This online program helps prepare you for careers that encourage people to live healthier lifestyles by understanding evidence-based practices that influence individual to population health.
Credit Hours: 120 | Transfer: Up to 90 Credits | Tuition Cost
What is Health & Wellness?
The Bachelor of Science in Health and Wellness focuses on preparing students for opportunities to help people lead healthier lifestyles. The curriculum provides foundational principles related to health coaching, health education, and community health planning to optimize individual and population health. The program can be paired with a variety of minors to further customize skills and prepare for post-graduate work.
Why study Health & Wellness at UNH College of Professional Studies?
This program helps prepare you for careers that encourage people to live healthier lifestyles by understanding evidence-based practices that influence individual to population health. The degree incorporates health sciences and examines the U.S. health care system, disease prevention, quality of life, health literacy, needs assessment and evaluation, and critical lifestyle behaviors that impact well-being and mortality.
Potential Career Areas
- Medical and Health Services Managers
- Health Education Specialists
- Community Health Workers
- Health Coach
- Fitness and Wellness Coordinator
- Healthcare Social Workers
Course Highlights
- The Emerging U.S. Health Care System
- Nutrition and Health
- Human Biology
- Health Behaviors: Theoretical Frameworks for Health Education
- Issues in Women’s Health
- Population Health
- Needs Assessment and Strategies for Health Education and Promotion
- Advanced Human Physiology & Wellness
- Principles of Exercise Science
…and more!
Why UNH CPS?
- Regionally accredited by the New England Commission on Higher Education, Inc. (NECHE).
- Available fully online with select on-campus courses.
- Affordable tuition.
- Nationally ranked online programs.
- About 89% of our students are transfer students. Making the most of your transfer credits is our specialty.
- Career advising is available to all students and alumni. We also extend this service to those considering their college options.
- Faculty who are subject matter experts and share their real-world expertise, helping you apply what you learn to your personal goals and career.
- We’re experts at assessing credit toward your undergraduate degree – not only from previous college coursework, but also for other college-level knowledge demonstrated outside the traditional classroom.
Whether you completed your associate degree or took a few courses, we have experience working with community college students nationwide and we are experts at maximizing your transfer credits. We are proud of our formal partnerships to support community college graduates through our Transfer Pathways.
Students pursuing an associate degree at a New Hampshire community college are encouraged to explore our Transfer Pathway below.
- Completion of our free, online application for admission
- High school diploma, completion of a high school education in a homeschool setting under state law, or demonstrate high school equivalency.
- Successful completion of one of the following exams will be required for demonstrating high school equivalency: the GED, HiSET, or TASC
Curriculum & Requirements
This degree plan is a sample and does not reflect the impact of transfer credit or current course offerings. UNH CPS Online undergraduate students should develop individual academic plans with their academic advisor during their first year at UNH.
Sample Course Sequence
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| ENG 420 | The Writing Process | 4 |
| HLTC 550 | The Emerging U.S. Health Care System | 4 |
| SCI 502 | Nutrition and Health | 4 |
| General Education Course | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| COM 460 | Interpersonal Communication and Group Dynamics | 4 |
| CRIT 501 | Introduction to Critical Inquiry | 4 |
| MTH 402 or MTH 504 or MTH 510 | Math for Our World or Statistics or Pre-Calculus | 4 |
| SCI 490 | Human Biology | 4 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| COM 480 | Visual Communication | 4 |
| COM 590 | Professional Communication | 4 |
| PSY 410 | Introduction to Psychology | 4 |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| HLTC 560 | Health Behaviors: Theoretical Foundations for Health Education | 4 |
| MTH 504 | Statistics | 4 |
| SCI 550 | Wellness and the Human Body | 4 |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| CRIT 602 | Advanced Critical Analysis and Strategic Thinking | 4 |
| HLTC 612 | Population Health | 4 |
| General Education Course | 4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| SCI 604 or SCI 615 | Principles of Exercise Science or Fitness and Health | 4 |
| SCI 508 or SCI 509 or SCI 610 or SCI 615 or HLTC 595 | Issues in Women's Health or Disease Prevention and Health Promotion or Contemporary Issues in Personal and Global Health or Fitness and Health or Practicum in Health Care | 4 |
| General Education Course | 4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| HLTC 720 | Health Program Planning and Evaluation | 4 |
| IDIS 601 | Interdisciplinary Seminar | 4 |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| HLTC 798 or HLTC 795 | Integrative Capstone: Project in Health and Wellness or Integrative Capstone: Internship in Health and Wellness | 4 |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 8 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
Degree Requirements
General Education Program Requirements
A minimum grade of D- is required in all General Education coursework. Students are allowed a maximum of two course overlaps. Overlaps can be used between Major, Minor and General Education requirements with only 8 credits overlapped between the Major and Minor.
