The Health, Wellness, and Occupational Studies program gives students a broad education that will prepare them for a variety of career paths. Students are prepared for opportunities including application to graduate programs in occupational therapy, physical therapy, counseling, special education, public health, or related health professions — as well as professional careers as an assistive technology professional, wellness coach, wellness coordinator, activity director, health educator, case manager, medical salesperson, or paraprofessional in mental health and educational settings.
The curriculum is grounded in a holistic conceptualization of health and wellness that teaches students to assess health from both a macro and micro level. Students gain depth in understanding a wide variety of determinants of health through the study of health science, public health, and human occupation – an often-overlooked determinant of health. Students also gain practical skills applicable to a variety of paths through training in motivational interviewing, wellness assessment, health literacy, stress management, health education, and program development, implementation, and evaluation. Thus, Health, Wellness, and Occupational Studies students learn how to work with people by understanding where they come from and employing tools to help them take the next steps toward a healthier life. Further, students are encouraged to find their passion by using flexible electives to concentrate their studies in their unique interests, explore a wide range of topics, elect for an internship in health and wellness settings, or take experiential electives. Service learning, active learning, and interprofessional education are embedded into the curriculum with themes of resilience, advocacy, and wellness across the lifespan.
Health, Wellness, and Occupational Studies students also have the opportunity to pursue an Assistive Technology Specialization. The specialization prepares students to make a difference in the lives of people who have disabilities by recommending and training people to use health-related technical assistive devices. Students develop skills in promoting independence in the use of devices and equipment, thereby supporting engagement in meaningful activities, occupations, and enhanced quality of life for people across the lifespan.
Learning Outcomes
At the conclusion of the program, the Health, Wellness, and Occupational Studies student will:
- Critically analyze concepts of health and wellness through application at the personal (micro), population (meso), and societal (macro) levels.
- Synthesize biological, psychosocial, and educational theories that influence human behavior and occupational participation.
- Assess the influence of disease and disability with respect to health promotion and occupational well-being.
- Model compassion as an essential attribute in understanding diverse occupational engagement across the lifespan.
- Collaboratively engage in integrative leadership in occupational media, research, and science in preparation for inter-professional endeavors.
- Be prepared to apply for graduate study in the field of occupational therapy or a related health profession.
At the conclusion the of program, the Assistive Technology Specialization student will:
- Assess the characteristics of patient/client to determine candidacy for assistive technology services.
- Complete a patient/client examination and effectively interpret the data to develop a plan of care with appropriate interventions.
- Implement the appropriate interventions for a patient/client based on an established plan of care.
- Complete a patient/client re-evaluation and effectively interpret the data to evaluate the effectiveness of the current plan of care/interventions.
- Exhibit professional conduct and behaviors that are consistent with the legal and ethical practice of the assistive technology profession.
- Critically evaluate data and published literature in order to examine and utilize the theoretical and scientific basis when delivering patient/client care and providing practice management.