Health Promotion (BS)

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Offered by the Department of Health Studies , College of Arts and Sciences , the BS in Health Promotion 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 2.70 (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

120 credit hours with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or better
Completion of college writing requirement
Completion of university mathematics requirement

General Education Requirements

A total of ten courses, consisting of two courses from each of the five foundational areas
At least one course from Area Five: The Natural and Mathematical Sciences must include a laboratory science component
No more than two courses may be taken in the same discipline

Major Requirements

58 credit hours with grades of C or better

Course Requirements

Required (52 credit hours)

Concentration (6 credit hours)

6 credit hours in a concentration from the following or with approval of academic advisor:

Allied Health

Corporate/Management

Health Promotion

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 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 BS in Health Promotion program before submitting a formal application. The application for admission to the MS in Health Promotion Management program should be completed before the fall semester of their senior year. Undergraduate students may apply up to 12 credit hours of approved graduate-level coursework to satisfy the requirements for both degrees.
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.