Allied Health
The Allied Health major at Otterbein University has been designed to expose students to the wide variety of options for study and career opportunities in the health care arena. We have two options for study within this major.
The Bachelor of Science in Allied Health is a course of study that is designed to give students a background deeply rooted within the sciences. This degree is best suited to prepare students for entry into graduate schools in physical therapy, occupational therapy and physician assisting. As such, the BS in Allied Health includes the coursework that is required as pre-requisite coursework for these graduate fields of study.
The Bachelor of Arts degree in Allied Health allows students greater flexibility within their schedule to explore other areas of graduate study or career paths that do not require such a strict science curriculum. Potential paths beyond the undergraduate career for students completing the BA in Allied Health would be graduate study in the area of Nutrition and dietetics, exercise science, or recreational therapy, just to name a few.
Both the BS and BA in Allied Health include a field practicum to be taken during your sophomore year. This course is designed to provide you with an opportunity to gain practical hands-on experience in allied health-related careers and settings.
The capstone experience for all Allied Health majors is the internship experience, during which Allied Health senior students spend up to 125 hours in direct observation of the health professional of their choice. The internship gives the students a chance to connect with a mentor within the Allied Health arena and this mentor may provide written recommendations to graduate school study and/or networking opportunities for the Otterbein student.
Program Contact
Dr. Shelley Payne
Allied Health Careers
Professions include, but are not limited to:
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Physician assistant
- Cardiac rehabilitation
- Exercise science
- Exercise rehabilitation
Internships
Otterbein University requires all seniors in our Allied Health, Health Education, Health Promotion and Fitness, and Sport Management programs to complete an internship. This opportunity allows you to integrate your formal academic preparation with a semester-long practical work experience.
The goals of the internship program are:
- To enhance your professional growth.
- To further your understanding and appreciation of the role, duties, and responsibilities of a health or sport professional.
- To further the development of a central core of values, attitudes, skills, and information related to the world of work through experiences outside the classroom and campus environment.
- To add depth and relevance to your classroom work.
- To enable you to gain a sense of different career fields and of specific jobs within each of these fields.
- To improve your job-search and interviewing skills.
What is an Internship?
Internships are semester long commitments (hours requirement varies by major and site) designed to give you pre-professional associations with sponsoring organizations. Internship opportunities are available during the entire calendar year.
How Long Does the Internship Last?
The duration of the internship is based the degree requirements of your major. Pleas consult with your advisor well in advance to plan this aspect of your education.
Otterbein's Internship Strengths
It's all about location, location, location. Columbus, the capital city of Ohio, and its surrounding communities offer many opportunities for you to gain access to a wide variety of work settings including government, corporations, commercial, recreational, and public and private agencies.
Where Our Students Intern
Recently, our students have interned at:
- Cooper Fitness Institute in Dallas, Texas
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Urban Active and Lifestyle Fitness in the Columbus area
- Summit Vision in Columbus
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- University of Notre Dame at South Bend in the Athletic Department's Strength and Condition Program
- OUS Athletics
- The Ohio State University in the Athletic Department's Strength and Conditioning Program
- U.S. Olympic Training Facility, Colorado Springs, Colorado
- University of Louisville in the Athletic Department's Strength and Conditioning Program
- NCAA, Indianapolis, Indiana
- Ohio University in the Athletic Department's Strength and Conditioning Program
- University of Southern Florida in the Athletic Department's Strength and Conditioning Program
- Nike, Beaverton, Oregon
- IMG, Cleveland, OH
- Cleveland Cavaliers
Allied Health Resources
Internship Manual
Allied Health Internship Manual HLED 4902