Department of Health Sciences

Programs in the Department of Health Sciences prepare students for both rewarding careers in health science related fields and admissions into competitive professional schools. For undergraduate students, the department has program offerings in health sciences, wellness education, sports medicine, and health promotion. Students may complete a baccalaureate degree in Health Sciences: with areas of study including Pre-Professional, Pre-Athletic Training, Exercise Science, and Pre-Physical Therapy. The Bachelor of Science in Health Science (BSHS) undergraduate degree has a cross-disciplinary approach to academic programming. Students will complete a variety of coursework in behavioral, social, and applied science fields. The area of emphasis for the BSHS should be chosen to most closely align with student professional, academic, and career goals.

Students may also complete a Wellness Education degree. The department offers two options for Wellness Education. The first option (Wellness Education PreK-Adult) prepares competent and dedicated teachers who are able to design, deliver, and assess health and physical education programs that meet the needs of all students in PreK-Adult schools. All criteria for Teacher Education must be met by candidates for the wellness education content specialization. Candidates who complete this program will meet the requirements from the West Virginia Department of Education and will be granted a West Virginia teaching license in field. Wellness Education candidates should give close consideration to the spring/fall offerings of courses, and should make every attempt to take courses sequentially. The second option (B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies:  Wellness) is for students who have an interest in health and/or physical activity professional settings (e.g. sport coaching, youth sports program directors). This option allows students to combine the Wellness Core with another area of interest to earn a degree.

The Pre-Professional 3+1 Health Sciences Emphasis is a variation on the Pre-Professional Studies Emphasis. Under this program, students will complete three years of coursework towards the B.S. in Health Sciences at Concord and then matriculate to an external accredited professional school or graduate program during their fourth year prior to completing their bachelor’s degree.

Students will enroll in HS 460 for up to 30 hours of Concord credit while completing a fourth year of studies at an external professional or graduate program.

Professional and graduate schools will be considered on a case-by-case basis and must be approved by the department chair and college dean. Examples of professional programs include, but are not limited to, dental, medical, physician assistant studies, occupational therapy, nutrition and dietetics, public health, health informatics, health care administration, health services, health promotion, health communication, audiology, and health information technology.  Any student wishing to enroll in a professional or graduate program, whether as part of the 3+1 program or at some point beyond the bachelor’s level, must meet the entrance requirements and coursework needed for that particular program which varies from program to program and from school to school.

For graduate students, the department offers an online Master of Arts in Health Promotion. The MA in HP is a 33 credit hour degree program delivered online. This degree program prepares students for a variety of health promotion settings including education, community and public health, worksite wellness, and healthcare systems.

Additionally, the department offers a Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT). This program is a 5-year combined undergraduate/professional graduate program that prepares students for entry into the field of athletic training. Students may complete the 3+2 progression and earn the BSHS and MSAT at Concord. Transfer students who have earned another bachelor’s degree and have the correct prerequisites may complete the final 2 of the MSAT only. Upon program completion, students are eligible to sit for the Board of Certification Exam (BOC).

Academic minors in the department include health promotion and sports medicine.