College of Arts & Sciences Introduces New Health Studies Minor
¶¶Òô»ÆƬapp’s College of Arts and Sciences recently announced the offering of a new health studies minor for all undergraduate students. This minor offers insight and applicable skills on health and healthcare delivery issues, personally, professionally and within our society.
Dr. Shelley Phelan, professor of biology, said, “We are so excited to see the immediate and significant amount of interest in the health studies minor. It is attracting students from a variety of majors, with a diversity of academic and career interests.”
The health studies minor is a 15-credit interdisciplinary minor which helps provide students with the opportunity to gain further knowledge about the complex issues related to the environment of contemporary healthcare. A wide range of courses are included in the curriculum, such as “Anatomy and Physiology,” “Abnormal Psychology,” “Biological Anthropology,” “Health Communication,” and more.
Students that have signed up for the minor so far have come from a variety of academic disciplines. Dr. Phelan said, “Because the minor is designed as interdisciplinary, with a goal of preparing and distinguishing our students for a myriad of health-related professions, we believe we are moving quickly along the right path. We expect another burst of declared minors soon among our current first year students.”
Morgan Walton ’17 is a current psychology major, educational studies, and health studies minor who has greatly embraced the benefits of such an amazing educational opportunity. “This is a great educational opportunity for students to learn more about healthcare, especially those students who want to become healthcare professionals in the future and can apply the knowledge that they learn to their major,” said Walton.
Like many considering the benefits of a health studies minor, Walton chose to declare for multiple reasons. “Based on my interests and future career goal of becoming a child life specialist, I thought that gaining a more integrative background on the nature of the field would be extremely beneficial to me. I wanted to develop a better understanding of the impact that health has on us personally and within our society,” said Walton.
Kerri Beine ’18 is an international studies major and a health studies minor who expressed her enthusiasm for declaring during her freshman year. “My plan is to have a career in something along the lines of global public health. With this being said, I was excited to declare my health studies minor as I believe the courses will help me culminate a better understanding of how to apply health aspects in a global perspective, she said.
for more information on the health studies minor.
By Olivia Pentell '16
