Health, Wellness, and Life Skills
Objectives
Health, wellness and life skills (HWL) courses provide students with the tools to successfully balance personal well-being with social, professional, community, and global commitments. Students will complete noncredit modules or course equivalents in three areas: navigating health and safety; mind and body balance; and life skills. Some topics and experiences within these areas include:
Navigating Health and Safety
- Alcohol and drug education
- Sexual assault prevention
- Self-defense
- First Aid
Mind and Body Balance
- Physical fitness
- Nutrition
- Stress management
- Faith and spirituality
Life Skills
- CPR
- Financial literacy
- Career development
- Team building
- Negotiation skills
- Crisis management
- Reducing your carbon footprint
The combination of one module in Navigating Health and Safety (HWL 1) and two additional HWL modules in any area will satisfy the entirety of the requirement. Through the completion of these classes, students will gain confidence and resilience by learning how to navigate difficult or potentially dangerous situations, gain a solid foundation in the skills of everyday life, and establish productive habits of mind and body.
Learning Goals
Core learning goals include, but are not limited to:
- Acquire skills and understanding that will set healthy lifelong attitudes towards physical and mental wellness and sustainable environmental practices
- Acquire awareness of and the ability to navigate situations that pose potential threats to personal and group safety
- Develop career and life skills needed to manage changes in life circumstances
Navigating Health and Safety
Learning goals for this component will include one or more of the following:
- Acquire ability to assess potential problem situations and develop a framework for resolving them
- Evaluate the personal safety of self and others; protect oneself in various environments
- Make healthy choices in regard to alcohol and drug use
Mind and Body Balance
Learning goals for this component will include one or more of the following:
- Acquire skills to engage in sports and individual athletic challenges
- Attain habits of activity to promote a lifelong healthy lifestyle
- Acquire the knowledge and skills to manage stress, and live a healthy, engaged life
Life Skills
Learning goals for this component will include one or more of the following:
- Apply skills developed in the academy (e.g., critical thinking, oral and written communication, research, digital literacy) to personal and professional issues
- Identify and articulate one's skills, strengths, knowledge, and experiences relevant to desired career goals
- Navigate and explore job or graduate school options, and take the steps necessary to pursue opportunities
- Connect with resources and networks to support and inform decision-making
- Apply environmental literacy skills and practices for global stewardship
- Engage in civic life and participate in the cultural life of a community
- Be informed managers of personal finances and consumers of financial products
How to Fulfill the Requirement
For students entering Brandeis beginning fall 2026, the health, wellness and life skills requirement will be satisfied by completing three noncredit, six-week module courses. All undergraduates need to enroll in the core navigating health and safety module (HWL 1) in their first semester at Brandeis. Students will then choose two additional modules from any of the HWL offerings to complete the remainder of the requirement. A list of health, wellness, and life skills courses is available in the Courses of Instruction.
Exemptions
Student athletes who participate for a full season on a varsity sport, as recognized by the Department of Athletics, will earn the equivalent of one mind and body balance module (hwl2).
Students who complete CPR certification will earn the equivalent to one life skills (hwl3) credit. Students may complete CPR certification through BEMCo or take a qualifying course outside of Brandeis to get CPR and AED certified. Any outside certification must be equivalent to the class offered by Brandeis, and must include CPR and AED training for adults and children in order to earn a life skills credit exemption. Students should submit requests for a CPR exemption through Workday using the Workday job aid found here.
Students who have completed military service and have successfully completed navigating health and safety (HWL 1) are exempt from the remainder of the health and wellness requirement. Students should submit requests for a military service exemption through Workday using the Workday job aid found here.