What is Health Promotion?
Our Health Promotion concentration is geared to prepare you for rewarding careers helping people improve their health and overall wellness. This concentration combines rigorous science-based coursework in kinesiology, neurophysiology, exercise physiology, health promotion programming, behavior change, global health, and disease prevention. Our program requirements and curriculum will prepare you for the next step in your education and career goals. Students also have the opportunity to complete their B.S. in Health and Exercise Science and Master of Public Health degree in just 5 years through the Colorado School of Public Health – learn more about this option.
Many of our Health Promotion graduates start their careers in rapidly growing fields:
- Corporate Health and Wellness
- Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and Stress Testing
- Cancer Rehabilitation
- Pulmonary Rehabilitation
- Personal Training and Human Performance
- Public Health
- Nonprofit Agencies
- Military Training
- Health Promotion and Wellness Programs
- Behavior and Lifestyle Management Programs
- Sports Management and Marketing
Meet Health and Exercise Science students and alumni in the videos below to find out more about what it’s like to be a student in this major:
Health Promotion Concentration Classes
Major in Health and Exercise Science, Health Promotion Concentration
Major in Health and Exercise Science, Health Promotion Concentration, Three Year Accelerated Plan
For learners looking to graduate a year earlier to pursue professional or graduate work in an accelerated time frame, we have designed a three year concentration track to allow you to take summer courses to graduate early!
| Course Name | Credits | Prerequisites |
|---|---|---|
| Arts and Humanities (Cat. 3B) | 3 | |
| MATH 118 College Algebra in Con II | 1 | Math Placement Tool or MATH117 |
| MATH 124 Logarithmic & Exp Func | 1 | Math Placement Tool or MATH118 |
| MATH 125 Numerical Trigonometry | 1 | Math Placement Tool or MATH118 |
| CO 150 College Composition | 3 | Directed Self-Placement Survey (DSP) |
| PSY 100 General Psychology (Cat. 3C) | 3 | |
| HES 145 Health & Wellness | 3 | |
| FSHN 150 Survey of Human Nutrition | 3 | |
| HES 202 Introduction to Exercise Physiology | 3 |
| Course Name | Credits | Prerequisites |
|---|---|---|
| LIFE 102 Attributes of Living Systems | 4 | |
| OR | ||
| BZ 110/111 Principles of Animal Biology/Lab | 3/1 | |
| CHEM 111/112 General Chemistry I/Lab | 4/1 | MATH118 & Chemistry Prep or CHEM105 |
| OR | ||
| CHEM 107/108 Fund of Chemistry | 4/1 | MATH117 or concurrent registration |
| Course Name | Credits | Prerequisites |
|---|---|---|
| HES 207 Anatomical Kinesiology | 4 | |
| General Elective | 3 | See the notes tab |
| Diversity, Equity Inclusion (Cat. 1C) | 3 | See the notes tab |
| Course Name | Credits | Prerequisites |
|---|---|---|
| SPCM 200 Public Speaking | 3 | |
| HES 303 Biomech & Neurophys | 3 | HES207, See important notes |
| HES 300 or BMS 300 Prin Human Physiology | 4 | CHEM107/111 & LIFE102 |
| General Elective | 3 | |
| HES 232 Tech of Teaching Grp Exercise | 1 | HES207 |
| HES 340 Exercise Prescription | 3 | See important notes |
| HES 354 Theory of Health Behavior | 3 | PSY100, HES145 |
| HP Guided Elective | 3 | See HP Electives tab |
| General Elective | 3 | See the notes tab |
| Course Name | Credits | Prerequisites |
|---|---|---|
| STAT 201/STAT 301 | 3 | See catalog |
| OR | ||
| STAT 307 | 3 | See catalog |
| Course Name | Credits | Prerequisites |
|---|---|---|
| General Elective | 3 | See the notes tab |
| HES 345 Pop Health & Disease Prev | 3 | HES145 |
| HES 386 Adult Fitness | 2 | HES340, See the notes tab |
| Course Name | Credits | Prerequisites |
|---|---|---|
| CO 301B Writing in Discipline of Science | 3 | CO150 and Junior Status |
| HES 403 Physiology of Exercise | 3 | HES 300 or BMS300 |
| HES 404 Physiology of Exercise Lab | 1 | HES 403 or concurrent registration |
