Maybe you know you want to work in health care, but you’re still figuring out what that future looks like. 

You might be thinking about medical school or becoming a physician associate (PA, formerly called physician assistant). Maybe you’re interested in physical or occupational therapy. Or perhaps you know you want to make an impact in health care but haven’t considered paths like health care management, consulting, health informatics or public health. 

At TCU, you don’t have to have it all figured out yet. 

TCU’s health sciences program gives students a broad understanding of health and health care while offering the flexibility to explore different career and professional pathways. 

The program has grown in recent years and now has nearly 200 students. 

Ty Borders, professor and chair of TCU’s Department of Health Sciences & Public Health, explains what draws students to the major:

“It offers a broad perspective on current health and health care issues and allows flexibility for students to complete courses that prepare them for applications to a variety of graduate and health professional programs.”

You Don’t Have to Major in Biology to Go to Medical School

For students interested in medical school or another health professional program, choosing an undergraduate major can sometimes feel like choosing a career before college has even started.

Health sciences offers another option.

Students can complete courses required to apply to medical school, PA school and other health professional programs without majoring in a basic science field.

TCU’s Pre-Health Professions Institute supports students preparing for professional study in medicine and other health professions regardless of their undergraduate major. Health sciences also offers tailored pre-professional tracks for students interested in medicine, physician associate studies, physical therapy and occupational therapy.

At the same time, the major opens doors well beyond direct patient care. 

“Other students may be interested in exploring the health care field as they consider careers in health care management, health informatics or public health,” Borders says.

Graduate school options can include health administration, biomedical informatics and public health, while the major can also prepare students for entry-level positions across the health care sector. Recent TCU graduates have gone on to positions in health care consulting and medical device sales.

Looking at Health Care From a Bigger Perspective

Preparing for a career in health care means understanding more than the science behind the human body.

It can also mean understanding how care is delivered, why health outcomes differ among populations, how policy affects patients and their communities, and how professionals across health care work together.

Through the Department of Health Sciences & Public Health in Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences, students build foundational knowledge in areas including interprofessional teamwork, health promotion, public health and health care systems.

Sample courses include Interprofessional Leadership Teams, Global Health Care Systems, Introduction to Public Health and Epidemiology/Biostatistics.

“Students completing our curriculum will leave with a more holistic understanding of health and health care delivery,” Borders says.

Finding Your Interests Outside the Classroom

Sometimes the best way to figure out where you fit in health care is to experience it.

Health sciences students have several opportunities to take what they learn in class into real-world settings through internships, faculty research and study abroad.

Students can intern with health care organizations to gain clinical or management experience or work alongside faculty members on applied research projects.

Faculty research spans areas including health care access and policy, elder mistreatment, and stress and health, among other issues affecting individuals, communities and health care systems. Borders himself co-leads a federally funded research center focused on rural and underserved health.

For students interested in seeing health care through an international lens, the program also offers a summer study abroad experience in Spain focused on global health care issues, where students travel with department faculty.

What’s Next for Health Sciences at TCU?

As student interest in health sciences continues to grow, so does the department.

“We are working toward offering a B.S. in Public Health, which will further focus on epidemiological methods, contemporary health policy concerns and the evaluation of health care programs,” Borders says.

Epidemiology is the study of how diseases spread and who they affect, the kind of work that helps communities respond to outbreaks like COVID-19. The new degree would create another pathway for students interested in population health. Borders says it would also bring more faculty researchers to the department, which means more research opportunities for students.

For future Horned Frogs, that growth means even more ways to explore what working in health care can look like.

You don’t have to know exactly where health care will take you before you start. Health sciences at TCU gives you room to find out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I go to medical school with a health sciences major?

Yes. Health sciences students can complete the courses required to apply to medical school, and the major offers a dedicated pre-med track. TCU’s Pre-Health Professions Institute also supports students preparing for medical and other health professional schools, regardless of major.

What’s the difference between health sciences and nursing at TCU?

Nursing is a separate major in Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences that prepares students to become registered nurses. Health sciences builds a broad foundation in health and health care, preparing students for professional programs like medicine, PA, physical therapy or occupational therapy, or for careers across the health care industry.

What jobs can you get with a health sciences degree?

Graduates can pursue roles such as health care manager, health data analyst, community health educator and corporate wellness administrator in settings like hospitals, consulting firms, medical device companies, health technology companies and public health agencies. Recent TCU graduates have gone into health care consulting and medical device sales.

Are there special admission requirements for the health sciences major?

No. There are no special admission requirements for the health sciences major at TCU.

Does TCU offer a public health degree?

The Department of Health Sciences & Public Health is working toward offering a B.S. in Public Health. In the meantime, health sciences students can take courses like Introduction to Public Health and Epidemiology/Biostatistics and pursue public health in graduate school.