Degree Requirements

Students interested in the Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences Program should declare one of the three major options upon admission to the University and work with academic advisors in the IMS Advising Office to ensure appropriate course selection. Entering freshmen should consult It's All Academic  for recommended liberal studies courses that meet the University Liberal Studies and graduation requirements.

 

All majors under the IMS Program require the same rigorous science core curriculum – the Core Requirements. The Core Requirements include the pre-requisites for advanced professional training for medicine and various health professions.
 

NOTE: Many of the core and upper level courses in the IMS degree have pre-requisites. Pre-calculus, trigonometry, and general psychology are required as they are pre-requisite courses for many of the IMS core and major course requirements. 
 

In addition to the Core Requirements, each IMS major has Upper Level Major Requirements to help prepare students for entry to professional training programs or to become part of the healthcare workforce.
All majors in the IMS Program must also complete the IMS Experiential Service Learning Seminars sequence (IHS; freshmen through senior year) and Senior Capstone course that includes a senior project.
 

The Major Maps and Curriculum Sheets guide students through the Major Milestones and progression through their major requirements and are available for download under Resources.

 

IMS Core Requirements for all IMS majors: (courses and credit hours)
  • PSY 2012 General Psychology (3)
  • MAC 1105 College Algebra (3)
  • MAC 1140 Pre-Calculus (3)
  • MAC 1114 Trigonometry (3)
  • BSC 2010 Biological Science I (3)
  • BSC 2010L Biological Science I Lab (1) 
  • BSC 2011 Biological Science II (3)
  • BSC 2011L Biological Science II Lab (1)
  • CHM 1045 General Chemistry I (3)
  • CHM 1045L General Chemistry I Lab (1)
  • CHM 1046 General Chemistry II (3)
  • CHM 1046L General Chemistry II Lab (1)
  • CHM 3120 Analytical Chemistry (3)
  • CHM 3120L Analytical Chemistry Lab (1)
  • CHM 3217 One Semester Organic Chemistry (4) or CHM 2210 Organic Chemistry I (3) and CHM 2211 Organic Chemistry II (3)
  • BCH 4053 General Biochemistry I (3)
  • CHM 3217L One Semester Organic Chemistry Lab (1) or CHM 2211L Organic Chemistry II Lab (3)
  • PHY 2053C College Physics A  with lab (4)
  • PHY 2054C College Physics B with lab (4)
  • IHS 1100 Exploring Health Professions (1)
  • IHS 2121 Delivering Patient Care (1) 
  • IHS 3122 Introduction to Medical Science (1) (Transfer students only)
  • IHS 3931 Problems and Issues in Healthcare (1) 
  • IHS 4501 Inquiry in Healthcare Research (1)
  • IHS 4901 Medical Sciences Capstone (3)
     

 *Students are responsible for knowing the requirements of the professional schools where they plan to apply. Other courses may be required for specific programs.*

Each of the three interdisciplinary majors – Clinical Professions, Community Patient Care, and Health Management, Policy & Information - has Upper Level Major Requirements that help prepare students for entry to professional training programs or become part of the healthcare workforce. 

Lists of the upper division course requirements for each IMS major can be found under Majors. 

The Major Maps and Curriculum Sheets guide students through the Major Milestones and progression through their major requirements and are available for downloading under Resources.

The courses approved for the IMS Upper Division Electives are offered by our partnered colleges across FSU that are related to health and may be pre-requisites for professional health schools. All students in the IMS Program must complete a minimum of 6 credit hours of upper-division science electives and a minimum of 6 credit hours of non-science upper division electives. The list of approved upper division are available for download under Resources.

NOTE: Many of the core and upper level courses in the IMS degree have pre-requisites. Students are responsible for ensuring they meet the required pre-requisites for any upper-division elective course for which they wish to enroll. Pre-calculus, trigonometry, and general psychology are required as they are pre-requisite courses for many of the IMS core and major course requirements.
 

A unique and innovative aspect of the IMS Program is the IMS Experiential Service Learning Seminar sequence, engaging students in the real world of health care possibly as early as their freshman year to culminate with the Capstone Course in the senior year that will require research and/or analysis of health care venues and delivery.

All majors in the IMS Program require completion of the IMS Experiential Service Learning Seminar sequence (freshmen through senior year) and the Senior Capstone course that includes a senior project. All seminars are letter graded. Students must complete seminars with grades of C- or above.
 

