Colby-Sawyer College Introduces New Academic Major in Health Studies with Three Areas of Concentration
NEW LONDON, N.H., Aug. 28, 2009 – Colby-Sawyer College will introduce a new degree program this fall, a Bachelor of Science in Health Studies major with concentrations in Health Promotion and Wellness; Public Health; and Health Care Management.
The Health Studies major will prepare graduates for careers in the health care field and for graduate school programs in the health professions. This interdisciplinary major offers a strong foundation in liberal arts, combined with a core set of courses in health issues and health care systems. The major includes courses from a variety of the college's academic areas such as Business Administration, Exercise and Sport Sciences, Humanities, Natural Sciences, Nursing, and Social Sciences and Education.
The Health Studies major was created in response to surging interest among current and prospective students in health disciplines and provides a range of alternatives in the field of health care to the college's popular Nursing major.
“This new program represents yet another way in which the Colby-Sawyer faculty have collaborated across traditional disciplinary and departmental boundaries to develop an innovative, multi-disciplinary major for students, which will prepare them to meet health needs in their communities and across the world,” says Academic Vice President and Dean of Faculty Deborah Taylor.
The Health Studies major's concentration in Health Promotion and Wellness is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to serve compassionately and effectively as health and wellness educators, working with individuals, schools, communities and policy makers. The program, which integrates classroom, laboratory, research and field experience, prepares students to assume various roles in health promotion, such as assisting individuals and groups in adopting and maintaining healthy behaviors and lifestyles. The program's core courses are offered in biology, health studies, exercise and sport sciences, psychology and sociology, with additional requirements in science, philosophy and religious studies.
The Health Care Management concentration within the Health Studies major offers a solid foundation in the operations and financing of health care organizations and the delivery of health care services. This field of study also integrates classroom, research and field experiences, which allows students to develop the appropriate knowledge and skills for managing the delivery of high quality clinical health care.
The Health Care Management concentration prepares students for positions in health care and administration in hospitals, nursing homes, managed care, rehabilitation facilities and other health care organizations. The program also prepares students to pursue advanced studies in the health disciplines. The core courses of this specialization focus on biology, health studies, exercise and sport sciences, psychology and sociology, with additional requirements in business administration.
The Public Health concentration within Health Studies approaches the study of public health as an interdisciplinary area within the health care system. Students will explore population health, health disparities, vulnerable populations and other current public health concerns in depth.
As in the other specialty areas, this program engages students in learning in the classroom, laboratory and through internships and research experiences, enabling graduates to acquire the knowledge and practical skills they will need to practice within the public health system or pursue graduate education in public health. The program's core courses are offered the areas of biology, health studies, exercise and sport sciences, psychology and sociology, with additional requirements in philosophy.
For more information about the Bachelor of Science in Health Studies, contact Prof. Peter White, associate professor of natural sciences and coordinator of liberal education, at pwhite@colby-sawyer.edu.
Colby-Sawyer, founded in 1837, is a comprehensive liberal arts college located in the scenic Lake Sunapee Region of central New Hampshire. Students learn in small classes through a select array of programs that integrate the liberal arts and sciences with professional experience.
