A thorough understanding of human health and well-being is crucial to all individuals. It is fundamental to student performance. It is essential for a functional society. Student health education has been a priority of Cabrillo College since it was founded. It is the mission of the Health Science Department at Cabrillo College to provide students with the necessary educational tools to lead productive and healthful lives in an ever-changing world. In the field of Community & Individual health there is an increasing need for public health awareness regarding the crucial health issues of our time. Topics in our classes address subjects such as substance abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, mental health, nutrition and others which all contribute to the healthy individual.

The goals of the Health Science Department are:

To provide transfer education.  All of the health science courses are transferrable into Health Science/ Public Health Programs in the California University system. Students majoring in other related fields also utilize health courses as electives. The following are courses which transfer to the University system: H.S. 10 Personal Health, H.S. 12 Stress Management, H.S. 15 Human Sexuality, H.S. 20 Contemporary Issues In Health & Medicine, H.S. 21 Health & Physical Fitness.

To contribute to the over-all health consciousness of the community by providing courses which are recent in nature and are responsive to changing issues. One such example is the course Contemporary Issues in Health and Medicine.

To assist with graduation requirements. A number of lower division general health education courses satisfy student graduation requirements for the associate degree and/or health science major preparation, and/or assist in preparing the student for transfer to a four year college or university such as San Jose State University; San Francisco State University, or U.C. Berkeley.

To provide educational and academic assistance to students training in selected allied health fields leading to job entry, advancement, retraining and certification, and to associate degrees in Health Science/ Community Health.

To provide transitional programs and courses for students needing preparation to succeed in college-level work. The health courses are tailored to meet various student curriculum requirements. The Health Science Program is designed to present scientifically based, accurate, up-to-date information in an accessible format; to promote student responsibility for his/her own health and well-being and to instill in students a sense of personal competence through the acquisition of knowledge.