Health and Wellness Major (BS Degree)
Why Major in Health and Wellness?
If you are interested in health, fitness, and wellness and want to have a career in promoting public health, health education, advocacy, and prevention of disease, the BS in Health and Wellness is a great option. Iona's Health and Wellness major prepares students to offer educational and proactive health programming to their communities.
Why earn a bachelor of science degree in Health and Wellness at Iona?
A Broad, Interdisciplinary Approach
At Iona, we believe that broadening the scope of an education can lead to better outcomes for patients and clients. This degree touches upon various disciplines so that students graduate with the tools necessary to make a positive impact on helping individuals improve their overall well-being. In addition to Health and Wellness, these disciplines include:
- Psychology
- Communications
- Entrepreneurship
- Biological and Physical Science
- Marketing
A Focus on Community Engagement
The ability to engage with local communities is critical for those who want to work in the health and wellness industry. By doing so, practitioners can learn about issues affecting specific populations and geographies, and work to develop solutions to address them. Students are immersed in service learning to practice citizenship and promote awareness of and participation in public affairs. This program prepares students to do so by:
- offering classes that focus on intentional engagement;
- working with community partners within the University;
- collaborating with external community partners in New Rochelle and adjacent communities;
- completing a semester-long internship to gain hands-on experience.
A Path to Occupational Therapy
Undergraduate students interested in a career in Occupational Therapy will be happy to know that this degree provides a clear path to that end goal. Students in this program can choose electives that satisfy all prerequisite coursework to apply for Iona's Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy.
What You Will Learn
A Balanced Curriculum Grounded in Health Science
Throughout the completion of required courses such as human anatomy and physiology, students will also explore how nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle have a role in health and wellness. Additionally, students will be exposed to principles relating to developmental psychology, math, and learn how to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. These ideas and concepts will be integrated to help students understand how to develop and implement health promotions, advocacy and fitness programming..
Choose from Five Different Tracks
While all students will be well-versed in the foundations of health and wellness, they will also pursue a concentration based on their interests. Each 15-credit track augments the degree so that students can more deeply explore complementary subject matter that interests them most.
1. Behavioral Health Track
- For students interested in careers in occupational therapy, psychology, mental health and substance abuse counseling.
2. Communication & Advocacy Track
- For students who want to pursue careers in health communications, health education or community health.
3. Entrepreneurship Track
- For students who want to develop their skills with an entrepreneurial mindset and promote health in distinct and innovative ways.
4. Healthcare Marketing Track
- For students interested in marketing and the business of healthcare, healthcare communications and education.
5. Social Issues in Public Health Track
- For students interested in sociology, politics and human behavior and who want to pursue graduate careers in social work and/or public health.
Careers & Outcomes
As a graduate of Iona’s BS in Health and Wellness program, students will develop the skills appropriate for positions in many health-related areas including as health education specialists and community health workers. According to projections from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth in this area is expected to increase by 12% from 2021-2031 with 16,000 positions projected each year on average.
Health education specialists can also obtain additional credentials from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing to become a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) by examination. This certification provides further distinctiveness in the labor force.
Iona's Health and Wellness Major (BS Degree) is also an appropriate path for those looking to pursue graduate degrees in occupational therapy, public health, health communication, and health promotions.
Job Titles
- Health Education Specialist
- Community Health Worker
- Fitness and/or Wellness Director
- Health Promotions Coordinator
- Fitness Consultant
- Personal Trainer
Health and Wellness Program Highlights
Earn Two Certificates
Students will complete coursework that will result in two recognized certificates:
- NASPA Certified Peer Educator (CPE) training: Ensures that students have the leadership skills necessary to develop and implement campus programs.
- Adult Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training: Helps students to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among adults.
Pursue an Additional Minor and/or complete the Prerequisites for an MS in OT
Each of the five tracks features coursework that can lead to a minor with the addition of just a few courses. These include minors in Drug & Alcohol Abuse, Healthcare Communication, Marketing, Entrepreneurship & Innovation, and Diversity & Social Welfare. Additionally, students interested in pursuing a Master's degree in Occupational Therapy will have the opportunity to complete all prerequisite coursework needed to apply.
Gain Hands-On Experience
Students gain hands-on training with a semester-long internship in an agency, business or other setting that provides community or public health promotion. These internships are an opportunity for students to experience what it is like to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom into a professional setting. Health promotion, advocacy assessment and advocacy are just some of the topics targeted during each internship. Additionally, Iona's dedicated faculty and staff will assist students when it comes time to finding the right internship.
Gain Early Acceptance to the MS in Occupational Therapy Program
Designed for students who want to work as an occupational therapist, Iona’s Occupational Therapy’s Early Acceptance Program helps you earn your Bachelor’s degree and secure a spot in the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program.
To be considered for entry into the program, applicants must:
- Major in Health and Wellness, Psychology or Neuroscience
- Have an overall high school GPA of 3.3
- Complete 4 years of math and science coursework with a grade of a B or better
Health and Wellness Spotlight
5 Tips for Reducing Stress Around Finals
As the semester comes to a close, it's easy to get stressed about deadlines and finals. In this piece, Dr. Nevers offers 5 easy actions anyone can take to help manage and reduce stress. Better stress-management can even lead to improved outcomes!
Don't wait to incorporate these tips into your life - they can be applied anytime to help refocus and stay motivated!
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