Luther College redesigns and renames Health Promotion and Exercise Science program

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that from 2016 to 2026, employment in the health education sector will grow 16 percent and healthcare occupations generally will grow 18 percent—both much faster than the national average for all occupations. With this growth in mind, the Luther College Board of Regents has unanimously approved multiple changes to the college's Health and Physical Education Department, including renaming the department to Health Promotion and Exercise Science to better reflect changes to the program.

Luther's new HPES program will include a health promotion major/minor, an exercise science major/minor, an allied health sciences major and an applied leadership studies minor.

"The HPES Department is very excited about the new opportunities and experiences offered with the revised curriculum," said Brian Solberg, HPES associate professor and director of Luther's athletic training program. "The new majors and minors address the growing need for professionals in healthcare, human performance and leadership at the community and national levels."

As the cost of healthcare rises, government, nonprofits and private businesses are placing increased value on preventative health promotion. Luther's health promotion major and minor will provide an entry point to this field and equip students to help individuals, families and communities live healthy lifestyles. A wide range of classroom and real-world experiences in this program will prepare students to work with diverse populations, educating and empowering them in an effort to reduce disease, disability and premature death while increasing quality of life. Students who complete Luther's health promotion major will be eligible to sit for the Certified Health Education Specialist examination.