All schools in Upshur County will close at 1 p.m. today. All B-UHS sporting events today are canceled.

Glenville State University launches new health sciences program to aid rural healthcare

GSU President Mark A. Manchin with nursing students following ribbon cutting for new College of Health Sciences facility.

Glenville State University Board of Governors has approved a new Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences program. This program is a reformation of existing degree programs within the College of Health Sciences, designed to better prepare students for professional degrees. The concentrations include Pre-Medical, Pre-Dental, Pre-Pharmacy, Pre-Physician’s Assistant, Pre-Physical Therapy, Pre-Occupational Therapy, Pre-Chiropractic and Pre-Athletic Training.

University President Mark A. Manchin aims to see Glenville State as the beacon of rural healthcare in the state. “I am extremely excited about this opportunity to improve healthcare in central WV,” Manchin said. “The ultimate goal is to prepare students to continue their healthcare education so that, one day, they will return to their rural communities and serve their friends and neighbors.”

Dean of Health Sciences Dr. Kevin Evans is proud of the chance to serve not only West Virginia but also rural communities throughout the Eastern United States. “Developing this essential pipeline of prepared, driven students into strong graduate level programs throughout the East Coast could change the trajectory of medicine in these rural areas,” Evans said. Evans has worked closely with Dr. Meri Clements, Provost of GSU, to create a challenging program that prepares and inspires GSU students to continue their education smoothly.

Dr. Evans has developed memorandums of understanding with multiple professional schools in each concentration to ensure that, upon graduating with a 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA, GSU students will have guaranteed spots awaiting them. “This fantastic opportunity will not only equip our students and grow the university, it will also make great strides in improving rural healthcare – making quality healthcare available to all West Virginians,” said Clements.

The Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences program will be available to students beginning in fall 2025. It is designed to provide a smooth transition into respective degrees in medicine and allied health. The program will provide 44 credit hours of core foundational knowledge in healthcare, 32 credit hours of coursework for typical prerequisite requirements for specific professional health-related programs, and 14 credit hours of electives (general and/or restricted) for any unique requirements to strengthen academic preparation.

To learn more about this and other Glenville State University programs, please visit https://www.glenville.edu/

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