Majors | Minors | Specializations

Your major

BSc Honours Health Studies - With this program, your major is Health Studies.  Your major will combine a comprehensive science background with an in-depth investigation of the complex factors that influence health.  As a student, you’ll discover that to make a difference in human health you need to go beyond treating health problems; you must also develop strategies to prevent them.

Adding minors, options and specializations

You can further enhance your undergraduate studies in Health by complementing your major with a minor, option, and/or specialization from the School of Public Health and Health Systems or from any other department within the University of Waterloo.

A minor is generally a grouping of 10 courses from one department, or a variety of courses from different departments with a common theme.  The School of Public Health and Health Systems offers the following minor:

• Minor in Gerontology

An option is generally a grouping of 6 to 8 courses relating to a particular area of study.  Those offered by the School include:

• Option in Aging Studies
• Health Informatics Option
• Pre-Health Professions Option* (available to students who entered the program in 2009 or earlier)

Specializations allow you to tailor your degree to your goals for further graduate or professional education.  The School offers two possibilities:

• Pre-Health Professions Specialization
• Health Research Specialization

Specializations in other disciplines

If you are interested in pursuing a minor or option in an area other than Applied Health Sciences, e.g., psychology, biology, you should consult the Faculty sections of the Undergraduate Calendar to see if such a specialization is offered and which courses you would need to take as your electives to complete the requirements.

Joint honours degree

In Health Studies it is possible to combine your existing major with a major in Psychology.  This allows you to concentrate your studies equally and extensively in both areas. This requires pre-approval from both departments and advance course planning with an academic advisor. 

Students typically apply for the Joint Honours Degree at the end of first year (submit a completed Plan Modification Form (.pdf) to your academic advisor).