Bachelor of Science in Herbal Sciences

The mission of the department is to inspire students and colleagues to carry forward the traditions and enrich the knowledge of botanical medicine with integrity.

The vision is to facilitate learning about plants and plant-centered medicine, guiding students to apply this knowledge toward growing, harvesting, manufacturing, and clinical practice. The inclusive range of knowledge runs from traditional wisdom to contemporary scientific information, emphasizing critical and creative thought and discovery.

The Bachelor of Science in Herbal Sciences is designed to provide a thorough, scientifically rigorous and inspiring exploration of herbalism and its applications. The curriculum of the herbal sciences degree does not include the diagnosis and treatment of disease, but rather introduces the student to concepts of disease prevention and health maintenance using medicinal herbs. The curriculum addresses economic, historical, and sociopolitical perspectives regarding herbal sciences. Additionally, issues related to herbal product manufacturing and quality assurance/quality control introduce the analytical aspects of herbs and herbal products. This program offers a substantial breadth of perspectives and approaches in the herbal sciences.

The program is based upon scientific inquiry in the herbal sciences. Students take courses in Anatomy and Physiology, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Botany during the first year of this program. Beginning in the first year, and heavily concentrated in the second year, are courses exploring various aspects of the herbal sciences. Introduction to Herbal Sciences, Plant Identification, Herbal Medicine History and Traditions, and Herbal Preparations lay a foundation in the junior year. In Research Methods for Herbal Sciences, students learn to interpret scientific literature on medicinal herbs. In Ethnobotany and Northwest Herbs, the door opens to the connection between people and plants in indigenous cultures, old and new. The senior year includes Pharmacognosy, Pharmacology, and Herb/Drug Interactions, and the Materia Medica series, deepening the knowledge base. First Aid for Herbalists lends hands-on experiences, as well as the Horticulture series, which runs through both years of the program. In additional courses, students become familiar with environmental, economic, and political issues surrounding the herbal sciences. There are electives available that cover a wide array of topics including diverse field courses.

Additionally, students are required to complete an 88-hour practicum with herbal manufacturers, herb growers, wildcrafters, practitioners, or researchers. Upon completion of this program, each student is uniquely qualified to enter the herbal industry, enter a clinically based program, or pursue further education in a related field.

Expected Program Outcomes

Following are the learning objectives for students in the herbal sciences program:

• Identify most commonly used medicinal plants utilizing botanical, organoleptic, and analytical methods of identification, and identify their medicinal indications and actions.
• Convey understanding of current political issues and trends pertaining to the herbal industry as well as the history of traditional use of herbs in medicine.
• Produce commonly used herbal preparations and discuss their potential in medicinal applications.
• Analyze herbal products using knowledge of pharmacognosy and Quality Assurance Quality Control (QAQC) test methods, and apply this analysis to potential research applications.
• Develop sound foundations in the sciences that prepare the student for science-based industry or graduate-level study, such as ethnobotany, pharmacology, pharmacognosy, clinical graduate work, research, herbal product development, and QAQC, bulk herb supplier, or herbal agriculture.
• Exhibit knowledge of safety parameters for use of medicinal plants.

Admissions

Minimum Requirements

To be admitted to the herbal sciences program at Bastyr University, transfer students must meet the following criteria:

• Complete 90 quarter (60 semester) credits from a regionally accredited college or university or its equivalent (only courses with a grade of C or higher are transferable),
• Achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.5 and prerequisite GPA of 2.0.
• Complete the general education and major-based prerequisite courses.

Undergraduate transfer students who complete one of the following transfer degrees will satisfy the general education requirements:

• Associate of Arts (AA)
• Associate of Science (AS)
• Direct Transfer Associate (DTA) [WA state]
• Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) [CA state]
• California State University Breadth [CA state]
• Associate Degree for Transfer [CA state]

Note: Technical degrees, such as Applied Science degrees, will not automatically satisfy the general education requirements. They will be reviewed on a course-by-course basis.

Major-Based Prerequisite Courses

General Education Requirements

To see examples of general gducation courses, please see General Admissions for Undergraduate students.

Basic Sciences Curriculum within Herbal Sciences

Basic science courses within the herbal sciences program include Anatomy and Physiology, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Pharmacology, and Disease Processes. These courses serve as a foundation for an understanding of the human body and provide students with the necessary skills and competency to pursue coursework in their chosen field.

The basic sciences faculty encourages and expects students to advance beyond the simple learning of scientific facts and to integrate systematically the information from basic science disciplines into a unified model of human organization and function. Problem solving, clinical cases, and examples are an integral part of the basic science curriculum.

Graduation Requirements

Upper-division Bachelor of Science students enrolled at Bastyr University must complete a minimum of 180 credits (inclusive of credits transferred into Bastyr). To graduate, Bachelor of Science students must have a minimum 2.0 GPA with a minimum of 45 credits in residence at Bastyr University.