Health Sciences – Healthy Lifestyles and Fitness Science (BS)

Explores concepts, attitudes, research and practices associated with the optimization of health and performance. Students gain practical and foundational knowledge regarding evidence-based practice, nutrition, physical activity, executive function, strategies and cognition.

An engaging, multidisciplinary, scientific and practical exploration into factors influencing the well-being of individuals and society. Students experiment with mindsets, habits, strategies and skills to develop greater awareness and curiosity about lifelong well-being and success.

Develops essential health and wellness coaching skills for professionals, emphasizing behavioral change theories, motivational interviewing and evidence-based coaching strategies. Prepares students to facilitate sustainable behavior change, promote well-being and manage chronic diseases through client-centered coaching methodologies.

Covers substance use practices, motivations and health-related risks from a bio-psycho-social perspective. Examines regional trends, historical and policy impacts. Explores prevention, treatment and harm reduction interventions with an emphasis on strategies to reduce stigma associated with substance use.

Helps health and fitness professionals/educators understand the basics of exercise physiology, bioenergetics, exercise science and human performance. Topics are aligned to provide foundational knowledge to design physical activity programs that increase physical function and improve overall health.

Equips students with essential skills to manage health promotion programs, focusing on ethical leadership, stakeholder relationships and administrative tasks like budgeting, personnel management and technology integration.

Provides a foundation for those who anticipate working in the health field. Explores historical, cultural and philosophical underpinnings of health promotion. Teaches students how to develop and refine essential skills for working as health professionals, including effective researching, writing and critical thinking. Emphasizes the importance of evidence-based practice and introduces strategies for a preventive approach to health education and promotion.

Introduces career pathways in fitness science, health and wellness coaching, and health education and promotion. Encompasses academic preparation, professional development and career exploration, equipping students with the knowledge and skills necessary for future success.

Evaluates the major components of complementary and alternative health care models and evidenced-based recommendations related to complementary health care.

Explains individual and population-level health outcomes and behaviors based on various health theories and models. Applies health theories to inform clinical outcomes by exploring different influences on behavior: individual, interpersonal, community, systems and policies. Provides an in-depth look at how health is shaped from social and cognitive constructs.

Integrates the theory and practice of ethics within health-related disciplines and the application of bioethics by health science professionals, including health disparities.

Explores how to utilize social media to teach others about evidence-based health information. Analyzes digital health communication and the ways in which digital platforms are used to share health information. Examines misinformation, disinformation and effective ways to challenge both. Teaches how to create an evidence-based digital health communication campaign.

Introduces nutritional concepts with an emphasis on evidenced-based guidelines and practices. Students explore the macronutrients and micronutrients in food, how these nutrients are utilized by the body and their effect on overall health and disease. Also discusses what makes a 'healthy diet,' dietary eating patterns, energy balance and body weight. Students learn techniques to assess the credibility of nutrition information in the media, on the Internet and in scientific journals. Additional topics also include cultural aspect of food, food sustainability and food safety.

Introduces best practices for gathering, interpreting, analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating research within the nutrition field.

Examines the influence of physical activity, fitness and sedentary behavior on the risk of chronic disease and mortality, while emphasizing the principles of evidence-based practice.

Examines dietary choices throughout the life span and how they impact personal health and wellness. Raises awareness of thoughts and behaviors related to food and physical activity. Recognizes sociocultural factors that impact health behavior.