The Department of Public Health is excited to offer a Bachelor of Science degree in Health & Wellness Coaching. Health and wellness coaching is a new and growing field, with coaches becoming an integral prevention partner for insurance companies, health care organizations, and for those who want to run their own health businesses. Coaches work with individuals to address critical health needs and create individualized plans. Coaches can work on a variety of areas, including obesity reduction/diet/exercise, mental health, stress management, substance use reduction (alcohol, tobacco, other drugs), and chronic disease (diabetes, cardiovascular) management.
Our program is designed so that graduates can apply for a variety of jobs, including Health & Wellness Coach, Worksite Health Coach, and Behavioral Health Technicians. The program was designed so that graduates can sit for the National Board of Health & Wellness Coaching certification exam (approval in process). Corporate Wellness Programs are currently growing, according to the US Department of Labor, because lifestyle related chronic diseases are linked to 70% of our nation’s medical costs. The need to reduce medical costs by both worksites and individuals is important to reducing medical-cost related poverty.
While health care offices and Corporate Wellness Programs, including Connecticut-based WellSpark, are a strong placement area for certified coaches, there are other employment options. Our program includes management courses so graduates can create their own practices, allowing for freedom and control over workload. Digital apps and platforms, including Noom and Fitbit, offer upgrade options to work one-on-one with personalized health coaches, which is another strong avenue for employment.