The Inter-College Programs

Health and Wellness

Thematic Degree

Is your future in
the health field?
The Inter-College Programs Health and Wellness thematic degree offers you
a way to explore many facets of the growing health and wellness industry in
one degree program.
Offered through the College of Continuing Education, the Inter-College
Program (ICP) provides students a way to access courses from the
Universitys more than 100 disciplines and through many of the Us colleges,
including Liberal Arts, Public Health, and the Carlson School of Management,
among others.
Your degree program will be designed by you and your adviser to match your
unique academic interests and career goals. If you are interested in preparing
for medical, dental, or chiropractic school; a career in health management
or administration; a research-related career; or integrative health care; this
degree program can help you get there.

Focus Areas
Focus areas are areas of concentration of the students choosing. Any
relevant departmental course selection, certificate, or minor can be selected
as an emphasis; however, some of the following options are becoming
increasingly popular:

A focus in life sciences or nutrition is an excellent way to earn a degree

that fulfills pre-professional requirements for programs such as nursing,
pre-dentistry, pre-med, or pre-physicians assistant.

Students who are interested in holistic approaches that draw upon

integrative healing practices, including whole systems healing, well-being
and relaxation, arts and healing, nature-based therapeutics, nutrition,
and health coaching, will discover engaging course work through the
Center for Spirituality & Healing.

Management and health systems management are good resources for

the student considering managing accounts for hospitals, insurance
companies, or fitness operations.

P
 ublic health, education and behavior change, or family social science
are often selected by students looking to study disease prevention and
research, or more specific health practices and behaviors.

Aging studies, addiction studies, and disability studies are all excellent areas
of emphasis for individuals wanting to work with particular populations.

Health and Wellness

Degree Structure
The Health and Wellness degree is composed of foundation requirements,
a set of general core requirements, and supporting course work in the
students area of focus.
Foundation requirements include course work in chemistry, biology, and
nutrition, as well as in areas such as writing and communications, history,
arts and humanities, and social sciences.
Core requirements offer students continued study in their area of focus
and include upper division courses in:

Anatomy

Medical terminology

Communication

Pathology

Integrative therapies

Physiology

Ethics

Public health

Health and fitness

Statistics

Management

Quick Facts
Degree: Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Wellness

Admission
Admission is based on an individual review of a students application for
program match. The review includes key factors such as grade point average,
grade trends, performance in course work relevant to their proposed areas
of study, and students demonstrated ability to meet both the curricular and
developmental expectations of individualized undergraduate education.
Students must have attended a program information session and initial degree
planning appointments with an adviser.

Preferred Admission Benchmarks: 50 credits completed at an accredited
college or university; 2.5 GPA.

Financial Aid: Scholarships, grants, and other financial aid resources are
available for admitted students.

Attend an information session.

Ready to Get Started?

If youd like more information on pursuing the Health and Wellness degree
from the College of Continuing Education, call 612-624-4000 to register for
an ICP information session, or visit www.cce.umn.edu/icpinfo.

Inter-College Program Information Sessions
Dates, times, and locations available at: www.cce.umn.edu/icpinfo.

College of Continuing Education Information Session
Dates, times, and locations available at: www.cce.umn.edu/infosessions.
(These sessions will cover all of the Colleges undergraduate and graduate
certificate and degree programs, distance and evening credit classes, as
well as noncredit programs.)

Alumni Voice: Olivia Quarberg

Area of Focus: Public HealthMidwifery/Maternal and child health
Olivia Quarberg had always known
she wanted to work in the field of
maternal health, but she wanted
to find a major that matched her
individual goals, as opposed to a
more general program.
When I first came to the U, I knew
I wanted to design my own major
and craft one that was relevant to
my interestswhere the courses
were tailored to what I wanted to
focus on in my career, and in an
area I was passionate about.
I had always been fascinated with
the whole pregnancy experience,
and with babies, and what makes
a good environment for mother/
child care. And my experiences in
public health courses really opened my eyes to how different the situation was
for many women in areas outside of the United Statesin Africa, in particular.
Women were not having healthy pregnancies, werent having healthy deliveries.
They didnt have access to the nutrition and medical care.
Through the Health and Wellness track, Quarberg was able to study public
health with an emphasis on maternal/child care and a leadership minor. She
was also able to get hands-on experience working in Tanzania through a study
abroad opportunity. Upon returning home, and motivated by both her work
and educational experiences, she worked with her adviser to narrow her
post-degree options, and today is working as a doula, while preparing for a
professional midwife certification as well as nursing school.
In the program, I was able to take a wide variety of interrelated courses, ones
that might not necessarily appear to fit together. It was the epitome of what a
college degree should be, in my mind. An experience that had meaning, that
helped me figure out who I was, what I wanted, and how I could get there.

Alumni Voice: Jesse Nease

Area of Focus: Life Science
Jesse Neases mother was a nurse at Johns Hopkins and his father a medic
in the military, so he decided early on that he wanted to follow in their
footsteps. My parents taught me the value of helping other people, he says.
I knew by the time I was about 14 that dentistry was the way I wanted to go
with my career.
Nease initially was a biology
major, but wanted a more
flexible option. With that
major, I would have had to
take a lot of extraneous
courses that I didnt need for
dental school. I wanted the
opportunity to take courses
more related to my future
plans, as well as have a bit
more freedom to explore
my other interests, such as
public health. After a friend
recommended Nease look into
the Life Science focus of the
Health and Wellness degree track, he knew he had found the right major.
I enjoyed working with my advisersthey knew which way to point me, and
they always seemed to have an answer or suggestion for me. I feel like Im
much more well-rounded and better prepared for dental school. I know my
electives will be applicable to my future, too.
After dental school, Nease would like to work with a nonprofit organization
doing dentistry in a lower-income area. I fully plan to use not just the science
portion of my major, but also the public health studies as well. Really, Id
recommend this track for anyone thinking of going into a health-related field:
medical school, dentistry, pharmacy, public health it gives you a lot of variety
and opportunities you wouldnt normally have.

Alumni Voice: Stephanie Heim

Area of Focus: Nutrition
Stephanie Heim entered the U of M
as a general biology major, but wasnt
convinced it was right for her. I didnt
feel comfortable as a biology majorI
didnt want to be a doctor, and I felt like
I was taking a lot of classes that were
irrelevant for me.
Heim was intrigued by integrative
medicine, and ended up talking to
someone in the field who had received
a Health and Wellness degree at the U.
After researching the program, Heim
switched from biology to the ICPs
Health and Wellness track, where she
selected nutrition as her focus. I had
always been interested in nutrition,
making healthy choices in eating, that
sort of thing, she says. Plus, this way,
I was able to take courses at the Center for Spirituality & Healing, investigate
integrative medicine, and take courses in public health, all as part of my degree
something I wouldnt have been able to do as a biology major.
Being able to combine her interests and tailor her degree was an advantage for
Heim, who is now working toward a masters degree in public health and nutrition
at a top research university, and hopes to one day work in public policy, focusing
on childhood obesity. The real world isnt one-dimensionaland your degree
shouldnt be either. I was able to create a degree that suited my future plans and
to market myself well, thanks to the Health and Wellness track. I recommend it as
a starting point for anyone interested in a health-related career.

Want to Learn More?

www.cce.umn.edu/ICP

612-624-4000
cceinfo@umn.edu

612-624-4000
www.cce.umn.edu/ICP
cceinfo@umn.edu

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