Why choose Health Studies?

Gain a BIG Picture Understanding of Health

• Healthcare makes up about 1/5th of our economy.Health Studies helps students understand the major determinants of health (e.g. health behaviors, clinical care, social/environmental determinants of health) and find their place within the healthcare field.

Shape Your Degree

• The flexible curriculum, including numerous online course options, provides Health Studies students the opportunity to supplement their core classwork with electives in areas of interest to prepare for a range of pre-professional and graduate programs including nursing, public health and healthcare administration.

Take Advantage of Experiential Learning Opportunities

• We have a growing list of experiential learning opportunities including multiple study abroad courses, practicums and internships.

Prepare for Graduate/Professional Programs

• Health Studies students can shape their curriculum to prepare for a range of pre-professional and graduate programs in several areas including physical therapy, occupational therapy, chiropractic, public health, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, and healthcare administration.

"As a graduate of the Health Studies program, I can say my learning experience was unmatched through this program. With the education I received through the HHP track, I not only learned the necessary information, but I also learned how to apply it, how to critically think about it, and how to harness it to discover what avenues I wanted to pursue in my career with health care. I am now currently a Patient Care Assistant at MercyOne Hospital in Des Moines, and I am pursuing medical school in the next year. The professors and their dedicated TAs worked with me diligently to ensure I was comfortable, prepared, and had the same opportunities excel, even with my challenging and full schedule as a student-athlete. My professors and TAs were always encouraging and educated me beyond just the curriculum of the course. This track prepares you for every aspect of the healthcare field. Now that I have gained this knowledge, I feel very equipped to excel in my occupational environment and am very excited to pursue higher education to do so."  -  Alexis Gay, Class of 2019

Text version of Health Outcomes informational graphic.

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