| HES 355 Integr of Health Behaviors | 3 | HES340, HES354 |
| Historical Perspectives (Cat. 3D) | 3 | See important notes |
| HP Guided Elective | 3 | See HP Elective tab |
| HES 434 Phys.Activity Lifespan | 3 | HES 300 or BMS300 |
| HES 486 Practicum | 3 | HES386 |
| HES 455 Health Promotion Programming | 3 | HES355, 386, 403 |
| General Elective | 3 | See the notes tab |
| Course Name | Credits | Prerequisites |
|---|---|---|
| HES 487 | 12 | All Coursework Complete |
| Course Name | Credits | Prerequisites |
|---|---|---|
| HES 420 Electrocardiograph & Ex Mgmt | 3 | HES 300 or BMS300 – Students must earn an A or B to intern in cardiac rehab or testing |
| Course Name | Credits | Prerequisites |
|---|---|---|
| BMS 420 Cardiopulmonary Physiology | 3 | BMS300 |
| BMS 450 Pharmacology | 3 | BMS300 or 360, (BC351 or LIFE210) |
| Course Name | Credits | Prerequisites |
|---|---|---|
| BC 351 Principles of Biochemistry | 4 | LIFE 102 & CHEM 245 |
| BMS 300-500 not already required: | 3-5 | See catalog |
| BZ 310 Cell Biology | 4 | See catalog |
| BZ 350 Molecular & Gen Genetics | 4 | LIFE102 & STATS |
| HES 300-500 not already required: | 2-5 | See important notes |
| LIFE 100-500 (not including LIFE102) | 3-5 | See catalog |
| FSHN 300-500 | 3-6 | See catalog |
| MATH 161 Calc for Phys Scien II | 4 | MATH124 & 160 |
| MIP 300 General Microbiology | 3 | LIFE102 & CHEM 245 or 341 |
| MIP 302 Microbiology Lab | 2 | MIP300 (concurrent) |
| MIP 315 Human and Animal Disease | 3 | LIFE102 |
| OT 215 Medical Terminology | 1 | |
| PSY 252 Mind, Brain and Behavior | 3 | PSY100 |
| PSY 260 Child Psychology | 3 | PSY100 |
| Any PSY 300-500 (minimum 3 credit): | See catalog | |
| SOCR 330 Principles of Genetics | 3 | LIFE102 or BZ110 |
| Course Name | Credits | Prerequisites |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 155 Calc for Bio Science | 4 | MATH124 & 125 |
| OR | ||
| MATH 160 Calculus for Phys Scien | 4 | MATH124 & 126 |
| PH 122 General Physics II | 5 | PH121 |
| OR | ||
| PH 142 Physics for Scien & Engin II | PH141 & MATH161 or 255 |
Important Notes
- When selecting your general or guided electives, talk with Health Professions Advisers to determine the best choices for grad programs.
- HES 300-500 Options: HES420, HES434, HES410, HES354, HES379, HES309,
HES432, or any HES course that is not already required. - HES 340 prerequisites are HES145, HES207, FSHN150 & BMS300; In all courses, you must obtain a grade no lower than C.
- CHEM 341, 343 & 344 may be substituted for CHEM245/246; The 3 course series must be
completed to receive the substitute, with a prerequisite of CHEM113. - HES 319 – A minimum GPA of 2.5 is required in the following courses, with no grades in any courses lower than C: HES 145, HES 207, FSHN 150 & BMS 300. No +/- grades will be included
in the calculation of the GPA, thus courses with +/- will be counted as A, B or C. - HES 478A-D prerequisites are HES340 & HES403 plus one of the following: HES307
OR HES319. All students will enroll in HES478A (classroom capstone) and then have an
option to apply to HES478B (research experience) or HES478C (teaching experience)
or HES478D (UC Health experience). If selected, you will be given an override to
reregister for new course. - You will need to look at Upper Division Credits on your DARS report as you need a total of 42 credits of 300-500 level coursework to fulfill requirements.
- Review your Degree Progress Audit (DARS) to make sure you are on track for graduation. In RamWeb under “Academic Planning and Progress”.
- HES students with 0-60 credits and/or on academic probation will have an advising code & must meet with an ASC. Seniors should meet with an Adviser the semester before anticipated internship.
- It is YOUR responsibility to ensure you have met all the requirements and have acquired enough electives to reach 120 credits and enough Upper Division credits.
- *DARS is the official University record of your degree requirements