COM Outlook Spring 2020

NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | 7 addition of two degrees. First is the Bachelor of Science in Health and Wellness Coaching (HAWC). The program, which will launch in fall 2020 in collaboration with NSU’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS), will allow students to continue their educa- tion into an accelerated D.O. program, along with the option for dual admission into the CAHSS’s Master of Science in Family Therapy program. “This degree prepares students for health professions careers,” said Arlene Brett Gordon, Ph.D., LMFT, director of the CAHSS’s Brief Therapy Institute. “There are many distinct, inviting aspects and advantages for applicants interested in working directly with people to support their health and wellness.” The HAWC program is ex- pected to enroll 15 students, with the expectation to increase each semester, as the health care field is projected to see an 11 percent increase in job demand from 2018–2028 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. As the KPCOM looks beyond Vision 2020, it will incorporate its fourth undergraduate program. In collaboration with NSU’s College of Computing and Engi- neering, the pending Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics will allow graduates to tackle the latest in medical technology and data. From majors and minors, gateways to graduate and physician careers, or even as stand-alone courses, the college’s undergraduate division has created a solid foundation that can take on as many roles as the students see fit. “The KPCOM has intention- ally structured the undergraduate degrees to academically comple- ment each other and offer curricu- lar flexibility within the programs,” Messer said. “My hope is that more KPCOM students take advantage of the natural synergy that exists between the academic programs, with an increasing number of students declaring major and minor configurations within the college’s undergrad- uate options.” o From left: Phyllis Filker; Kristi Messer; and Ioana Scripa, Ph.D., RDN, LDN, director of the Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition program