Health Sciences (Healthy Lifestyles and Fitness Science), BS
Help people improve their daily lives and coach them on how to build and maintain healthy habits. Gain the well-rounded knowledge you need to guide people and communities in enhancing their health.
Quick facts
Locations
Courses
or MAT 117 College Algebra
Additional facts
STEM-OPT extension eligible: No
International students (F1), this program is not eligible for the STEM-OPT extension.
Accreditation and professional licensure
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Degree description
Program description
The Bachelor of Science in health sciences with a concentration in healthy lifestyles and fitness science blends multidisciplinary coursework with practical training, providing you with a strong foundation in promoting healthy lifestyles. You gain expertise in nutrition, fitness, stress management, substance abuse prevention, behavior change, health coaching and health promotion program management.
You are equipped to make a meaningful impact on individual and community health, addressing challenges related to social determinants of health.
The program offers three academic tracks that prepare you for nationally accredited certifications:
Fitness science: You learn to assess clients and create personalized exercise programs to optimize health. Courses cover physical activity planning, exercise prescription, body image, wellness and injury risk assessment. This track prepares you for a personal training certification exam through the American College of Sports Medicine (https://www.acsm.org).
Health education and health promotion: You develop, lead and evaluate health education and health promotion programs, addressing topics such as diabetes prevention, sexual health, emergency preparedness, digital health communication and stress management. This track prepares you for the Certified Health Education Specialist exam administered by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (https://www.nchec.org).
Health and wellness coaching: You learn behavior change strategies and motivational interviewing techniques to support clients in developing healthy lifestyle plans. This track prepares you for the National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach exam through the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (https://nbhwc.org).
Why specialize in healthy lifestyles and fitness science at ASU?
This health sciences program stands apart through its integration of health education, wellness coaching and fitness science within a single degree pathway. Rather than focusing exclusively on exercise science or public health, you develop a multidisciplinary understanding of how behavior, physical activity, nutrition and health education work together to improve health outcomes.
You build hands-on expertise in this program, where experiential learning, internships, research and applied projects turn classroom theories into real skills.
Courses
Explore a sample list of courses you may take in this program.
| Sample courses |
|---|
| HSC 210 Cultural Aspects of Health |
| CHS 340 Health Behavior Theory |
| EXW 101 Foundations of Fitness, Coaching and Health Promotion |
| EXW 325 Fitness for Life |
| EXW 344 Impact of Physical Activity on Health and Disease |
| EXW 400 Stress Management for Wellness |
Course checksheet and curriculum archive
The curriculum checksheet displays this program's required courses and other requirements you must complete for graduation.
Current ASU students, see how your courses can apply to another major and find out how to change your major (opens in new window).
Already completed some college courses? Build on your success.
If you earned college credit outside ASU, our transfer tools map out your progress towards a degree and help you plan next steps.
See how your credits may apply (opens in new window)What you'll learn
The following learning outcomes highlight some of the knowledge and skills you'll develop to support your future success.
- Apply evidence-based concepts to promote healthy lifestyles.
- Integrate ethical standards in all aspects of health promotion.
- Design comprehensive health promotion programs to meet the health needs of individuals and communities.
Apply evidence-based concepts to promote healthy lifestyles.Admission requirements
Here are the admission and application details
All students are required to meet general university admission requirements.
First year (opens in new window) | Transfer (opens in new window) | International (opens in new window) | Readmission (opens in new window)
A current ASU student has no additional requirements for changing majors.
Students should visit the Change of Major form (opens in new window) for information about how to change a major to this program.
Explore expanded study opportunities
This program allows you to obtain both a bachelor's and a master's degree in as little as five years. As a high-achieving student, accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree programs are designed for you to share undergraduate coursework with graduate coursework to accelerate completion of your master's degree. These programs feature the same high-quality curriculum taught by ASU's world-renowned faculty.
This program is offered as an accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree with:
Approval to pursue the accelerated master's is typically granted during the junior year of your bachelor's degree program. If you are interested, you can learn more about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
When you pursue concurrent degrees (also known as a “double major”), you earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. Working with your academic advisor, you can create your own concurrent degree combination. Some combinations are not possible due to high levels of overlap in curriculum.
With more than 300 Global Education program opportunities available to them, nutritional science students are able to tailor their experience to their specific interests and skill sets. Whether in a foreign country, in the U.S. or online, students build communication skills, learn to adapt and persevere, and are exposed to research and internships across the world, expanding their professional network.
The College of Health Solutions recommends these programs for students majoring in health sciences with a concentration in healthy lifestyles and fitness science.
Paying for college
Use our calculator to estimate your full-time or part-time tuition fees for this program prior to any financial aid. Keep in mind that most of our students recieve financial aid, which can reduce out-of-pocket costs.
Get an estimate
Build the career and future you want
Our graduates are prepared for a variety of career paths, including:
| Career | Growth | Median Salary | More Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athletic Trainer | 12.7% | $62,520 | Learn more |
| Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) | 5.6% | $64,070 | Learn more |
| Coach | 6.1% | $47,320 | Learn more |
| Community Health Worker | 12.7% | $51,850 | Learn more |
| Environmental Protection Specialist | 6.1% | $82,220 | Learn more |
| Fitness and Wellness Coordinator | 6.2% | $69,770 | Learn more |
| Health Care Support Worker (General) | 4.8% | $48,430 | Learn more |
| Healthcare Professor | 17.9% | $107,310 | Learn more |
| Medical and Health Services Manager | 24.2% | $123,860 | Learn more |
| Public Health Physician | 3.4% | $265,930 | Learn more |
Example job titles and salaries listed are not necessarily entry level, and students should take into consideration how years of experience and geographical location may affect pay scales. Some jobs also may require advanced degrees, certifications or state-specific licensure.
Data obtained from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) under sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA).
More about careers
Careers this healthy lifestyles and fitness science concentration prepares you for
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for health coaches and health educators is projected to grow a steady 4% between 2024 and 2034.
Health, wellness and fitness coaches work in a multitude of professional environments. Specialty areas may include bariatric weight loss clinics, healthy lifestyle behavior counseling and management, and corporate fitness and worksite wellness.
Health educators work in a variety of professional environments. Specialized placement may include working for government agencies such as the Arizona Department of Health Services, national organizations such as the American Diabetes Association, and public and private education sectors such as university health and wellness centers.
The globally recognized credentials available through this program open doors to careers in health education, promotion and coaching worldwide and create a long-term pathway to becoming a certified diabetes care and education specialist (https://www.cbdce.org) or a lifestyle medicine professional (https://lifestylemedicine.org/certification).
Career options include positions such as:
- community health educator
- community nutrition aide for the Women, Infants, and Children program, known as WIC
- community outreach coordinator
- corporate wellness coordinator
- fitness center director
- health education specialist (program developer)
- health and patient educator
- personal trainer
- prevention specialist
- school health and nutrition program specialist
- worksite wellness coach or coordinator
Graduates are also well prepared for admission to graduate programs in health promotion, population health, lifestyle management, integrative health, health administration, psychology and medicine.
Contact information
Use the contact information below to get in touch if you're a current student or have general questions.
Prospective students should fill out the Request for Information form.
School of Human Performance and Lifespan Health
|
HLTHN 401AA
chs@asu.edu
602-496-3300
Frequently asked questions about degree programs
Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master's during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.
Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.
ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the "New Programs" option.
ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.
