use the degree as an entry point into higher education. Individuals who started college at some point and then left to enter the workforce find this degree useful as a way to combine their prior college coursework and prior learning in healthcare to earn their degree.

Careers

While many of our students complete the degree and go on to apply to other academic programs such as nursing and health science, some graduates continue to advance in their current career. Graduates of the program are employed in various healthcare settings such as hospital laboratories, nursing homes, and doctor’s offices.

Facilities

Degree can be completed at any of our locations and in an online or blended (some online and some face-to-face) format. 

The Commonwealth Difference

Accessible, Affordable, and Flexible
Our program lets you take control of the opportunity to expand your healthcare career options from the comfort of your home and on your own time.
Healthcare students working on computers

Healthcare Credentials

The concentration with healthcare credentials allows students who are certified or licensed in a healthcare profession to earn credit for that prior learning and then apply it toward completion of the Associate of Applied Science in Healthcare Professions. Healthcare credentials include professions such as certified nurse aide, clinical medical assistant, emergency medical technician, paramedic and phlebotomist. Commonwealth University offers training in many of these areas through it's Workforce Development Office.

Workforce Development Office

Contact

Kate

Kate Beishline

  • Chair, Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences / Associate Professor of Biology
  • Bloomsburg

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