All General Education requirements, including CRIT 602 Advanced Critical Analysis and Strategic Thinking and IDIS 601 Interdisciplinary Seminar, must be taken prior to the capstone.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 420 | The Writing Process | 4 |
| COM 460 | Interpersonal Communication and Group Dynamics | 4 |
| COM 480 | Visual Communication | 4 |
| CRIT 501 | Introduction to Critical Inquiry | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
MTH 402 | Math for Our World | |
MTH 504 | Statistics | |
MTH 510 | Pre-Calculus | |
| Knowledge of Human Behavior & Social Systems | 4 | |
| Knowledge of the Physical & Natural World | 4 | |
| Knowledge of Human Thought & Expression | 4 | |
| CRIT 602 | Advanced Critical Analysis and Strategic Thinking | 4 |
| IDIS 601 | Interdisciplinary Seminar | 4 |
| Total Credits | 40 | |
Writing Program Requirements
All bachelor's degree candidates are required to complete four writing intensive courses as part of the University Writing Program Requirements as follows:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
ENG 420 | The Writing Process | |
One Writing Intensive course in the Major | ||
One Writing Intensive course at the 600-level or above | ||
One Additional Writing Intensive Course | ||
Writing Intensive courses are identified with the label "Writing Intensive Course" in the "Attributes" section of the course description and/or a W following the course number.
Major Requirements
Prior to capstone enrollment, students are expected to complete the majority of their required major courses along with CRIT 602 Advanced Critical Analysis and Strategic Thinking and IDIS 601 Interdisciplinary Seminar. Students should consult with their advisor regarding specific major courses that may be completed with their capstone. Academic Advisor approval is required for registration to be processed.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major in Health and Wellness | ||
| Foundation Courses | ||
| HLTC 550 | The Emerging U.S. Health Care System | 4 |
| PSY 410 | Introduction to Psychology | 4 |
| SCI 490 | Human Biology | 4 |
| SCI 502 | Nutrition and Health | 4 |
| Intermediate Courses | ||
| COM 590 | Professional Communication | 4 |
| MTH 504 | Statistics | 4 |
| HLTC 560 | Health Behaviors: Theoretical Foundations for Health Education | 4 |
| SCI 550 | Wellness and the Human Body | 4 |
| Health and Wellness Elective | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
HLTC 595 | Practicum in Health Care | |
SCI 508 | Issues in Women's Health | |
SCI 509 | Disease Prevention and Health Promotion | |
SCI 610 | Contemporary Issues in Personal and Global Health | |
SCI 615 | Fitness and Health | |
| Advanced Courses | ||
| HLTC 612 | Population Health | 4 |
| HLTC 720 | Health Program Planning and Evaluation | 4 |
| SCI 604 | Principles of Exercise Science | 4 |
| or SCI 615 | Fitness and Health | |
| Integrative Capstone | ||
| HLTC 795 | Integrative Capstone: Internship in Health and Wellness | 4 |
| or HLTC 798 | Integrative Capstone: Project in Health and Wellness | |
| Total Credits | 52 | |
Electives
Open electives are courses students will need to take in addition to their general education and major requirements in order to satisfy the remaining credit totals for their programs. Open electives are defined as any credit course offered by the College not already included in the student's general education, major, option or minor. Students will need 120 credits total to graduate with a bachelor's degree from the Online Division of the College of Professional Studies.
- Identify and use evidence-based practice to guide planning and decision-making for individual and population health.
- Communicate in multiple modalities to express wellness and prevention strategies, concepts, and messages.
- Integrate knowledge of cultural frameworks and inter-professional collaboration to improve individual and population health.
- Apply scientific reasoning and evidence-based knowledge to determine health education, health promotion, and disease prevention best practices.
- Develop, implement, and evaluate wellness and prevention interventions.
Your Prior and Current Learning Counts
Many of our students can demonstrate college-level knowledge gained from military, workplace and volunteer-based training, and experiences. We are experts at helping students demonstrate learning and earning academic credit.
Career Outcomes
Talk with your advisor to discuss how your program, experience, and goals align.