Bachelor
of Science in Health Promotion:
BS in Health Promotion
The BS in Health Promotion provides rigorous academic preparation
in scientific and clinical knowledge of exercise physiology, human physiological
chemistry, health promotion programming, health psychology, and nutrition,
as well as organizational/human resource management. This interdisciplinary
program derives its foundation from a combination of coursework through
the
Departments of Chemistry, and Psychology,
and the Kogod School of
Business.
In addition, experiential learning opportunities are available through
the federal government and many health-related centers and organizations.
What
Can I Do With a Degree in Health Promotion?
Click
here to find out.
Health Promotion Program
The Health
Promotion Program is a part of the College
of Arts and Sciences. In addition to the BS in Health Promotion,
the program offers a masters degree in Health
Promotion Management, and elective
courses
including fitness activities, sport skills, stress management,
lifetime wellness, and sports psychology. In order to give each student
exceptional attention and support, the number of students enrolled in
the courses are kept small. At any one time, there are about 35 students
in the BS program and 40 students in the MS program.
American University's Health Promotion Program has a long history in health promotion and wellness. Founded in 1980, the department continues to train leaders in the field through its graduate degree in health fitness management. The graduate program has earned international recognition for its progressive health promotion curricula. Today more than 300 graduates work throughout the world in a variety of health promotion positions. These graduates actively network through the annual alumni directory, providing internship opportunities to students and employment opportunities to graduates.
Message from the
Chair
Tomorrow's leaders in health promotion are being educated at American
University today. The Health Promotion Program has been in existence
for 20 years. We are proud to say that the department has over 300 graduates
in six countries and continues to educate the best and the brightest
in the field. The department joins our affiliate, the National Center
for Health Fitness (NCHF) in defining health and embarking on health
promotion activities.
The NCHF was organized to provide leadership for the nation in the area of health risk identification and life-style improvement. The NCHF seeks to stay abreast of the growing and changing needs of the health fitness profession, to stay at the forefront of the nation's health fitness issues, and to maintain its leadership position as the premiere health and fitness academic center. We have the capacity to control our health to a great degree.
At the department and the center, we define health as not merely the absence of disease, but rather as the optimal level of physical, mental, social and spiritual well being. This is the objective of health promotion. Through lifestyle everyone has the potential to achieve an optimal level of wellness. We are dedicated to providing the leadership, education, training and research necessary for people to improve their total wellness and quality of life. We hope that you will join us in our mission to continue to be on the cutting edge of health promotion.
Dr. Robert C. Karch
Director, Health Promotion Program
Executive Director, National Center for Health Fitness
National Center
for Health Fitness
American University's National
Center for Health Fitness provides students in the BS and MS programs
with many helpful resources and facilities. These include the William
I Jacobs Fitness Center, the United States Postal Service Headquarters
Health Promotion
Program, and the International
Institute for Health Promotion.
These resources enable experiential learning opportunities in the areas of comprehensive health promotion programming, cost-benefit research, and strategic planning initiatives for organizations interested in worksite health promotion. In addition, the Center has a human performance laboratory with state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment for assessment of cardiovascular fitness and pulmonary function; a physical fitness center fully equipped to accommodate all forms of human conditioning; a body composition laboratory with modern hydrostatic weighing facilities; and computer communications systems.
American University
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Washington, DC
Our Washington, DC location puts the student within minutes of the
Department of Health and Human Services,
National Institutes of Health,
National Institute on Aging,
President's Council
on Physical Fitness and Sports, and National
Library of Medicine as well as many nonprofit organizations, such
as the American Heart Association.
For more information on
Washington, DC:
Contact Us
Health Promotion Program
McCabe Hall--Second Floor
American University
4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20016-8037
Phone: (202) 885-6275
Fax: (202) 885-6288
E-mail: healthfitness@american.edu
Internet address:
http://www.american.edu/healthpromotion
