MPH Lifestyle Medicine
Coursework for the Lifestyle Medicine Program may be pursued as a 59-unit predominantly on-campus program of which 6 units are offered online. Almost one-half of the total coursework (up to 27 units) may optionally be completed online with the rest completed on-campus (32 or more units).
In the Lifestyle Medicine program, health professionals with relevant clinical licenses are empowered to provide lifestyle change interventions and promote healthy behaviors for patients with chronic diseases, or patients at risk of chronic diseases while understanding the population determinants of wellness, health and disease. The curriculum emphasizes interventions based on scientific data and established behavioral and learning theories that promote individual and public health through the processes of education, health behavior change and health promotion. It is emphasized that health professionals who are not physicians are not enabled to practice medicine when awarded this degree.
The curriculum focuses on teaching public health practice classes that are needed to possess core skills in public health, in evaluating the scientific literature and in understanding and applying the science of disease prevention in the context of mind-body interaction. More practice oriented classes teach the scientific basis and applications of exercise prescriptions, nutrition counseling, tobacco cessation and health behavior change techniques.
Graduates may use their skills acquired in the program to enhance their already acquired clinical knowledge and skills in medicine, nursing, clinical psychology, osteopathy, pharmacy or other health professions. They are academically prepared to apply preventive methodologies to chronic diseases and risk factors; conduct individual health assessments; provide medical lifestyle counseling; properly evaluate and apply lifestyle medicine-related research findings, and lead and evaluate health promotion projects.
Students who hold a clinical professional degree may apply to the program.
Learner Outcomes
Graduates of the program in lifestyle medicine will:
- Possess a core field of knowledge of public health with emphasis on the application of preventive methodologies to chronic diseases.
- Accurately assess lifestyle-related risk factors for chronic diseases.
- Provide appropriate interventions in regard to these risk factors, e.g. medical behavioral counseling in exercise, nutrition and tobacco dependence.
- Evaluate and properly apply lifestyle medicine-related research findings.
- Provide leadership for and evaluate community-based health promotion projects
Educational effectiveness indicators
- Culminating activity
- Field-practicum 200 hours
- Professional portfolio
- Exit interview/Survey
Prerequisites
- Demonstrate college-level conceptualization and writing skills
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
- Bachelor's degree
- Clinical professional degree including but not limited to medicine, osteopathy, dentistry, nursing, clinical psychology, pharmacy or physical therapy or training as a nurse practitioner, physician’s assistant, chiropractor, licensed exercise physiologist or registered dietitian
- Anatomy and Physiology (full course sequence)
- Biochemistry or Nutritional Metabolism
- Pathology of Human Systems
- Pharmacology
Public health core - 29 units
- ENVH 509 Principles of Environmental Health (3)
- EPDM 509 Principles of Epidemiology I (3)
- GLBH 524 Cultural Competence and Health Disparities (2)
- HADM 509 Principles of Health Policy and Management (3)
- HPRO 509 Principles of Health Behavior (3)
- HPRO 530 Fundamentals of Research in Health and Health Education (3)
- HPRO 536 Program Planning and Evaluation (2)
- NUTR 505 Public Health Biology (2)
- PHCJ 605 Overview of Public Health (1)
- RELE 534 Ethical Issues in Public health (3)
- STAT 509 General Statistics (4)
or
STAT 521 Biostatistics 1 (4)
Lifestyle Medicine core - 30 units
- HPRO 515 Mind-Body Interaction and Health Outcome (3) - online course
- HPRO 527 Obesity and Disordered Eating (3)
- HPRO 529 Preventive and Therapeutic Interventions (4)
- HPRO 573 Exercise Physiology I (3)
- HPRO 578 Exercise Physiology II (3)
- HPRO 565 Tobacco Use: Prevention & Intervention (3) - online course
- HPRO 606B Preventive Care Seminar- Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavior Therapy (2)
or
PSYC 537 Applied Behavioral Medicine (2) - NUTR 517 Advanced Nutrition I-Carbohydrates and Lipids (4)
- NUTR 518 Advanced Nutrition II- Proteins and Vitamins (4)
- NUTR 556 Nutritional Applications in Lifestyle Intervention (1)
Field experience
- HPRO 798 B Field Practicum (200 clock hours/6 units—units not included in the 59 total unit requirement for the degree)
Total units: 59
Culminating activity
Contact Information - Department of Health Promotion & Education
Website: www.llu.edu/llu/sph/hproE-mail: hprodept@llu.edu
Phone: (909) 558-4741
