Health & Occupational Sciences BS

Our bachelor’s degree in health and occupational sciences (HOS) serves two purposes. It extends the career path for our occupational therapy assistant (OTA) students and prepares others for a variety of healthcare-related roles, including advancing their education.

Demand for HOS graduates is expected to remain strong because of changing demographics and healthcare delivery trends. An aging population will require more and more services. Technological advances and continued emphasis on outpatient care will also drive job growth. Connect with our admissions office to learn more about our occupational therapy pathway or schedule a visit at our campus in Albany, NY.

The Occupational Therapy Connection

The majority of occupational therapy assistant (OTA) students wish to continue working toward a career as a licensed occupational therapist, a position that requires a master’s degree. Maria supports that goal by enabling you to complete an OTA/associate degree and transition to our four-year bachelor’s degree in health and occupational sciences. You also have the added benefit of being able to work as a certified occupational assistant—after passing the national certification exam —while continuing your undergraduate education.

Advancing Your Education

Maria’s bachelor’s degree in health and occupational sciences provides a solid academic foundation: liberal arts, natural and applied sciences, policy, and management courses. The program is “transfer-friendly” and an excellent preparation for graduate school, especially if you’re interested in physical therapy, nutrition, or any other allied health services. The program is also a good fit if you’re considering careers in pharmaceutical or medical device sales, medical informatics, or working with special populations such as the elderly or those with disabilities. Contact Admissions to get started.

Program Learning Outcomes
The overarching objective of the Bachelor of Science Degree in Health and Occupational Sciences program is to provide graduates with the relevant knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to succeed in their chosen profession and/or graduate level study.

In the area of knowledge base and life-long learning skills, graduates will:
- Have a strong foundation in the natural, clinical and behavioral sciences.
- Develop the skills and professional and personal habits to acquire and apply new knowledge.
- Develop insight into their own and others’ behavior and mental processes and will apply effective strategies for self-management and self-improvement.
- Have the necessary entry requirements for graduate level study in occupational therapy.
In the area of professional values and ethics, graduates will:
- Understand and accept their duties and responsibilities required of their chosen career, advanced study, and to society in general, and are expected to have developed value systems and ethical standards that guide their behavior.
- Gain an enhanced understanding of the social and ethical issues that may be encountered and have an impact on health care services.
- Recognize, understand and respect the complexity of sociocultural and international diversity.
- Pursue realistic ideas about how to implement their knowledge, skills and values in occupational pursuits in a variety of settings that meet personal goals and societal needs.
In the area of critical and creative thinking skills, graduates will:
- Use critical and creative thinking and an evidence-based approach to identify, analyze and solve problems.
- Understand and apply scientific techniques, skills and tools to define, formulate and solve basic problems.
- Integrate knowledge from general education courses and will synthesize knowledge from the natural, clinical and behavioral sciences.
In the area of communication and collaborative skills, graduates will:
- Be able to communicate effectively with stakeholders in the health care industry and agencies, and function effectively on multi-disciplinary teams.
- Demonstrate effective oral, written and visual communication skills.

Course Overview

Major Field Requirements (36 credits)

Group I – all courses required (27 credits):
Course		Credits
SCI 100	Medical Terminology and Conditions	3
HOS 150	Introduction to Health Professions	2
HOS 300	Fundamentals of Occupational Science	3
BIO 300	Applied Kinesiology	3
PSY 350	Research Methods I	3
HOS 400	Internship in Health and Occupational Sciences	6
HOS 450	Topics in Evidence-Based Practice	3

*Group II – select any three courses from the following (12 credits):**
Course		Credits
BIO 310	Pathophysiology	3
BIO 320	Neurobiology	4
BIO 330	Gross Anatomy	4
BIO 340	Genetics	3
CHME 301	Environmental Heath	3
CSC 308	Healthcare Informatics	3
CUL 320	Culture, Health and Healing	3
HCM 330	Healthcare Quality Management	3
HCM 350	Healthcare Law and Policy	3
HOS 410	Epidemiology	3
NUR 410	Pharmacology	3
PSY 300/400	Elective	3
SOC 410	Social Determinants of Health	3

*extra credits count as free elective credits

Natural Science Requirements (20 credits):

Group I – all courses required (8 credits):
Course		Credits
BIO 209	Anatomy and Physiology I	4
BIO 210	Anatomy and Physiology II	4

Group II – select any three courses from the following (12 credits):
Course		Credits
BIO 101	General Biology I	4
BIO 102	General Biology II	4
BIO 103	Introduction to Human Biology**	4
CHM 100	General Chemistry I	4
CHM 101	General Chemistry II	4
CHM 211	Organic Chemistry I	4
CHM 212	Organic Chemistry II	4
BIO 203	Microbiology	4
PHY 101	General Physics I	4
PHY 102	General Physics II	4

** cannot be taken after other higher level biology courses

Liberal Arts Courses (36 Credits):
Cultural Studies/History (3 credits): CUL or HIS elective
English (9 credits): ENG 111, ENG 211, ENG 300 or 400 level elective
Mathematics (3 credits): MAT 200
Psychology (6 credits): PSY 100, PSY elective
Religious Studies/Philosophy (9 credits): RES 201, PHI 300, RES or PHI elective
Sociology (6 credits): SOC 101, SOC 300

