Health Sciences Student Handbook

Department Office: 366 Riland Building, Long Island
Department Phone: 516.686.3803
Director, Academic Management: Dr. Mindy Haar, mhaar@nyit.edu

Welcome

The BS Health Sciences is offered by the Department of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences and we enthusiastically welcome you to this dynamic major! This program follows all NYIT policies and procedures and reinforces and expands on information found in the NYIT Student Handbook.

Introduction

The Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences offers you an excellent foundation in health sciences as well as liberal arts and basic sciences. It is designed to prepare graduates for entry-level administrative positions in the private and public sectors of healthcare such as the medical centers, clinics, fitness and wellness centers, community health centers, government health departments, the health insurance industry, and pharmaceutical industry. In addition, coursework includes prerequisites to pursue graduate study in occupational therapy, physical therapy, physician assistant studies, dentistry, optometry, podiatry, and other health-related professions or business.

Curriculum

The list of all courses needed to complete the degree can be found on the program page.

Semester Map

View the recommended sequence of completing all of the courses in the degree. Students may not follow this precise sequence due to any of the following reasons: not placing into the prescribed math or writing course in the first semester at NYIT, transfer into this major from another NYIT major, transfer from another school, and/or unsuccessful completion of one of the required courses. Advisement with a program advisor can maximize the chance of completing the degree in a timely way.

Advisement

Students who are admitted as freshman are advised initially by the staff of the Advisement and Enrichment Center. After the first semester, they are then advised by a program advisor from our faculty. Students admitted as transfer students usually meet with a program advisor shortly after they are admitted.

Advisement for the fall semester begins at the end of the previous March and advisement for the spring semester begins the previous November. You will receive an email about exact dates from both the registrar and our department. Appointments for advisement are made by contacting our department office at 516.686.3803, as the administrative assistant manages the schedule for all advisors. You may only register after an advisor has "opened" your ability to register, and this can only happen after an advisement appointment. Those seeing their advisor during the priority advisement period are able to register online beginning at their designated "priority time" which increases chances of getting into courses with limited capacity.

You should prepare for your advisement appointment. Before you see your advisor:

  1. Log into your Student Service HUB account. Click on the My Academic Progress tile and select Academic Progress in the menu. View the course requirements to take.
  2. Print out the BS Health Sciences Semester Map and cross off what you've already taken.
  3. Fill out an Advisement Preparation Form, with options for the upcoming semester.
  4. Please check your course offering times
    • Please note that all required sciences must be taken with lab.

To register
Log into your Student Service HUB account and use the Schedule Planner tool to prepare your schedule and send selected courses to your shopping cart.

Starting on your priority registration day, you will be able to submit your shopping cart to complete your course registration. If you are unable to register online, seek help from the Enrollment Services Center.

Registration Holds

During advisement, the advisor removes the "Advisement Hold". There may be other holds as well that can only be removed by the bursar. This includes issues regarding financial aid, missing tuition payments, non-payment of parking violations, non-payment of library fines. You must contact the Bursar to resolve the issue in order to register on time. The program advisor cannot remove these holds.

Financial Aid

All questions about financial aid should be directed to the NYIT Office of Financial Aid.

Overrides

The number of students in a face-to-face course is limited and may be based on several factors; the size of the classroom, the number of stations in a lab, the nature of the course material, etc. For this reason, when a student is closed out of a course, the advisor can't simply "write them in". If the course is a health sciences course, the classroom can accommodate a few extra students, and the instructor approves, the department may consider giving an override. If this is not a course offered by our department, permission must be obtained from the department offering the course and our program advisors have no authority in granting an override. The department giving the override must enter the permission electronically. If a paper form is used, however, a signature must be obtained from both the program advisor and the department offering the course.

Online courses are strictly limited to 20 students. Permission to add another student to an online course must be obtained not only from the instructor and the department head but from the Dean and Provost as well. Permission is only granted in these situations when this is a required course, the student is graduating that semester and there is no alternative open section.

Online Courses

The department strives to give students a choice of formats for many of the courses offered. For help navigating through Canvas, the online learning management system, visit TBLS Student Guides.

Permission to Take Courses Elsewhere

Taking courses elsewhere is usually done during the summer or winter sessions:

There are several conditions for taking courses elsewhere:

  1. NYIT is not offering the course during the summer or winter.
  2. Your program advisor approves. To find out, you can either make an appointment to see your advisor by calling 516.686.3803 or emailing your advisor and asking. You must have available the course description from the other institution and if approved, the program advisor signs the form.
  3. The department who offers the same course at NYIT. Once the program advisor approves, you need to then visit and get approval from the department that offers the course at NYIT.
  4. The registrar approves. Please note that once you have completed 70 credits at NYIT, you can no longer take courses at a community college.
  5. The bursar approves. Be aware that aside from paying tuition to the other institution you will have to pay NYIT $85/credit to transfer the credits.

Once you've taken the course, you need to request that the institution where you took the course sends an official transcript to NYIT. Make sure it is addressed to the "NYIT Registrar" and not just "NYIT," since it may end up in Admissions instead of the Registrar.

Support Through the Semester

Please review the many student resources available. During the semester, students having academic issues are encouraged to contact the department and/or program advisor who may be able to assist. Please call the department office at 516.686.3803 to schedule an in-person or phone appointment to discuss any issue. In addition, the Advising and Enrichment Center offers many additional resources to help students in specific course subjects and in developing study and test-taking skills.

