WellStar College of Health and Human Services

The WellStar College of Health and Human Services is a dynamic academic unit that consists of the Department of Exercise Science and Sport Management, the Department of Health Promotion and Physical Education, the Department of Social Work and Human Services, and the School of Nursing. Additionally, the college includes the campus-wide Wellness Center, KSU Student Health Clinic, Center for Community Health Care, and the Academy for Inclusive Education and International Academy for Women’s Leadership under the Dean’s Office.

Accreditations

All nursing degree programs and the teacher education program, the sport management program, and the social work program in this college are nationally accredited. The Social Work program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). In addition, the nursing programs are state-approved and the teacher education program is nationally recognized and has state approval for P-12 teacher certification in Georgia. Human Services graduates will be eligible in the near future to earn certification as a Human Services Board Certified Practitioner (HS-BCP) established by the Center for Credentialing and Education in collaboration with the National Organization for Human Services (NOHS) and the Council for Standards in Human Service Education (CSHSE).

Members of each of the college units are actively engaged in the pursuit of excellence in undergraduate and graduate education.

The Department of Exercise Science and Sport Management offers degrees in two areas: exercise and health science and sport management. The BS in Sport Management is approved by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education and the North American Society for Sport Management. The department’s faculty expands knowledge in several areas, such as recognizing and stressing the benefits of exercise in older adults. Additionally, the department offers the Seniors Participating in Activities Related to Health at Kennesaw State (SPARHKS) Program that provides outreach to older adults. Faculty has developed close working relationships with colleagues in Brazil (Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina and the Universidade de Pernambuco), Egypt (Alexandria University), South Africa (University of Pretoria), and the Netherlands (Hogeschool van Amsterdam). These collaborations help support the international underpinnings of the college, resulting in student and faculty exchanges, as well as various international scholarship initiatives.

The Department of Health Promotion and Physical Education offers a degree in health and physical education (P-12) and minors in Health Promotion and Coaching. The B.S. in Health & Physical Education has secured the following national accreditations and state approvals:

fully accredited by NCATE, National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
fully approved by Georgia’s Professional Standards Commission for P-12 teacher certification
nationally recognized by NASPE, the National Association for Sport & Physical Education.

The department offers the Physical and Leisure Activities for Youth (PLAY) Program that provides social and physical experiences for disabled children. It also manages the KSU Challenge Corner, a high and low element ropes course designed to promote cooperation, trust, communication, and problem-solving for small group experiences. Faculty have been engaged in various international initiatives with colleagues in Brazil and South Africa, as well as local initiatives with area public schools and the YMCA of Metro Atlanta.

The Social Work and Human Services Department offers an undergraduate degree in Human Services and, in association with the national American Humanics Program, offers a certificate in nonprofit leadership. A master’s degree in clinical social work is now available to interested, qualified students. Faculty members in human services are taking leadership roles in more than 100 community agencies. The department has study abroad initiatives in Germany, Uganda, Thailand, and Argentina.

The WellStar School of Nursing offers both undergraduate and graduate programs in nursing that are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and are also fully approved by the Georgia Board of Nursing.

The school is one of the largest and most well respected programs in the Southeast, with consistently high passing rates on the RN licensing examination and nurse practitioner certification examinations. The School of Nursing programs include a generic BSN program, an accelerated BSN program for individuals holding other degrees, and a MSN program in care management and leadership. The school offers an international experience for students that provides the opportunity to work in hospitals and clinics in Oaxaca, Mexico. Additionally, the School of Nursing has responsibility for the Center for Community Health Services, operating three clinics and serving more than 2,500 at-risk persons annually. These clinics have increasingly served the working poor and recent immigrants to the U.S. Through the efforts of the school’s faculty, and the Office of Research, the college was awarded a $200,000 grant from the Georgia Health Care Foundation to develop a culturally specific response to the management of diabetes in the growing Hispanic/Latino community in the state. School of Nursing faculty is actively researching areas such as end-of-life issues, ethics, and barriers to prenatal care for immigrants and health disparities.

Academic Departments

The WellStar College of Health and Human Services houses three academic departments:

The Department of Exercise Science and Sport Management
The Department of Health Promotion and Physical Education
The Department of Social Work and Human Services
The WellStar School of Nursing

In addition to the academic departments the WellStar College of Health and Human Services, provides service to the students, faculty and staff through support of:

KSU Health Clinic
The Wellness Center

Minors

Coaching
Health Promotion
Professional Practice with Hispanic Populations

Programs of Study

The WellStar College of Health and Human Services offers the following undergraduate degrees:

Bachelor of Science in Exercise and Health Science
Bachelor of Science in Sports Management
Bachelor of Science in Health and Physical Education P-12 (with PTEU)
Bachelor of Science in Human Services
Bachelor of Science in Nursing