# Health Science (HSCI) courses

San Jose City College · 2026-2027 Catalog · 5 courses

Source: https://catalog.sjcc.edu/course-descriptions-information/course-descriptions/hsci/

"Offered" lists sections in this catalog year's class schedules: Summer 2026, Fall 2026, Spring 2027.

### HSCI 008 — Medical Terminology

- **Units:** 3
- **Hours:** Lecture Hours: 3
- **Transfers to:** CSU, UC
- **Offered:** Fall 2026, 2 sections (/c/san-jose-city-college/schedule/fall-2026/hsci.md); Spring 2027, 4 sections (/c/san-jose-city-college/schedule/spring-2027/hsci.md)
- Repeatable: No
- Grading: L
- A medical terminology course including an introduction to body systems and functions.
- Advisory Level: Read: 3 Write: 3 Math: None Cal-GETC: None District GE: None
- Degree Applicable: AA/AS

Students will receive a thorough grounding in basic medical terminology through a study of root words, prefixes and suffixes. Medical terminology is the study of the principles of medical word building to help the student develop the extensive medical vocabulary used in health care occupations. The study focuses on correct pronunciation, spelling and use of medical terms. Students will develop a base knowledge of body systems through the further study of pathology, laboratory tests, and diagnostic and treatment procedures.

### HSCI 138 — Work Experience

- **Units:** 1-8
- **Hours:** Lab Hours: 2.07
- **Corequisite:** Be employed or a volunteer at an approved work-site for the minimum number of hours per unit as stipulated for paid and unpaid status.
- **Transfers to:** CSU
- **Offered:** not on the Summer 2026, Fall 2026, Spring 2027 schedules
- Repeatable: Yes
- Grading: O
- Advisory Level: Read: 3 Write: 3 Math: None Cal-GETC: None District GE: None
- Degree Applicable: AA/AS

Work Experience is designed for students who work or volunteer in a field related to a health sciences career. Students are required to provide evidence that they are enrolled in a career program (e.g., education plan or coursework in a career/technical subject area). Students can earn one unit of credit for each 60 hours of unpaid volunteer time or 75 hours of paid work during the semester. Students can repeat Career/Technical Work Experience, combined with General Work Experience, or alone, 1 to 8 units allowed per semester, for up to a maximum of 16 units total. Internship/job placement is not guaranteed.

### HSCI 500 — COVID-19 Contact Tracing

- **Units:** 0
- **Hours:** Lecture Hours: 2
- **Offered:** not on the Summer 2026, Fall 2026, Spring 2027 schedules
- Repeatable: Yes
- Grading: N
- Cal-GETC: None District GE: None
- Advisory Level: Read: 2 Write: 2 Math: 2
- Degree Applicable: NC

Students will learn the primary protocols of contact tracing for COVID-19. Topics will include: a background of epidemiology and understanding of emergency response, an overview of public health terminology, an understanding of COVID-19 (ie. transmission prevention, symptoms, social distancing, quarantine isolation, and the incubation and infectious period.), basic steps of contact tracing, skills and qualities necessary for contact tracers, an overview of health information privacy and security, and the ethics of data collection during an outbreak. Students will gain hands-on skills and training for contact tracing scenarios of someone showing no signs vs. someone showing signs of COVID-19. Students will receive training on documenting calls, working with non-English speaking contacts, working with contacts that have communication impairments, providing follow-up resources, and insights shared from contact tracers in the field.

### HSCI 501 — Infectious Disease Case Investigator

- **Units:** 0
- **Hours:** Lecture Hours: 2
- **Offered:** not on the Summer 2026, Fall 2026, Spring 2027 schedules
- Repeatable: Yes
- Grading: N
- Cal-GETC: None District GE: None
- Advisory Level: Read: 2 Write: 2 Math: 2
- Degree Applicable: NC

Students will learn the primary protocols of infectious disease case investigation for COVID-19. Topics will include: the primary steps for case investigation (ie. identification, prioritization, notification of results, interviewing, follow-up and next steps) and skills and qualities necessary for case investigators. Students will gain hands-on skills and training for interview contacts, explaining confidentiality to contacts, completing health risk assessment, self-isolation tools and supports assessment, contact elicitation, and protocols for investigation under varying scenarios. Students will be trained on confidentiality and privacy requirements, documenting calls, working with non-English speaking contacts, working with contacts that have communication impairments, providing follow-up resources, field investigations, and insights shared from case investigators in the field.

### HSCI 502 — Work Place Safety - Infectious Disease

- **Units:** 0
- **Hours:** Lecture Hours: 2
- **Offered:** not on the Summer 2026, Fall 2026, Spring 2027 schedules
- Repeatable: Yes
- Grading: N
- Cal-GETC: None District GE: None
- Advisory Level: Read: 2 Write: 2 Math: None
- Degree Applicable: NC

This course will cover basic steps that every employer can take to reduce the risk of worker exposure to infectious disease, such as SARS-CoV-2. Content covers limiting exposure, communication with workforce, employer responsibilities, and support for operations. Additionally, specific guidance relating to: focusing on jobs classified as having low, medium, high, and very high exposure risks and providing specific recommendations for employers and workers within specific risk categories.