General Education Courses
As a college exclusively dedicated to preparing healthcare professionals, Bellin College offers general education courses that are catered to students with an interest in healthcare. The General Education program espouses the following goals:
- To provide students with broad knowledge and intellectual concepts to complement their healthcare specialization.
- To provide students with intellectual stimulation that encourages lifelong learning.
Along with these goals, the General Education program supports the following program outcomes:
- Students will communicate effectively through writing and speaking.
- Students will identify and apply mathematical and scientific reasoning skills in problem-solving.
- Students will demonstrate critical thinking skills.
- Students will exhibit an understanding of the processes of the natural world and human interaction with it.
- Students will display an understanding of honest and ethical behavior and an appreciation for diverse perspectives.
All currently enrolled Bellin College undergraduate students take the General Education Core Classes, which consist of the following*:
BI 156: Anatomy & Physiology I
BI 256: Anatomy & Physiology II
CH 122: General Chemistry
CM 100: Health Communication
DI 202: Diversity Issues in Healthcare
EN 115: Composition and Professional Writing
MA 101: College Algebra
PH 202: Introduction to Medical Ethics
PS 105: Introduction to Psychology
*Suitable upper-level substitutions exist for some classes; Bellin College does accept substitutions from transfer institutions.
The broad knowledge students gain from the General Education program provides a foundation for students to succeed in their majors and ultimately in their professions. Critical thinking, communication, scientific and mathematical literacy, ethical decision-making, and an appreciation for diversity are among the highlighted aspects of the program.
View the General Education Discipline Reference List
Fall 2023 Course Offerings
Non-Degree Seeking Application
Fall: Face-to-face The first of a two-course sequence, this course provides a lecture and laboratory study of the structure and function of human cells, tissues and organs and body systems as they relate to human health and biology. The course stresses homeostatic control systems and coordinated body functions with an emphasis on the integumentary, skeletal, muscular, nervous, and endocrine systems. Prerequisite(s): None. Fall: Face-to-face This course covers principles of microbiology with emphasis on microorganisms and human disease. Topics include an overview of microbiology, biotechnology and immunology, with emphasis on identification and characterization, disease transmission and clinical pathogenicity of microorganisms organized by organ system. Upon completion, students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of microorganisms and the disease process as well as aseptic and sterile techniques. Fall: Online This course expands the student’s knowledge of the organization and function of health care systems and their interrelationships. Concepts of planning, organizing, team building, staffing, and controlling will be discussed as they relate to the mission, values, and strategic initiatives of the system/organization. Quality improvement and the utilization of resources to deliver optimum health care at a reasonable cost will be addressed. (Business elective) Fall: Face-to-face This course provides students with college-level writing skills and principles of description, narration, comparison analysis, research, persuasion, and APA formatting. The course also includes elements of professional and technical writing. This course brings together the personal, human, and intimate experiences of health and illness as told through personal accounts, fiction, memoirs, essays, poetry, and film with theoretical, scientific, and institutional understandings to create more holistic knowledge of patients’ health, illness, and, most importantly, identity. This course introduces students to the language of medical terminology and the importance of proper medical term usage. Focus is placed on accurate spelling and pronunciation of terms; building knowledge of basic medical vocabulary with an emphasis on prefixes, suffixes, roots; combining word forms; and developing a comprehension of medical terminology related to each system of the body. This course is designed to give students an accurate understanding of the psychological changes that individual’s experience as they grow across the adult life span: young adult, middle adulthood, and older adults. Students will examine the life span from an inter-professional perspective, stressing the interaction of physiological, psychological, cultural, and social aspects of human development while examining the dynamic forces that underlie and produce changes. The course will emphasize the need for identifying the ever-changing relationships between the individual and society that help to shape the experience of aging and emphasizing the topical areas in which psychological change occurs. Examining the Progressive Era through the Cold War, this course considers the circumstances around some of the major public health and healthcare events of the 20th century in the United States by framing them through the history that made them possible. Particularly, the course examines how the social history of 20th Century America was often tied to the health of the nation’s citizens through public health initiatives, personal choices, and government responses. Covered healthcare topics include, but are not limited to, vaccinations, food and drug reform, healthcare access, and women’s health. Fall: Online This course is a study of basic algebraic techniques, including the study of the properties of elementary functions, such as polynomial, absolute value, radical, rational, exponential, and logarithmic functions. Topics include equations, inequalities, functions, and their graphs. Students interpret, analyze, solve, and formulate mathematical and real-world problems. Fall: Online This course introduces students to the basic statistical skills used in evidence-based health care research. Students will acquire the skills to analyze data using commonly employed computer packages to generate descriptive and inferential studies. Statistical techniques will include descriptive measures of central tendency, variation, and correlation and inferential tests including T-Testing and General Linear Models. Prerequisite(s): None Fall: Face-to-face The medical field is comprised of an almost inexhaustible array of ethical issues. In this class, we will lay the groundwork of ethical theory and then quickly analyze ethical issues in clinical practice and social justice issues in the medical field. We will then turn to particular ethical issues, such as organ transplantation, stem cell research, euthanasia, abortion, and genetic enhancement. Fall: Online This course focuses on important issues currently facing the medical community and society at large. Topics may include cultural approaches to healthcare, disability and aging, the history of nursing homes and assisted living facilities, end of life decisions, the use of technology and electronic health records, social and political approaches to healthcare, the cost of healthcare, ethics surrounding pregnancy, vaccine ethics, medical errors and overtreatment, among others. Fall: Face-to-face Students gain an introduction to the study of human behavior and cognitive processes. Topics include biological foundations of psychological processes, lifespan development, learning theory, personality theory, perception, memory, states of consciousness, stress and emotions, and social psychology, among others. Developmental Psychology studies human growth and development across the entire lifespan. Students learn the characteristics of development from conception to death and the various influences on the development of human beings. Topics include the biological, physical, cognitive, and socioemotional aspects of human development. Fall: Hybrid This course provides both future and current health professionals an introduction to the Spanish language and the cultures of Spanish-speaking persons. Students will gain familiarity with basic written and oral vocabulary to prepare them for interactions with Spanish-speaking patients in a variety of settings. No previous experience with the Spanish language is required. Fall: Face-to-face This course is designed to help students learn and improve skills and strategies that are essential to academic success. Topics include professionalism, time management, study skills, note-taking, test-taking strategies, stress management, reading strategies and paper writing, among others. Prerequisite(s): None
Bellin College also accepts general education credits from accredited two and four-year institutions; as well as offers specific transfer agreements with certain colleges.
General Education classes at Bellin College are transferable to most colleges and universities. Students interested in taking classes as a non-degree seeking student can apply below:
Non-Degree Seeking Application
Early College Credit Program (ECCP)
Select general education courses are eligible for the state-legislated program, Early College Credit Program (ECCP), which allows high school students to take college classes if approved by the high school and if the student has met all state-specified requirements. Most Bellin College general education courses are eligible (notable exceptions include the sciences and NA 100).
High school students interested in taking Bellin College general education credits via ECCP should contact their high school counselor for more information.