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 (BS) : 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 Education, Wellness Education PreK-Adult (BS ED)  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 Wellness - Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies (BS IND)  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 (MAHP) . 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.

The Department of Health Sciences offers a Masters in Physician Assistant Studies program. The program utilizes both didactic and clinical experiences, as set forth by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA), to prepare students to work as Physician Assistants in a variety of settings, but with a focus on primary care. Upon successful completion of the graduate program, graduates will have the knowledge and skills required to pass the Physician Assistant National Certification Exam (PANCE) and practice medicine as competent providers committed to evidence-based practice and lifelong learning.

There are two admission pathways: a traditional admittance and an accelerated admittance. The traditional pathway requires students have a Bachelor's degree upon matriculation, have completed all prerequisite courses with a "C" or better, and meet all acceptance requirements. The accelerated admittance pathway is for currently enrolled, full-time Concord University students who meet the admission requirements (described below). Students can apply for the accelerated pathway at any open application period during their undergraduate studies but must maintain certain academic standards once accepted to keep their seat in the program. For example, an interested student could apply in the Spring of their freshman year. The student would indicate which year they plan to matriculate. If accepted, the student must maintain an overall GPA of 3.2 and complete a specified number of shadowing and healthcare experience hours. Failure to meet the requirements would cause the student to lose their seat in the program.

Programs

• Master of Arts in Health Promotion (MAHP)

• Master of Physician Assistant Studies

• Health Sciences (BS)
• Wellness - Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies (BS IND)