B.S. Public Health and Fitness
15:1
Student-to-faculty ratio
100%
Faculty with terminal degree
Public health and fitness is a dynamic, far-reaching and growing field. Through public health and fitness courses, you’ll be able to assess a population, determine the main health issues affecting that community and plan and implement appropriate programs and interventions to address those needs. Additionally, a bachelor’s degree in public health and fitness teaches you how to create and execute fitness and health education programs for a variety of individuals and populations. As a public health and fitness professional, you will be an advocate for healthy living and improving the overall health of your community through all levels of prevention.
A degree in public health and fitness from Concordia University, Nebraska prepares you to develop and advocate for effective health programs, where you can implement policies that enhance the health of individuals, groups and communities. You’ll combine theory-based public health and fitness courses, laboratory experiences and internships to provide you with practical, career-focused skills in nutrition, biomechanics, global health, psychology, epidemiology, stress management, human anatomy and more. Through immersion in the interdisciplinary study of fitness, physical activity and public health, disease prevention and quality of life programs, you’ll be able to discover how public health and fitness are essential to the wellbeing and longevity of your community.
While earning your bachelor of science degree in public health and fitness at Concordia, you will participate in real-world, collaborative projects with local organizations. Practicum and internship experiences help you further your knowledge and skills in real-world settings. Opportunities for local, national and international public health and fitness service learning and global-multicultural experiences also await.
Program Differentiators
Core Concepts
The public health and fitness program at Concordia University, Nebraska is designed to help students develop healthy emotional, physical and spiritual practices and to equip the next generation of inclusive public health and fitness professionals with the skills to improve the health and well-being of the global population. Students in the program advance their knowledge, abilities and attitudes through the pursuit of a Christ-centered education in health and wellness.
Dr. Jen Janousek likes that with public health, you can improve the health of communities at a national or global level before they get sick. Learn more about Dr. Janousek in this Faculty 5 video.
Learn more about HHP majors.
Testimonials
One thing I’ve noticed throughout my time at Concordia is that we really focus on the awareness of what the public health concerns are in the community and even in the world.
Resource Articles
Concordia NebraskaPublic Health and Fitness: Learning Objectives
Students in the public health and fitness program at Concordia University, Nebraska will learn the basic elements of public health, including identifying and addressing population health challenges, determinants of health and an overview of the health system.
Students will develop and expand their knowledge to understand and address contemporary issues in consumer health, environmental health, fitness, violence and injury prevention and other select topics.
Students will study how biology, behavior and social context can influence public health and illness, including the contributions of psychological research to the understanding, prevention and treatment of a variety of health concerns.
Students will integrate knowledge, experience and research in the exploration of professional issues and trends in public health and fitness.
Concordia NebraskaPublic Health and Fitness: Program Goals
Students in the public health and fitness program at Concordia University, Nebraska will be able to identify and use evidence-based practice to guide planning and decision-making for individual and public health.
Students will be able to communicate in multiple modalities to express fitness, public health, wellness and prevention strategies, concepts, and messages.
Students will integrate knowledge of cultural frameworks and inter-professional collaboration to improve individual and public health.
Students will be able to develop, implement and evaluate wellness and prevention interventions.
Students will apply scientific reasoning and evidence-based knowledge to determine health education, health promotion and disease prevention best practices.
Students shall be given the opportunity for optimum spiritual, physical, intellectual, emotional and social development of the gifts God has given them through instruction and participation in various movement activities and through instruction in the areas of health and wellness.
Public Health and Fitness Faculty
As experts in public health and fitness, our faculty and instructors bring years of experience to the classroom.
Concordia NebraskaPublic Health and Fitness: FAQs
Health and human performance department students at Concordia, including those in the public health and fitness program, are active as volunteers for local health departments, nonprofit health organizations, extension offices and local schools. They also organize and facilitate community service projects and events such as wellness days, 5k runs, advocacy activities and awareness and education activities.
Public health and fitness students have the opportunity to travel to Guatemala and other national and international destinations for global health mission trips, providing medical care and preventive health education tips to under-served patients and communities.
There are many different kinds of jobs available as a public health and fitness professional. You could work for a local or state health department, national health organization, worksite wellness program, fitness center, hospital or clinical setting and more. Potential job titles could include community health educator, prevention specialist, personal trainer, wellness coordinator and epidemiologist. Public health and fitness encompasses many diverse fields and opportunities, so you can find a career that you’re passionate about.
There are many jobs available in the public health and fitness field that only require a bachelor’s degree. However, some people choose to get their master’s degree in public health and fitness to specialized positions. A master’s degree can also help you earn a higher salary in your chosen field.
If you decide that earning your graduate degree in public health and fitness is something you want to do and you meet the appropriate criteria, you can take master of public health courses at Concordia Nebraska that count toward your undergraduate major while you earn credit toward an MPH degree. You’ll need to meet with your advisor to see if this is an option for you.
Because the public health and fitness program is such a comprehensive one, your salary will depend on what aspect of the field you choose to work in, whether it’s health education, epidemiology, policy community outreach or something else. Your salary will also depend on your geographic location and education level. For example, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual salary for epidemiologists was $69,450, while health educators earned an average of $51,960. Altogether, those who graduated with a degree in public health and fitness, whether they work in the public health and fitness field or not, earned an average of $70,820, at all levels (those just starting out to those who are late in their careers).
Concordia Nebraska Public Health and Fitness: Career Outcomes
Community Health Worker
Community health workers assist individuals and communities to adopt healthy behaviors. As a community healthworker, you would conduct outreach for medical personnel or health organizations and implement programs in the community that promote, maintain and improve individual and public health. You would provide information on available resources, provide social support and informal counseling, advocate for individuals and community health needs and provide services such as first aid and blood pressure screening.
Public Health Educator
Health educators teach people about behaviors that promote wellness. As a health educator, you might work with individuals one-on-one or with groups in schools or community programs. You would develop and implement strategies to improve the health of those you work with, collect data and discuss health concerns.
Fitness and Wellness Coordinator
A fitness and wellness coordinator works for a gym or health facility planning exercise classes, health seminars and other special fitness events. As a fitness and wellness coordinator, you would help people stay fit and healthy, assist your gym with staying organized and hire fitness instructors, personal trainers and other personnel to make sure your fitness facility is as effective and efficient as it can be.
Concordia NebraskaPublic Health and Fitness: Related Programs
Biology
With a degree in biology from Concordia Nebraska, you will be prepared to begin a career in the biological sciences right away, or to continue your education in graduate, medical, dental or veterinary school. As a biology major at Concordia, you learn essential skills such as time management and mastering complex material, as well as studying more in-depth topics such as microbiology, human anatomy and immunology to give you the knowledge you need to be successful in the field of biology.
Exercise Science
The exercise science program at Concordia University, Nebraska offers you the opportunity to advance your knowledge, skills and abilities while staying current with innovative research by utilizing state-of-the-art human performance laboratory equipment. Here, you will learn how to apply the gifts God has given you to enhance the spiritual, physical, intellectual, emotional and social wellbeing of others.
Behavioral Science
In Concordia’s behavioral science program, you will study a combination of sociology, psychology and other social sciences to examine complex problems of human interaction and behavior. With this degree, you will gain skills that can be applied in many professions that require an understanding of people and their interactions from individual, group and societal levels.
1 Recent graduates attending graduate school or employed within six months of graduation.
2 Career salary and wages sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.