Health Promotion (BS)

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Offered by the Department of Health Studies , College of Arts and Sciences , the Health Promotion (BS) provides rigorous academic preparation in the scientific and clinical knowledge of human anatomy and physiology, nutrition, exercise physiology, and health psychology combined with the aspect of health promotion communication and programming.

The program includes coursework from the Departments of Biology and Psychology along with a capstone internship experience. Experiential learning opportunities are available at federal government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and corporations that deal with health, education, and physical activity. This curriculum prepares students for a health promotion position in a corporate, community, commercial, or school environment, or for graduate work in a health-related field.

Admission to the Program

Formal admission to the major requires a grade point average of 2.67 (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 2.67 (on a 4.00 scale). Students with a grade point average between 2.50 and 2.67 may be formally admitted to the major after completion of 15 credit hours with a minimum grade point average of 3.00.

University Requirements

120 credit hours with minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 2 )
Completion of all requirements for a major (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 9 )

AU Core Requirements

Completion of AU Core foundation requirements (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 8.2-8.6 )
Completion of AU Core Habits of Mind requirements (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 8.7 )
Completion of AU Core integrative course requirements (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 8.8-8.11 )

For additional information, see AU Core Curriculum .

Major Requirements

58 credit hours with grades of C or better

Course Requirements

Required (42 credit hours)

Basic Statistics (4 credit hours)

Complete 4 credit hours from the following:

Concentration (6 credit hours)

Complete 6 credit hours from the following:

Capstone (6 credit hours)

HLTH-488 Senior Seminar (3)
HLTH-491 Health Studies Internship (1-6) (3 credit hours required)

Combined Health Promotion (BS) and Health Promotion Management (MS)

American University offers students the opportunity to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees through its combined bachelor’s/master’s programs. See Admission to a Combined Bachelor’s / Master’s Program and Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees for more information.

In addition to meeting the minimum university requirements for combined bachelor’s/master’s programs:

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 Health Promotion (BS) before submitting a formal application

Combined Health Promotion (BS) and Nutrition Education (MS)

In addition to meeting the minimum university requirements for combined bachelor’s/master’s programs:

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 Health Promotion (BS) before submitting a formal application.