The Preventative Care and Physical Activity minor is accessible to all majors on campus. The goal of the minor is to provide students in diverse majors across campus with an opportunity to obtain an added specialization of Preventative Care and Physical Activity to their own field of study. The Preventative Care and Physical Activity minor, which requires the completion of 18 credits, brings together students of a variety of career paths, knowledge bases, and ways of thinking, to learn and work together to improve the health of our population. Students in the minor track are not required to complete the Intermediate or Advanced Standing requirements that are typically required of SMHP majors.
Optional Credentialing Track
In addition to completing the 18 credit minor, students may choose to take at least two additional, approved courses in order to support their skills or knowledge-base for a particular health-related credential. Students choosing to pursue health-related credentials are further prepared for and eligible to sit for certain nationally recognized board, licensure, and certification exams, or are further prepared for other non-certification roles. Completing these courses does not guarantee successful completion of the exams. Students should consult with one of the program advisors to discuss the optimal path for credential certifications and exam preparation. Credential opportunities include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES)
- Physical Activity in Public Health Specialist (PAPHS)
- Health, Food, and Consumer Science MTEL (Massachusetts Teacher Education Licensure for Health Education)
- Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programming (CSPAP)
The settings, job titles, and responsibilities of each of the certifications/credentials can be very similar. Specific pathways, based on individual student strengths and interests, should be discussed with an advisor. The skill sets developed throughout this program, such as teamwork, leadership, professionalism, inter-professional communication, and systems-thinking, are all highly desired skills in most industries, and are transferable to many fields. With these certifications, students may look forward to working in the following settings: schools, hospitals, doctor's offices, private businesses, insurance companies, local/state/federal government agencies, and non-profit organizations (bls.org; nchec.org; shapeamerica.org). Of students enrolled in similar programs nationally, approximately 50% are employed in healthcare or social assistance settings, and 20% are employed in state or local government (nchec.org).
In these settings, students may hold one or more of the following job titles: health educator, health coach, health literacy program coordinator, health media consultant, health journalist, health information specialist, prevention specialist, patient educator, employee wellness coordinator, grant writer, health advocacy coordinator, director of youth or adult physical activity programming, and health services coordinator, among others (nchec.org; shapeamerica.org).
In these positions, students will typically have some combination of the following responsibilities:
- Educating individuals and populations to influence health behavior as well as the environments that impact health. The clear focus is on prevention for healthier individuals and communities.
- Most public health settings require students to build partnerships, advocate for physical activity programs and strong public health, and promote safe spaces for physical activity, with a mission of health equity. (acsm.org)
- Additionally, students working in healthcare settings may educate patients regarding their care and how the health system functions, create incentive programs to use health services, partner with and refer to appropriate health providers, and consult regarding barriers to health.