In this Guide
Learn the many ways you can extend your classroom experience to the real world.
- Take introductory Health Studies courses including Introduction to Public Health and Social Determinants of Health, and explore other programs of interest through electives.
- Take required Biology and Chemistry laboratory courses.
- Enhance your academic experience at Laurier through professional one-on-one, online and peer-to-peer resources available through Academic Advising and Support.
- Take required Anatomy and Physiology laboratory courses.
- Complete a variety of required and elective Health Studies courses including Health Policy, Environment and Health, Health Promotion and more
- If you’re thinking about applying to postgraduate study, including medical school, graduate school or other clinical pathways, talk with your professors and visit the Career Centre.
- Complete the research-intensive course or health care practicum course.
- Consider a directed studies course to explore a topic in Health Studies.
- If you’re interested in medical school as your next step after graduation, learn about Laurier’s pathway agreement with the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC). If you meet all eligibility and admission requirements, you are guaranteed an admissions interview with the AUC School of Medicine.
- If you’re applying to graduate school, sign up for a scholarship proposal writing workshop and book a further education application appointment.
As an Applied Health Sciences student, you can:
- Join student clubs such as the Health Studies Student Association and build leadership skills through joining an executive team.
- Connect with local health organizations to learn about volunteer opportunities. This will help build your resumé for graduate school, professional health program applications and job opportunities.
Outside of your program, there are many co-curricular opportunities for you to participate in.
- Check out the Experience Catalogue for a full list of co-curricular experiences that are currently offered across campus.
- Volunteer with the Students’ Union (e.g., Laurier Orientation, Hawk Walk, EcoHawks, Food Bank, Emergency Response Team, Shinerama).
- Volunteer on campus with the Accessible Learning, Global Engagement, Sustainability Office, Centre for Student Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, WLU Student Publications and more.
- Get involved in the local community by volunteering off campus.
- Apply for on-campus jobs:
- Check Navigator frequently for job postings or contact individual departments directly.
- Search for job opportunities on the Students’ Union website.
- If you meet eligibility criteria, apply for the Laurier Work Study Program or International Student Work Experience Program.
- Attend Job Fairs to network with employers.
- Explore ways to get involved in research.
- Look into StartUp Lab opportunities for support in launching a new venture.
Job/Volunteer Search Tips
- While on-campus opportunities are posted year-round, recruitment often starts early! Start looking in the winter term for opportunities in the following academic year.
- Have your resumé and LinkedIn profile reviewed by Career Centre staff for both on and off-campus opportunities.
- Laurier offers a variety of co-curricular certificates that you can complete during your studies. Earn certificates in topics including academic development, professional development, wellness, leadership and career development.
- Participate in workshops, programming and events offered by the Career Centre, Gendered and Sexual Violence Prevention and Support, Laurier Library, the Centre for Student Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and more.
- Engage in the First-Year Leadership Program including Campus Councils and House Council and the Leadership Certificate.
- Connect with Global Engagement to learn about international options available to you including opportunities abroad and language and culture sharing programs.
Design Your Degree
These are a few popular academic opportunities which allow you to dive deeper into your major area of study or broaden your knowledge. See undergraduate options, minors and courses for more information.
Develop Your Knowledge and Skills
As a Laurier student, you will develop the following competencies through your curricular and co-curricular experiences.
Competency Framework
Competencies are categories of transferrable skills that appear on your online Experience Record to help you reflect on what you've learned from your experiences. The competencies include:
- Adaptability and Resiliency
- Collaboration and Teamwork
- Communication
- Creativity and Innovation
- Critical Thinking
- Digital Literacy
- Diversity and Intercultural Understanding
- Functional Knowledge
- Leadership
- Problem Solving
- Professional Attributes
- Self-Awareness
Functional Knowledge
- Understand how biological processes, environmental quality, social status, health care services and government policies affect individual and community health.
- Use class and hands-on lab work to develop critical knowledge about human biology as it relates to disease processes, including anatomy and physiology, virology and immunity.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the Canadian health care system including institutions, jurisdiction and funding as well as workplace health and safety regulations.
- Develop knowledge of epidemiology and the factors that govern the measurement and analysis of heath and disease in populations.
- Learn about strategies to prevent, control, investigate and manage infectious disease outbreaks in communities.
- Develop an awareness of data collection and analysis methods used in applied health research including research design, sampling, experiments and surveys.
- Discover how information is sourced, valued and used in creating new knowledge.
Discover Career Options
All your experiences at Laurier can help you prepare for your future. Attend Career Centre events and workshops or book a career consulting appointment to explore career and further education options.
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Pursuing Further Education
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Employed
17 Brantford Health Program respondents from the 2024 Laurier Graduate Survey conducted by the Career Centre. Graduates were surveyed within 12 months of graduation. Other includes those travelling, volunteering or out of the workforce. 6% of graduates were looking for employment when survey data collection ended.
Alumni Careers and Pathways
Sample Further Education Programs Within the First Year After Graduation
- Master’s Degree - Health and Aging, Occupational Therapy, Public Health
- College Program - Concurrent Disorders
- Doctor - Medicine
Sample Jobs Within the First Year After Graduation
- clinic lead
- community health navigator
- medical administrator
- public health officer
- research assistant
- residence education student coordinator
- technical training coordinator
Careers Of Alumni Two to Five Years After Graduation
- accident benefits claims adjuster
- diagnostic medical sonographer
- emergency management assistant
- epidemiologist
- medical doctor
- patient care specialist
- policy analyst
- research coordinator
Career Options and Resources
Need some guidance on what you can do with your degree? Discover some career options and find resources to help guide you.
Career and Industry Options
- clinical research
- community outreach
- dietetics
- epidemiology
- government
- health and safety
- health policy
- health research
- healthcare/rehabilitation
- informatics
- insurance
- long-term care
- mental health
- non-profit/advocacy
- occupational therapy
- pharmacology
- public health
- social service
- wellness education
Your Experiences Tell Your Story
Share your story through your Laurier Experience Record. An interactive, shareable and official record of your hands-on experiences and learning opportunities at Laurier – the first of its kind in Canada!
Share Your Feedback
We'd love to hear from you. Complete the Laurier Experience Guide Feedback Survey to share your thoughts.