Bachelor of Arts in Health and Human Services

As a new student at the University of Arizona Global Campus, there are many things to look forward to on one’s academic journey. Beginning with this first course, students can look forward to acquiring tools and strategies for academic success. Students will apply personal strengths, skills, and lifelong learning strategies to career competencies, making a meaningful connection between their learning and their future professional work. The goal of this course is to enlighten and empower students personally, academically, and professionally. This course is not available for non-degree seeking students and is not available as an elective.

Learn and use key, practical skills that are applicable at home, at work, and in all UAGC courses! As UAGC students progress in their academic journey, strategies for personal, professional, and academic success continue to develop. This introductory course takes a two-pronged approach to setting students on a path to success. It merges fundamental informational literacy concepts with essential resources and skills that prepare students for college and career. Students learn how to identify, locate, evaluate, apply, and acknowledge information obtained through UAGC Library databases and internet search engines. By applying the research process, students sharpen critical thinking skills and learn to use information ethically. The final project is a practical and relevant opportunity for students to apply their learning in personally, professionally, and academically meaningful ways.

This course offers an overview of digital literacy as it applies to personal, academic, financial, and professional success. Students will analyze the impact of digital technology on personal and social communication to develop digital literacy skills that will assist in achieving academic and career goals. An overview of financial literacy in the digital age is introduced with practical strategies for application in personal and professional life.

This course is designed to enable students to develop competence in analyzing, organizing, and developing ideas. Additionally, students will locate and use library resources to support ideas, and to adapt their writing to various audiences. The course focuses on instruction and practice in writing and critical reading.

This course is designed to help students understand and appreciate movies and film more completely. The course examines the ways in which movies and films are shot, tell stories, develop characters, and depict physical reality. Classes consist of critique and analysis of movies and films.

This course is a study of correct and incorrect reasoning involved in everyday activities. The fundamentals of language and argument, deductive and inductive reasoning and other aspects of practical reasoning are examined. 

This course examines and evaluates theories and arguments concerning ethics and moral reasoning from a philosophical perspective. By engaging with historical and contemporary sources, students will analyze theories about the meaning, nature, and justification of ethical concepts; determine and assess how different forms of moral reasoning apply to contemporary moral issues; become more reflective and informed about their own moral beliefs; and develop their capacity for critical practical reasoning.

In this course, students will develop and hone academic and professional writing skills by employing those skills to communicate with range of audiences across a range of situations and contexts. To do that, students will receive instruction and practice in writing well-structured, logical, and effective academic essays while developing critical thinking skills and effective work habits. Prerequisite: Successful completion of ENG 121 or equivalent with a grade of “C-” or better.

A survey of government at the national level. Emphasis is placed on the constitutional basis of American government, federalism, the sources and forms of political behavior, the operation of the three branches of government, and the making of national policy.

This course focuses on sustainable development from a cross-disciplinary approach, including, economics, management, education, policy, and science. Students discuss sustainability conflicts at the national and international levels, and use online simulations to understand and evaluate sustainability practices.   Topics include zero waste, water management, smart growth, green technology, global change, renewable energy, agriculture, and land management.  

In this course students will explore a wider range of Algebra topics beyond the introductory level. Topics will include polynomials, functions, rational expressions, systems of equations and inequalities, operations with radicals, and quadratic equations. Emphasis will be placed on developing an awareness of the use of mathematics as it exists in the world today.

This course provides students with a cumulative and integrative learning experience grounded in their general education experience. Through the study of selected interdisciplinary topics and course-embedded assessments students will demonstrate mastery of essential competencies and application of different ways of knowing. Students will apply the general education principles informed by ethical and critical sensibility and provide evidence of growth in acquiring the habits of active citizenship. A minimum grade of “C – “ is required to meet course requirements. Prerequisite: 75 completed credits or permission of the student’s college or dean.

