The Inter-College Program s. Health and Wellness Thematic Degree

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1 The Inter-College Program s Health and Wellness Thematic Degree

2 Is your future in the health field? The Inter-College Program s Health and Wellness thematic degree offers you a way to explore many facets of the growing health and wellness industry in one degree program. Offered through the College of Continuing Education, the Inter-College Program (ICP) provides students a way to access courses from the University s more than 100 disciplines and through many of the U s colleges, including Liberal Arts, Public Health, and the Carlson School of Management, among others. Your degree program will be designed by you and your adviser to match your unique academic interests and career goals. If you are interested in preparing for medical, dental, or chiropractic school; a career in health management or administration; a research-related career; or integrative health care; this degree program can help you get there. Focus Areas Focus areas are areas of concentration of the student s choosing. Any relevant departmental course selection, certificate, or minor can be selected as an emphasis; however, some of the following options are becoming increasingly popular: A focus in life sciences or nutrition is an excellent way to earn a degree that fulfills pre-professional requirements for programs such as nursing, pre-dentistry, pre-med, or pre-physician s assistant. Students who are interested in holistic approaches that draw upon integrative healing practices, including whole systems healing, well-being and relaxation, arts and healing, nature-based therapeutics, nutrition, and health coaching, will discover engaging course work through the Center for Spirituality & Healing. Management and health systems management are good resources for the student considering managing accounts for hospitals, insurance companies, or fitness operations. Public health, education and behavior change, or family social science are often selected by students looking to study disease prevention and research, or more specific health practices and behaviors. Aging studies, addiction studies, and disability studies are all excellent areas of emphasis for individuals wanting to work with particular populations.

3 Health and Wellness Degree Structure The Health and Wellness degree is composed of foundation requirements, a set of general core requirements, and supporting course work in the student s area of focus. Foundation requirements include course work in chemistry, biology, and nutrition, as well as in areas such as writing and communications, history, arts and humanities, and social sciences. Core requirements offer students continued study in their area of focus and include upper division courses in: Anatomy Medical terminology Communication Pathology Integrative therapies Physiology Ethics Public health Health and fitness Statistics Management

4 Quick Facts Degree: Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Wellness Admission Admission is based on an individual review of a student s application for program match. The review includes key factors such as grade point average, grade trends, performance in course work relevant to their proposed areas of study, and students demonstrated ability to meet both the curricular and developmental expectations of individualized undergraduate education. Students must have attended a program information session and initial degree planning appointments with an adviser. Preferred Admission Benchmarks: 50 credits completed at an accredited college or university; 2.5 GPA. Financial Aid: Scholarships, grants, and other financial aid resources are available for admitted students. Attend an information session. Ready to Get Started? If you d like more information on pursuing the Health and Wellness degree from the College of Continuing Education, call to register for an ICP information session, or visit Inter-College Program Information Sessions Dates, times, and locations available at: College of Continuing Education Information Session Dates, times, and locations available at: (These sessions will cover all of the College s undergraduate and graduate certificate and degree programs, distance and evening credit classes, as well as noncredit programs.)

5 Alumni Voice: Olivia Quarberg Area of Focus: Public Health Midwifery/Maternal and child health Olivia Quarberg had always known she wanted to work in the field of maternal health, but she wanted to find a major that matched her individual goals, as opposed to a more general program. When I first came to the U, I knew I wanted to design my own major and craft one that was relevant to my interests where the courses were tailored to what I wanted to focus on in my career, and in an area I was passionate about. I had always been fascinated with the whole pregnancy experience, and with babies, and what makes a good environment for mother/ child care. And my experiences in public health courses really opened my eyes to how different the situation was for many women in areas outside of the United States in Africa, in particular. Women were not having healthy pregnancies, weren t having healthy deliveries. They didn t have access to the nutrition and medical care. Through the Health and Wellness track, Quarberg was able to study public health with an emphasis on maternal/child care and a leadership minor. She was also able to get hands-on experience working in Tanzania through a study abroad opportunity. Upon returning home, and motivated by both her work and educational experiences, she worked with her adviser to narrow her post-degree options, and today is working as a doula, while preparing for a professional midwife certification as well as nursing school. In the program, I was able to take a wide variety of interrelated courses, ones that might not necessarily appear to fit together. It was the epitome of what a college degree should be, in my mind. An experience that had meaning, that helped me figure out who I was, what I wanted, and how I could get there.

6 Alumni Voice: Jesse Nease Area of Focus: Life Science Jesse Nease s mother was a nurse at Johns Hopkins and his father a medic in the military, so he decided early on that he wanted to follow in their footsteps. My parents taught me the value of helping other people, he says. I knew by the time I was about 14 that dentistry was the way I wanted to go with my career. Nease initially was a biology major, but wanted a more flexible option. With that major, I would have had to take a lot of extraneous courses that I didn t need for dental school. I wanted the opportunity to take courses more related to my future plans, as well as have a bit more freedom to explore my other interests, such as public health. After a friend recommended Nease look into the Life Science focus of the Health and Wellness degree track, he knew he had found the right major. I enjoyed working with my advisers they knew which way to point me, and they always seemed to have an answer or suggestion for me. I feel like I m much more well-rounded and better prepared for dental school. I know my electives will be applicable to my future, too. After dental school, Nease would like to work with a nonprofit organization doing dentistry in a lower-income area. I fully plan to use not just the science portion of my major, but also the public health studies as well. Really, I d recommend this track for anyone thinking of going into a health-related field: medical school, dentistry, pharmacy, public health it gives you a lot of variety and opportunities you wouldn t normally have.

7 Alumni Voice: Stephanie Heim Area of Focus: Nutrition Stephanie Heim entered the U of M as a general biology major, but wasn t convinced it was right for her. I didn t feel comfortable as a biology major I didn t want to be a doctor, and I felt like I was taking a lot of classes that were irrelevant for me. Heim was intrigued by integrative medicine, and ended up talking to someone in the field who had received a Health and Wellness degree at the U. After researching the program, Heim switched from biology to the ICP s Health and Wellness track, where she selected nutrition as her focus. I had always been interested in nutrition, making healthy choices in eating, that sort of thing, she says. Plus, this way, I was able to take courses at the Center for Spirituality & Healing, investigate integrative medicine, and take courses in public health, all as part of my degree something I wouldn t have been able to do as a biology major. Being able to combine her interests and tailor her degree was an advantage for Heim, who is now working toward a master s degree in public health and nutrition at a top research university, and hopes to one day work in public policy, focusing on childhood obesity. The real world isn t one-dimensional and your degree shouldn t be either. I was able to create a degree that suited my future plans and to market myself well, thanks to the Health and Wellness track. I recommend it as a starting point for anyone interested in a health-related career. Want to Learn More? cceinfo@umn.edu

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