Course Sequence: Direct Entry

Health and Occupational Sciences, BS

First Year: First Semester
Course		Credits
BIO/CHM/PHY	Science Requirement	4
ENG 111	Composition I	3
HOS 150	Intro to Health Professions	2
SCI 100	Medical Terms & Conditions	3
	Free Elective	3
		15
First Year: Second Semester
BIO/CHM/PHY	Science Requirement	4
CUL/HIS	Cultural Studies/History Elective	3
ENG 211	Critical Inquiry and Writing	3
MAT 200	Statistics	3
	Free Elective	3
		16
Second Year: First Semester
BIO 209	Anatomy & Physiology I	4
PSY 100	General Psychology	3
RES 201	Foundations in Social Justice	3
SOC 101	Introduction to Sociology	3
	Free Elective	3
		16
Second Year: Second Semester
BIO 210	Anatomy & Physiology II	4
PSY	Psychology Elective	3
RES/PHI	Religious Studies/Phil Elective	3
	Group II Major Field Req	3
	Free Elective	3
		16
Third Year: First Semester
BIO/CHM/PHY	Science Requirement	4
BIO 330	Gross Anatomy	4
PHI 300	Healthcare Ethics	3
	Free Elective	6
		17
Third Year: Second Semester
BIO 300	Applied Kinesiology	3
HOS 300	Fund. of Occupational Science	3
SOC 300	Medical Sociology	3
	Group II Major Field Req	3
	Free Elective	3
		15
Fourth Year: First Semester
PSY 350	Research Methods I	3
ENG	English 300/400 Elective	3
	Group II Major Field Req	3
	Free Electives	4
		13
Fourth Year: Second Semester
HOS 400	Internship in HOS	6
HOS 450	Topics in Evidence-Based Practice	3
	Free Elective	3
		12

Course Sequence: Concurrent Degree

BS in Health and Occupational Sciences and AAS in Occupational Therapy Assistant

First Year: First Semester
Course		Credits
BIO/CHM/ PHY	Science Requirement	4
ENG 111	Composition I	3
PSY 101	General Psychology	3
SCI 100	Med Terms and Conditions	3
SOC 101	Intro to Sociology	3
		16
First Year: Second Semester
BIO/CHM/ PHY	Science Requirement	4

CUL/HIS	Cultural Studies/History Elective	3
ENG 211	Critical Inquiry and Writing	3
MAT 200	Statistics	3
RES/PHI	Religious Studies/Phil. Elective	3
		16
Second Year: First Semester
BIO 209	Anatomy & Physiology I	4
OCT 111	Introduction to OT	2
OCT 112	OT Skills and Application I	1
OCT 114	Foundations of OT I	1
PSY	Psychology Elective	3
RES 201	Foundations in Social Justice	3
		14
Second Year: Second Semester
BIO 210	Anatomy & Physiology II	4
BIO 300	Applied Kinesiology	3
OCT 116	OT Skills and Application II	1
OCT 117	Fieldwork I – Service Learning	1
OCT 120	Occ. Perform. Across Lifespan	3
OCT 121	Foundations of OT II	3
		15
Third Year: First Semester
BIO/CHM/ PHY	Science Requirement	4
OCT 210	Fieldwork I – Psychosocial	1
OCT 211	Preparing for Practice	1
OCT 213	OT in Develop. Disabilities	3
OCT 214	OT in Physical Dysfunction	3
OCT 215	OT in Psychosocial Dysfunction	4
		16
Third Year: Second Semester
OCT 216	Fieldwork II, First Rotation	6
OCT 217	Fieldwork II, Second Rotation	6
SOC 300	Medical Sociology	3
		15
Fourth Year: First Semester
BIO 330	Gross Anatomy	4
ENG	English 300/400 Elective	3
PHI 300	Healthcare Ethics	3
PSY 350	Research Methods I	3
	Group II Major Field Req	3
		16
Fourth Year: Second Semester
HOS 300	Fund. of Occupational Science	3
HOS 450	Topics in Evidence-Based Practice	3
	Group II Major Field Req	3
	Group II Major Field Req	3
		12

Course Sequence: Transfer

AAS in Occupational Therapy Assistant transfer into BS in Health and Occupational Sciences

Third Year: First Semester
Course		Credits
BIO/CHM/ PHY	Science Requirement	4
ENG 211	Critical Inquiry and Writing	3
MAT 200	Statistics	3
SOC 101	Introduction to Sociology	3
	Group II Major Field Req	3
		16
Third Year: Second Semester
BIO 300	Applied Kinesiology	3
BIO/CHM/PHY	Science Requirement	4
CUL/HIS	Cultural Studies/History Elective	3
HOS 300	Fund. of Occupational Science	3
SOC 300	Medical Sociology	3
		16
Fourth Year: First Semester
BIO/CHM/PHY	Science Requirement	4
BIO 330	Gross Anatomy	4
PHI 300	Healthcare Ethics	3
PSY 350	Research Methods I	3
		14
Fourth Year: Second Semester
ENG	English 300/400 Elective	3
HOS 450	Topics in Evidence-Based Practice	3
	Group II Major Field Req	3
	Group II Major Field Req	3
	Free Elective	2
		14

Articulation Agreements
- Capital Region BOCES Sterile Processing Program graduates with national certification for Sterile Processing to the BS in Health and Occupational Sciences degree at Maria College
- Fulton-Montgomery Community College graduates with AAS in Health Studies to BS in Health and Occupational Sciences at Maria College
- Fulton-Montgomery Community College graduates with AS in Health Science to BS in Health and Occupational Sciences at Maria College
- Fulton-Montgomery Community College graduates with AS in Liberal Arts and Sciences: Science to BS in Health and Occupational Sciences at Maria College