The Enrollment Services Center is also a wonderful resource and can assist with registrar and bursar issues. Our Counseling and Wellness Center provides individual and group services as well.

Communicating with Instructors and Advisors

Students are notified about course matters, department events, advisement, registration, graduation and other matters through NYIT email. It is the student's responsibility to check email. Students are expected to correspond with faculty through NYIT email, and these emails should be written in a professional manner. Include the matter you'd like to bring to our attention in your subject line, never leave the subject line blank. Start off with "Dear Prof."or "Hi/Hello Dr." rather than "Hey" or have no salutation at all. Use proper spelling and grammar, and avoid using abbreviations more appropriate for texting. As instructors teach more than one course, mention which course you are enrolled in. Sign your name and include your id number, if appropriate, especially if the email is to an advisor and you have a question about your academic record.

Academic Integrity

The department follows all policies on academic integrity as outlined in the NYIT Student Code of Conduct.

Attendance

It is your responsibility to be aware of the academic calendar. The NYIT attendance policy can be found in the Academic Catalog. Students are expected to begin attending class as soon as the semester starts and to start logging on the first week on online courses. Instructors are asked to submit attendance records to the registrar after the end of the second week of class. Students who don't interact online during that time period are marked "never attended' and their registration is cancelled.

Withdrawal

Please consult the NYIT policy on withdrawing from a course or the college.

Grade Appeal

The department follows the NYIT Grade Appeal Policy.

Academic Probation and Dismissal

Our program follows all of the NYIT undergraduate policies.

Career Guidance

Students are introduced to a myriad of healthcare opportunities in HSCI 195: Professional and Cultural Issues in Healthcare, and are encouraged to discuss their goals for employment, and/or graduate study, in the course of advisement visits each semester. Program advisors can help you realistically match your competencies and interests to rewarding career possibilities. You are also encouraged to take advantage of NYIT's Office of Career Services while at NYIT, and upon graduating.

Senior Practicum

During the last two semesters of enrollment in the BS Health Sciences program, students enroll in Senior Practicum I and II, which is run by the department in conjunction with NYIT Career Services. These courses involve completing an internship each semester at a site of one's choice. You attend a mandatory orientation session the semester before beginning your internship, in which the course instructor and Career Services personnel explain what must be done to secure a site where you may work in a paid or volunteer position, at least 60 hours each semester. In addition, you meet for Practicum I and II to reflect on your experiences, as well as participate in integral projects and tasks that promote professional behavior.

Honor Societies

Phi Eta Sigma: Each spring the NYIT Advising and Enrichment Center coordinates the induction of freshman students who were elected for membership into the Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society. To be eligible for membership, students must achieve a 3.5 GPA, or higher, during the fall or spring semester of their first year in college.

Alpha Eta: Each spring the School of Health Professions inducts students from all disciplines into the Alpha Eta Honor Society. To qualify, students must have a 3.5 GPA the last semester of attendance and the recommendation of the department.

Graduate Programs

Program advisors are happy to discuss graduate programs and an additional electronic guide has been prepared for this purpose. You are encouraged to check admission requirements for specific programs and schools as standards change from year to year. Aside from prerequisite courses, schools have varying requirements for hours of volunteer and/or paid experience.

Some disciplines solely use a centralized application while some have individual applications. Applications should be made as soon as programs begin accepting them and you should not wait until shortly before the deadline. Many programs start interviewing candidates as soon as applications start coming in and may fill a class before the deadline is reached. (For example if you are applying for a graduate program that starts September 2018, you should prepare applications summer 2017 and submit by September 2017 even if the due date is Nov. 30 or Dec. 31).

Recommendation Letters

If you are requesting a recommendation letter for graduate school or employment from one of our faculty members, please give at least two weeks notice. The recommendation request should include;

  • Inquiry as to ability of faculty member to provide a recommendation letter.
  • Information about the program of interest, to whom the letter should be sent and how it should be sent (email, separate letter, upload to centralized application system).
  • Recommendation deadline
  • A resume to assist the faculty member in being more familiar with your experiences.
  • Acknowledgement in advance of the extra time the faculty member will take to provide the recommendation.

Faculty are happy to help you and support your success in the process; however, unfortunately when requests are made at the last minute, with inadequate information, requests cannot always be accommodated.

Clubs and Student Activities

Participation in clubs and student activities are great ways to develop leadership capabilities, do volunteer work, broaden horizons and make friends.

The NYIT Student Government Association (SGA) advocates on behalf of student interests and includes senators from each NYIT division. Our department encourages you to become active and represent the School of Health Professions. Please contact the SGA president to find out how to facilitate election to the student senate and visit the website about events and clubs.

Health Professions Club is a new club that started spring 2015. Here is a message from the club officers: The club offers volunteer opportunities and information involving the healthcare field. Our goal for the Health Professions Club is to help our members explore the healthcare field and build their confidence working in it. The club provides volunteer work that we hope our members will enjoy and learn all that the healthcare field has to offer. We also hope to become a larger club and have the Health Professions Club be a part of NYIT for years to come.

To join our club or find out more information, please contact any of the following people:

Alexandra Hermanowski – President, ahermano@nyit.edu
Michelle Ramsaroop – Vice President, mramsaro@nyit.edu
Jamie Palumbo – Treasurer, jpalum01@nyit.edu
Alyssa Narine – Secretary, anarin01@nyit.edu