This program features distinctive integrative health-based coursework in order to prepare graduates to design programs and interventions that will support health behavior change and health maintenance. It includes a broad and inclusive understanding of integrative health practices, an evidence-based understanding of traditional, complementary, and conventional medicine, as well as self-care practices. The expert faculty that teach and mentor students are leaders and practitioners in the fields of integrative health and health education in the community, workplace, school or within healthcare settings. Students select an environment they would like to concentrate on throughout their program, with access to information in all the above areas.
Community Health Education
Health educators work with groups, organizations, and communities to assess their health challenges and needs and then create and evaluate programs and interventions. These professionals often direct and manage projects and programs, consult with organizations and health departments, give public presentations, write articles and books on a variety of health topics, facilitate workshops and serve as faculty in higher education. Health educators may also specialize in working with specific populations, such as the youth or the elderly, or focus their work on specific chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, or obesity. Overall, community health education and promotion professionals play critical roles in empowering individuals, building healthier communities, and advancing public health goals. By promoting health literacy, facilitating behavior change, advocating for policy change, and fostering community engagement, health educators contribute to improving the health and well-being of populations.
Workplace Wellness
A workplace wellness program is an employment-based activity or employer-sponsored benefit designed to promote health-related behaviors and disease management. These programs are becoming increasingly common, and frequently use health professionals to target and incentivize behavior shifts including designing and implementing employee wellness programs, providing access to health screenings and preventative care, creating incentives for employees to participate in physical activity and healthy eating habits, providing resources and support for stress management and promoting work-life balance. Organizations are very interested in these shifts because they see the potential to increase employee production and morale and decrease healthcare costs. Focusing on workplace wellness allows students to build core competencies around program needs assessment, development, and evaluation, and then focus specifically on the workplace setting for health promotion activities. These competencies and the foundational knowledge of integrative health practices provide graduates with a competitive advantage in a rapidly growing field.
Can’t decide whether health promotion or health and wellness coaching is the program for you? Review this comparative summary to learn more about these professions.
School Health
The field of school health at a primary, secondary or university level, encompasses a broad range of initiatives and practices aimed at promoting the physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being of students within educational settings. Health Promotion professionals organize campaigns and events to raise awareness about specific health issues such as bullying prevention, smoking cessation, healthy relationships and education about the dangers of substance abuse, sexual health and reproductive education, and promoting safe behaviors. These initiatives often involve collaboration with community organizations and healthcare providers and can include both physical and mental health support, policy development and community involvement.
The Healthcare Environment
Health promotion professionals play a crucial role within the US healthcare system, focusing on empowering individuals and communities to adopt healthy behaviors and lifestyles, thereby preventing illness and promoting overall well-being. Our program’s preventative self-care emphasis is a proactive approach to increasing health literacy, education and awareness and increasing health equity for those we engage with in healthcare environment. By leveraging diverse expertise and resources, collaborative efforts can amplify the impact of health promotion interventions.
