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Health and Human Development

Students sit on mats and stretch to the left in a yoga class
pink blossoms on a branch in focus, with Old Main in the background

The mission of the Department of Health and Human Development is to educate individuals to improve personal and community wellness and quality of life through human movement, health and leisure experiences.

Welcome to the Department of Health and Human Development. We offer degree programs for students in distinct programs:

Kinesiology and Physical Education Program

student on a ball performing exercise

Earn an undergraduate or graduate degree by combining the discipline of human performance with either a teacher education or a kinesiology concentration.


Explore Kinesiology and Physical Education

Public Health

students stand in front of the sunrise in track suits and workout gear

Western's Public Health Program provides students a rigorous and dynamic hands-on educational experience that prepares them to effectively and compassionately improve the public’s health and advocate for social justice through community involvement and collaboration. 

Discover Public Health

Recreation Management and Leadership

students sit on rocks looking out over Bellingham Bay

The Recreation Management and Leadership curriculum prepares you for leadership and management careers in diverse recreational settings, including outdoor, community, therapeutic, and sustainable tourism.
 

Explore Recreation Management and Leadership

The HHD Department is one of the oldest and largest departments at Western. There are currently over 650 undergraduate and 25 graduate students enrolled in the three programs, making it large enough to provide a comprehensive curriculum, yet small enough that you won't get lost in the crowd. The department is housed in the recently renovated Carver Academic Facility, along with its Biomechanics and Exercise Physiology Labs, Anatomy Lab, Lou Parberry Fitness Center, program suites, faculty offices, classrooms and athletic facilities.