The College of Health Sciences functions consistently with the mission and philosophy of the University. The primary purpose of the College is to promote the educational achievement of students, and to prepare them to be caring and competent practitioners in a multicultural society. The faculty recruit, educate, and graduate individuals particularly from groups who are underrepresented in the health professions. As a community of scholars, faculty and students work with communities to develop and implement collaborative projects that enhance health and wellness.

The College provides the opportunity for professional education without regard to race, age, gender, religion, ethnic origin or disability. In promoting excellence in education, graduates are prepared to deliver quality health care to all clients.

Consistent with the mission, the goals of the College are to:

• Nursing

• Occupational Therapy

• Health Information Administration

• Pre-Physical Therapy

• Community Health

• Health Sciences

What are the special academic features of your College (i.e., noted faculty, unusual courses, instructional techniques)?

The College of Health Sciences has a diverse faculty and student body. Over 50 percent of African American baccalaureate degree nurses, health information administrators and occupational therapists in the state of Illinois are graduates of Chicago State University (CSU); and over 90 percent of our graduates serve the metropolitan Chicago area and continue to make vital contributions in the delivery of health services in our community. All departments in the College maintain a student-faculty ratio of 1-6/8 students in the clinical areas and enjoy moderately small numbers in each class/lecture. Students enjoy cordial relationships with administration, faculty and staff. Faculty in the College of Health Sciences believe that "the student is the most important person on the campus for without them there would be no institution."

The Department of Nursing features an innovative, community-based curriculum that develops health professionals who possess the knowledge and leadership skills to meet community health needs today and tomorrow. The nursing program offers a baccalaureate degree curriculum for students without prior nursing experience and also offers courses for registered nurses (RN) and licensed practical nurses (LPN) to earn baccalaureate degrees. The popularity of our nursing program reflects the growing demand for nurses. It also affirms the College's success at preparing outstanding and caring graduates.

The Department of Occupational Therapy offers the only combined Bachelor of Science (BS) and Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) degree program in the State of Illinois. This innovative curriculum design addresses the complexity and challenges of current clinical practice while providing access and quality education in occupational therapy to underrepresented populations that might otherwise be excluded from the profession. The integrative curriculum in occupational therapy offers a rich and multicultural experience which enhances the program's social-cultural perspective of health focus and the diversity of the fieldwork experiences.

The Department of Health Information Administration offers a Bachelor of Science degree and a post-baccalaureate certificate curriculum in health information administration. Both curricula blends health science, information systems and management. On-line courses are among the Department of Health Information Administration's offerings. Many of our students - in fact, all who desire it - work part-time in the health information field while they study.

The Department of Health Studies offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Community Health and Pre-Physical Therapy, and a minor in Health Sciences. The Community Health program educates personnel who are trained to work as health educators, environmental health specialists, consumer health specialists, and consultants. The Pre-Physical Therapy program gives students the opportunity to complete general education and pre-professional courses at CSU then transfer to a university that offers a professional Physical Therapy program. Students may also choose to pursue a BS degree at CSU then apply to an entry-level post baccalaureate (Masters or Doctorate) professional program at another university.

The College has a major presence in the community through the research and service activities of the HIV/AIDS Research and Policy Institute (HARPI) and the Wellness/Health Center.

The University and therefore the College is an urban campus – Communiversity. Our educational programs (Nursing, Health Information Administration and Occupational Therapy) are fully accredited by their respective body.  Our student and faculty bodies are highly diverse representing various racial/ethnic groups. The College of Health Sciences faculty includes Fellowes of the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Academy of Nursing, and the American Occupational Therapy Association.

All our academic programs have clinical affiliation sites which cover hospital-based, community, public health, long-term rehabilitation, school-based and private settings which include such prestigious institutions as the University of Illinois Hospitals, LaRabida Children’s Hospital, Holy Cross Hospital and other notable institutions.

The College of Health Sciences is located in three buildings: the Business and Health Sciences Building (BHS), Douglas Hall (DH), and the Cook Administration Buidling (ADM). The BHS building is a six-story, modern architectural building with the Dean’s office located on the sixth floor. The College conference room is located on the fifth floor. The offices of the HIV/AIDS Institute are located on the sixth and fourth floors of the BHS building. The Departments of Nursing and Health Information Administration faculty offices are located on the second and fourth floors of the BHS building. The nursing skills, nursing library and nursing computer lab are located on the first floor. The Computer Lab for the Nursing program has computers with all connected to the Internet. The Health Information Administration computer lab, located on the fifth floor, has computers with all connected to the Internet. The Departments of Health Studies and Occupational Therapy are located on the first floor of Douglas Hall. The Wellness/Health Center is located on the first floor of the Cook Administration Building. The Webpage for the College has been completely re-designed with each department having an E-mail account to respond more promptly to inquiries from potential students:

CSU-CHS College of Health Sciences Account
CSU-HIA Health Information Administration Account
CSU-Nursing Nursing Account
CSU-OT Occupational Therapy Account
CSU-HWC Health and Wellness Center Account

Among the top ten professions having the best prospects for growth in the next ten years are Nursing and Occupational Therapy. Health Information Administration is listed among the three fastest growing disciplines. The outlook for all health professions is positive. Graduates of the Nursing program can look forward to serving as Head Nurses in acute and chronic hospitals, directors of clinical and community agencies; graduates of the Health Information Administration program can look forward to many opportunities in health care facilities and health care related facilities. Career opportunities exist in any organization that uses and manipulates data, such as private industry, pharmaceutical companies, professional associations, such as the American Medical Association, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospital organizations (JCAHO), and health executive associations. Beginning salary ranges for nurses, occupational therapists and nursing are similar and range between $38,000 to $42,000.

Top