This course introduces students to the profession of health and human services beginning with the historical evolution of the field and continuing up to modern day. A broad-based view of the purpose, preparation, and theoretical orientation of the profession is stressed including the many types and career settings of human service professions, scope of work, and duties and functions. Basic skills required by health and human service workers are reviewed, in addition to the roles of human service workers in both clinical and non-clinical settings. An introductory examination of orientations, ethics, and skills related to health and human service delivery in diverse practice settings is included.

This course emphasizes theories and practice of professional communication skills within the context of health and human services. Students will examine classical approaches and new theories and research in interpersonal, and group communication. Active listening, empathy interviewing, nonverbal communication, and presentation skills are stressed. The impact of family, culture, and gender on communication is integrated through communication exercises and class projects. In this class, students will also have an opportunity to examine the practical implications of these concepts in developing their own communication skills through application of selected communication techniques and strategies.

This course examines the role and function of “helping,” and helping processes as applied within the context of the health and human service profession. Helper characteristics are considered, relative to optimizing service delivery in diverse health and human service settings serving a multitude of constituents/client groups. Helping strategies and interventions, with attention to principles, methodology, practitioner skills and knowledge are overviewed. Interpretive strategies such as case study analysis, and vignette analysis are used to simulate health and human service settings.

This is an introductory course that explores the historical evolution of health care in the United States, its financing sources, technology, delivery of care and the stakeholders who comprise the health care system. The structure of the health care system, including the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, will be discussed along with the various components that influence health care such as legal, ethical, regulatory, and fiscal forces. Students will also explore other health care systems and examine the potential future of health care in the United States. 

An introductory course that provides learners with a basic foundation of human biology applicable to human service and health and human services providers. The course explores basic human biology and its relationship to selected socio-cultural domains that are grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model of Human Development.

Community and public health is an introductory course exploring community and public health services in the well-being of a population. Regulatory mandates promoting public and community health are explored. The interface among community and public health services and the overall health care industry is explored. Legal and ethical imperatives emergent in public health services are discussed. Financing options are explored recognizing the role of categorical fiscal resources. Health care promotion and prevention strategies are explored in concert with the role of health care institutions and the public sector. Health information data is utilized in the planning of a community and/or public health project. Prerequisite: Successful completion of the majority of major coursework.

This course prepares students to understand cultural systems, and the nature of cultural identity defined by gender, ethnicity, race, national origin, sexual orientation, income, physical and mental ability, age, and religion. Emphasis is placed on defining and developing skills for the culturally competent delivery of health and human services.

Special Populations is a topics course exploring health care services for special populations. The populations include clients/patients in the following groups: those with mental health issues, substance addiction, in rehabilitation, geriatric populations, and clients/patients utilizing selected specialty. The course is problem-focused emphasizing access, cost-quality issues and financing considerations. Health information data is utilized as resources for the analysis of demand, quality and cost-efficiency. Historical perspectives are presented as shaping factors influencing the present models of health services for special populations.

Health and human service delivery practices are discussed using contemporary issues, trends, legal aspects, and ethics in an integrated approach. Health laws, ethics, and professional conduct standards including boundary- setting and confidentiality requirements are covered. Professional roles, functions, and legal/ethical responsibilities of health and human service professionals are overviewed using standards published by selected professional organizations.

This foundational course details the history and factors driving the emergence of health informatics. In addition to emphasizing the concepts, terminologies and scope of health informatics, the course delves into health information exchanges, data standards, health informatics ethics, online resources and E-research. The course includes an overview of basic database architecture, design and file structure, and data warehousing and data mining in health care.

This course is a survey course encompassing the application of research methodology. It prepares students to critically evaluate published research. The nature and history of the scientific method, research tools, data collection and analysis will be reviewed. Although key statistical concepts are covered, the focus of the course is helping students gain a conceptual understanding of the components of sound research, and to understand the steps and procedures involved in ethical research of the content area.

In this final course, students will reflect upon and synthesize the major insights gained in their study of Health and Human Services. A substantive paper is developed which requires students to critically analyze their experiences and integrate knowledge gained throughout their program. The focus is on a strategic health and human services topic that is directly related to access and delivery of services to a selected client group. Prerequisite: Successful completion of the General Education Capstone course.