 

 

  

IMS Freshman Seminar: IHS 1100 Exploring Health Professions

This seminar informs students on careers and career pathways in health professions and the academic, professional, and personal preparation needed to pursue a career in health. Class meetings, activities, and guest speakers are planned to inform students on healthcare and the health professions, knowledge of the various roles of the healthcare team, and the resources to help students explore their career interests and goals.
Goal: Help students to focus on developing strong foundations and surveying health career options to fit personal, academic, and professional aspirations.



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IMS Sophomore Seminar: IHS 2121 Delivering Patient Care

This seminar course informs students on careers and career pathways in health professions and the academic, professional, and personal preparation needed to pursue a career in health with a focus on the patient or recipients of health care services. Class meetings, activities, and guest speakers are planned to inform students on healthcare and the health professions with respect to the populations served, knowledge of the various roles of the healthcare team, and the resources to help students explore their career interests and goals.
Goal: Help students to develop a concrete plan that will help them move toward their career goals after graduation with the bachelor’s degree.

 



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IMS Seminar for Transfers - IHS 3122 Augmented Junior Seminar

Students transferring to FSU with an AA must complete the appropriate Experiential Service Learning Seminar Sequence and Senior Capstone course. This seminar is an accelerated version of the Freshman and Sophomore seminars for transfer students and new majors coming into the degree program as Upper-Division students. This seminar allows transfer students to enter the next seminar prepared to build their experiential learning opportunities to complete a prospectus for the Senior Capstone project (background/ context, stakeholders, questions/issues).

 

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IMS Junior Seminar: IHS 3931 Problems and Issues in Healthcare

The first year as an upper division student is critical for students who will be applying to professional schools in healthcare before they graduate with the bachelor’s degree. They must understand not only the optimal requirements for admission to schools that best fit their goals, but also reserve time to excel in those requirements (GPA and exam scores, experiences, interviewing skills, etc.) As IMS degree majors, this is also a critical time for writing the prospectus, or plan, for the scholarship in practice activities required in the Senior Capstone course.
Goals: Students will 1) make progress on their preparations for post-degree career goals (continued professional education or employment) and 2) develop a preliminary prospectus or proposal, based in the literature, for their senior capstone project.



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IMS Senior Seminar: IHS 4501 Inquiry in Healthcare Research

In this course, students research and draft an initial prospectus for their senior capstone project to include stakeholders, literature review, descriptions and goals of the project, and a research question. Students work directly with Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences faculty, faculty in affiliated FSU academic units, and/or preceptors in the field to identify and design the capstone project.
Goals: Students will 1) make progress on their preparations for post-degree career goals (continued professional education or employment), 2) finish their final preparations for the Senior Capstone Course (a complete draft of their literature review and an outline for their applied project) and 3) complete the remaining elements in the required Career Portfolio.


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IMS Senior Capstone Course: IHS 4901 

 

The Senior Capstone Course (3 credit hours) will focus on basic and applied service scholarship that combines service-learning and research methods to develop skills in information gathering and critical analysis to guide their understanding of critical issues in healthcare for individuals and communities. Students senior thesis projects require incorporation of experiential learning activities reflective of student learning experiences. Students also work with faculty/practitioners in their field placements in drafting ideas for the thesis project. The capstone course will be used to synthesize research findings, possibly create public dialogue, and consider possible long-term, solutions or outcomes.

 

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Students in each of the Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences (IMS) majors are required to engage in the real world of health care as part of the IMS Experiential Service Learning Seminar sequence. 

Experiential Learning: Experiences in the Community

To enter any of the health professions, volunteer, service, and clinical experience are essential. Resources are available to help locate opportunities in clinics, clinical and research training programs, community service organizations, hospitals, pharmacies, and physician’s offices for students to engage in the various ways healthcare is accessed. Some of the experiences may occur over the summer following the spring seminars. Students are required to obtain a minimum of 64 hours of experiential learning hours each academic year for a total of 256 experiential learning hours before graduation. These hours must be approved by the Community Coordinator in advance through the Experiential Learning Database.

The goal of the IMS experience is to help students understand the health care system, its challenges and issues, appreciate a patient-centric delivery system, understand the importance of a collaborative healthcare team, and confirm their dedication to serve in this field.

The is available to help identify and provide oversight of appropriate sites where students can volunteer to satisfy the required experiential service learning and Senior Capstone project. Utilize our Resources page to find the Experiential Learning Guidelines, Experiential Learning Credit Guide, and other useful information to help you get started in finding an appropriate venue to fit your career interests.