Clinical education in the College of Health Sciences and Professions refers to students’ education – outside of classrooms - in settings pertinent to their professions. While laboratory and simulation experiences comprise a portion of education in our health sciences and professions programs, field experiences are considered an integral part of the educational package.

Students in programs such as those listed below have the opportunity to work directly with patients/clients under the tutelage of professionals in their respective fields.

• Athletic Training
• Audiology
• Child and Family Studies/Child Life Specialist
• Dietetics
• Exercise Physiology
• Nursing
• Physician Assistant Practice
• Physical Therapy
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Social Work

These “hands-on” field experiences are conducted in settings, for example, as diverse as schools, private practices, hospitals, and long-term care facilities locally, regionally, and nationally. The training students receive in these field experiences can include the real-time application of evidence-based practice in the provision of services to patients/clients, self-reflection, and the application of professional behaviors and ethical practices. Clinical education continues to be considered the “gold standard” for health and allied health professionals.

Programs in the College of Health Sciences and Professions include those that typically do not engage in clinical education as defined above.

• Community and Public Health
• Health Services Administration
• Long-Term Health Care Administration

Programs such as these provide their students “hands-on” experiences and/or capstone projects that involve internships working with professionals in their fields that do not necessarily involve direct patient/client care. 

Rather, the experiences in these programs involve service learning, program development, community health, administration training, and/or education/prevention activities. These four professional programs do, though, benefit from the support structure of the office of clinical education, as needed, in order to fulfill experience specific requirements.