Department of Public Health and Recreation

Formerly Health Science and Recreation

Office: Spartan Complex, 201

Telephone: 408-924-2971

Email: healthscience-group@sjsu.edu

Website: Public Health and Recreation

Professors

Yoshitaka Iwasaki, Chair (Public Health & Recreation)

Associate Professors
Josh Baur, Recreation Program Coordinator (Recreation)
Miranda Worthen (Public Health)

Assistant Professors

Monica Allen, Graduate Program Coordinator (Public Health)
Anji Buckner-Capone (Public Health)
Andrew Carter (Public Health)
Marcelle Dougan, Undergraduate Program Coordinator (Public Health)
Vicky Gomez (Public Health)
Jennifer Hartle (Public Health)
Chulwoo Park
Susan Ross (Recreation)
Ni (Jennie) Zhang (Public Health)

Overview

The Department of Public Health and Recreation prepares leaders and practitioners who promote health and improve the environments in which we live, work, learn, and play. We strive to embrace a Teacher-Scholar-Practitioner Model through student, alumni, faculty, and community engagement to advance practices in public health and recreation fields. Our undergraduate curriculum in public health examines the multiple dimensions/determinants of health (e.g., physical, emotional, social, environmental, and spiritual) and the scientific and practical basis for understanding and promoting health at the population level (including epidemiology, policies, and community health) to create the optimal, meaningful conditions for health and wellness for all. Founded in 1970, the Master of Public Health program (MPH) has been accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) since 1974 and is offered in two formats. Our campus format is regular session and offers the flexibility to complete the program full or part-time. Our synchronous online format is offered through the College of Professional and Global Education. Our MPH students engage in an integrated program of learning, scholarship, and internships in partnership with a diverse network of community agencies. Our recreation degree program, founded in 1947 (the oldest undergraduate recreation degree program in the State of California), has a core curriculum continuously accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Park, Recreation, and Tourism Related Professions (COAPRT) since 1987. We offer concentrations in Recreation Management and Recreation Therapy, as well as a minor in recreation and a minor in recreation and nature. We also plan to offer an innovative Master’s Program in Recreation through Northern California CSU four-campus coalition.

All of our programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels incorporate student-centered curriculums with our commitment to community development, social justice orientations, interdisciplinary and intercultural/globalized approaches with its emphasis on rigor and innovation, high-impact experiential learning, and career-focused applied orientations. Developed by our recent strategic planning process, our new vision statement of the department is as follows - “We aspire to be innovators and leaders in learning and teaching, scholarship, and professional practice by integrating public health and recreation to ignite social change and work towards a more vibrant, prosperous, and just world where the optimal health and wellbeing of individuals and communities are achieved and sustained.”

Programs

Undergraduate Major(s)

Undergraduate Minor(s)

Master(s)

Courses

Health Professions

Public Health

Recreation

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