The B.S. in Health Promotion provides rigorous academic preparation in scientific and clinical knowledge of exercise physiology, human physiological chemistry, programming, health psychology, and nutrition, as well as organizational/human resource management. The program includes course work from the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, and the Kogod School of Business. Experiential learning opportunities are available at federal government agencies and many organizations dealing with health, education, managed care, and physical fitness to meet the internship/cooperative education requirement of the program. This curriculum prepares students for a health promotion position in a corporate, community, commercial, or school environment, or for graduate work in health-related fields. 

Admission to the Program

Formal admission to the major requires a grade point average of 2.70 (on a 4.00 scale) after the freshman year and departmental approval. In addition to the university requirements for transfer admission, applicants should have maintained a minimum grade point average of 2.70 (on a 4.00 scale). Students with a grade point average between 2.50 and 2.70 may be formally admitted to the major after completion of 15 credit hours with a minimum grade point average of 3.00. 

University Requirements

• A total of 120 credit hours 
• 6 credit hours of college writing 
• 3 credit hours of college mathematics or the equivalent by examination 

General Education Requirements

• A total of ten courses, consisting of one foundation course and one second-level course in an approved sequence from each of the five curricular areas 
• No more than 6 credit hours may be taken in the same discipline 

Major Requirements

• 59 credit hours with grades of C or better 

Course Requirements

• BIO-200 Structure and Function of the Human Body 5:2 (3) 
• CHEM-100 The Molecular World 5:1 (4) 
• CHEM-506 Human Physiological Chemistry (3) 
• HFIT-200 Lifetime Health and Fitness (3) 
• HFIT-205 Current Concepts in Nutrition 5:2 (3) 
• HFIT-240 Introduction to Health Promotion (3) 
• HFIT-245 Gender, Culture, and Health 4:2 (3) 
• HFIT-250 Strategies in Stress Reduction (3) 
• HFIT-325 Exercise Physiology (3) 
• HFIT-335 Health Promotion Program Planning (3) 
• HFIT-410 Health Promotion Evaluation (3) 
• HFIT-488 Senior Seminar (3) 
• HFIT-491 Internship in Health Promotion (6) or 

    HFIT-392 Cooperative Education Field Experience (6) 

• HFIT-540 Health Communication (3) 
• MGMT-353 Principles of Organizational Theory,
       Behavior and Management (3) 
• PSYC-105 Psychology: Understanding
       Human Behavior 4:1 (3) 
• PSYC-333 Health Psychology (3) 
• STAT-202 Basic Statistics (4) 

University Honors Program

Students in the University Honors Program have the opportunity to graduate with University Honors in the major. All University Honors students must complete at least 12 credit hours of advanced-level (300-level and above) Honors courses including a 3 to 6 credit hour Honors Senior Capstone Project. Students may graduate with University Honors in the major if they complete at least 12 advanced-level Honors courses including the Senior Capstone Project in the department. Each department has three levels of University Honors requirements: Level I Options (100-200-level Honors classes); Level II Options (300-level and above Honors classes); and Level III Options (Honors Senior Capstone). The department Honors coordinator advises students in the University Honors Program regarding departmental options. For more information, go to  www.american.edu/academic.depts/honors/ . 

Combined B.S. in Health Promotion and M.S. in Health Promotion Management

American University offers students the opportunity to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees through its accelerated bachelor’s/master’s programs. Undergraduate students may complete up to 3 credits for every 9 credits required for the graduate degree that may be applied to the requirements for both degree programs. The department that oversees the graduate program the student enters will determine if the courses the undergraduate student completes will satisfy master’s degree requirements. Bachelor’s/master’s students must complete at least 18 in-residence credit hours at the graduate level after the bachelor’s degree is earned and maintain continuous, sequential enrollment in the two programs. 

This program allows qualified students to earn both a B.S. in Health Promotion and an M.S. in Health Promotion Management. 

Requirements

• Undergraduates whose overall grade point average is 3.00 or higher will be considered for the combined program. Students should discuss their interest in the program with the academic advisor for the B.S. in Health Promotion program before submitting a formal application. The application for admission to the M.S. in Health Promotion Management program should be completed before the fall semester of their senior year. 
• All requirements for the B.S. in Health Promotion 

Undergraduate students may apply up to 12 credit hours of approved graduate-level course work to satisfy the requirements for both degrees. 

• All requirements for the M.S. in Health Promotion Management, including a minimum of 18 credit hours completed in residence in graduate status after the undergraduate degree has been awarded. Students must finish the master’s degree requirements within three years from the date of first enrollment in the master’s program.