Students are educated for careers in the health care industry, in public and corporate education, and in the sports and leisure industries. Students are also well prepared for graduate-level education. All programs provide a combination of broad studies in the liberal arts with in-depth education in a professional field.
Most programs require clinical or field experiences as part of their professional preparation.
The curricula provide students with structure in a discipline as well as flexibility to elect courses in areas other than the academic major. Students tend to be people-oriented, concerned with lifelong activity, and interested in general fitness and wellness concepts. These characteristics apply to students preparing for traditional careers as teachers, clinicians, and administrators as well as to those studying in such developing areas as exercise science, sport science, and leisure services. Students in the allied health professions are prepared through classroom instruction and field experience for careers in therapeutic, educational, and administrative positions in hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics, and many other types of organizations involved in health care. Affiliations are maintained with major hospitals, clinics, schools, rehabilitation centers, and health agencies by the departments of health services administration, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech-language pathology and audiology, and therapeutic recreation and leisure services.