Health Promotion & Exercise Sciences
Bachelor of SCIENCE
PUBLIC HEALTH - FITNESS & WELLNESS
This program is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).
Fitness, Performance, Instruction and wellness
The Fitness & Wellness option is designed for students interested in pursuing a career in fitness training, human performance, exercise instruction, and wellness coaching.
Program Goals
- Prepare students with the proficiencies to become lifelong learners, and provide the skills needed to contribute to a healthy lifestyle and improved quality of life for themselves and the people they educate.
- Provide a comprehensive and multidisciplinary academic curriculum that prepares its graduates for careers in a variety of health education and promotion fields.
- Prepare students to meet the standards set by state and national credentialing organizations for careers in health promotion and education.
- Provide a comprehensive and multi-disciplinary approach to health promotion and education.
Degree Requirements:
All degrees at WCSU require 120 semester hours (SH). This includes major requirements, general education requirements, cognates (where applicable), and free electives. This structure provides room for minors, internships, and study abroad.
General Education: All students must complete the General Education curriculum. General Education Requirements include both competency and breadth requirements. In some cases, major courses will satisfy competencies. These are indicated in the parentheses after the course title. For a complete description of the General Education program, follow this link.
Cognates: In some programs there are courses outside of the major that are required as pre-requisites or enhancements to the major course work. These courses may satisfy competencies and they will count toward the general education breadth requirement. If cognate courses are required, they are included in the list of courses required in the major.
Electives: All degrees require 120 semester hours. Elective credits are opportunities for minors, internships, study abroad, and just following general interests. We encourage all students to speak with their advisors about great opportunities for their elective courses.
Semester 1
| Course | SH |
|---|---|
| HPX 100 Intro to Health & Wellness (FY) | 3 |
| SOC 100 Intro to Sociology (CT, IC) | 3 |
| WRT 101 Composition I (W1) | 3 |
| MAT 100 Intermediate Math OR MAT 115/120 Statistics (QR) | 3 |
| PSY 100 Intro to Psychology | 3 |
Semester 2
| Course | SH |
|---|---|
| HPX 103 Introduction to Public Health | 3 |
| CHE 102 Everyday Chemistry (SI, CT Rpt. 1) | 4 |
| Writing Tier 2 (W2) | 3 |
| MAT 115/MAT 120 Biostatistics or Statistics (QR) OR Free Elective | 3 |
| Gen Ed: Breadth | 3 |
Semester 3
| Course | SH |
|---|---|
| HPX 200 Intro to Community Health Assessment (IL) | 3 |
| HPX 254 Exercise Testing and Prescription | 3 |
| SW 220 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (IC, Rpt. 2) | 3 |
| BIO 105 Anatomy & Phys I (SI) | 4 |
| PHI 223 Ethical Issues in Healthcare (CT, OC) | 3 |
Semester 4
| Course | SH |
|---|---|
| HPX 270 Health Education Theory & Application | 3 |
| HPX 202 Epidemiology of Disease | 3 |
| HPX 203 Intro to Human Nutrition | 3 |
| BIO 106 Anat. & Phys II (SI, Rpt. 3) | 4 |
| Gen Ed: Creative Process (CP) | 3 |
Semester 5
| Course | SH |
|---|---|
| HPX 370 Health Program Planning & Intro to Evaluation (W3) | 3 |
| HPX 371 Health Communication Methods & Materials | 3 |
| HPX 348 Principles of Wellness Coaching | 3 |
| PSY 260 Health Psychology (HW) | 3 |
| Free Electives | 3 |
Semester 6
| Course | SH |
|---|---|
| HPX 470 Health Program Implementation & Evaluation Methods (CE) | 3 |
| HPX 255 Group Activity Instruction OR HPX 313 Principles of Personal Training | 3 |
| PSY Elective | 3 |
| Free Electives | 6 |
Semester 7
| Course | SH |
|---|---|
| HPX Fitness and Wellness Elective | 3 |
| Free Electives | 10-12 |
Semester 8
| Course | SH |
|---|---|
| HPX 490 Public Health Practicum | 12 |
| HPX 491 Public Health Senior Seminar | 1 |
Career Options
- Health Coach
- Personal Training
- Wellness Programs
- Exercise Science
- Fitness Class Instruction
- Fitness Testing
- Strength & Conditioning
- Athletic Training
- Corporate Wellness
- Health Program Design
Internship Opportunities/Field Placements
- Pure Physique, Danbury
- RedZone Cross Fit, Newtown
- HighLife by Tom, Ridgefield
- University Athletics – WCSU, Yale, Quinnipiac, Post, Fairfield
- Xceleration, Deer Park, NY
- Golf Performance Center, Ridgefield
- Camp Herrlich, Patterson, NY
- Waterbury Parks and Recreation, Waterbury
- Regional YMCA, Waterbury
- Middletown YMCA, Middletown, NY
- Advanced Therapy and Performance, Stamford