Master of Science in Health Studies

Website: https://twu.edu/health-studies/graduate-programs/ms-in-health-studies/

The Master of Science in Health Studies program prepares students to work as health educators. As a health promotion/health education program, the M.S. program prepares students to promote health and wellness across diverse settings. Such settings include health departments, hospitals, clinics, nonprofit agencies, corporate wellness programs, and community health settings. Graduates are eligible to take the MCHES® Exam to become Master Certified Health Education Specialists.

Marketable Skills

Defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's 60x30 Strategic Plan as, "Those skills valued by employers that can be applied in a variety of work settings, including interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skills areas. These skills can be either primary or complementary to a major and are acquired by students through education, including curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities."

  1. Communicate and advocate for the improvement of health.
  2. ​Assess health needs and recommend appropriate solutions.

Admissions

All students must meet the University requirements as outlined in the Admission to the TWU Graduate School section of the catalog.

The academic program may have additional admission criteria that must also be completed as outlined on the program's website.

Degree Requirements

Prerequisites or Co-requisites

  1. Undergraduate degree from an accredited university.
  2. Successful completion of new student orientation within the first year.

Total Semester Credit Hours Required

Thesis Option: 42-43 semester credit hours (SCH) that includes 18 SCH of required program courses, 9 SCH of focal area courses, 9-10 SCH of research tools, and 6 SCH of thesis

Internship/Professional Affiliation/National Certification Option: 36 semester credit hours (SCH) that includes 18 SCH of required program courses, 12 SCH of focal area courses, and 6 SCH of research tools

Thesis Option (42-43 SCH)

Health Studies Core
HS 5413Current Issues in Health Promotion3
HS 5353Epidemiology3
HS 6443Theoretical Foundations of Health Promotion3
HS 5423Ethnic and Cultural Factors in Health Decisions3
HS 5383Program Planning and Implementation in Health Promotion3
HS 6453Strategies in Health Promotion Planning and Delivery3
Focal Area
9 SCH from one of the following Focal Areas (Practicum is not required)9
Higher Education
Curriculum Development for Health Professionals
Principles and Methods of Teaching for Health Professionals
Leadership Elective (speak with advisor)
Community/Population Health
Population Health
Psychosocial Aspects of Health
Leadership Elective (speak with advisor)
Research Tools
HS 5013Data Collection and Analysis3
HS 5023Health Promotion Research Methods3
Select one of the following3-4
Advanced Psychological Statistics I
Applied Statistical Principles
Applied Statistics in Health Promotion
Statistical Methods I
Thesis
HS 5983Thesis3
HS 5993Thesis3
Total SCHs42-43

Internship/Professional Affiliation/National Certification Option (36 SCH)

Health Studies Core
HS 5413Current Issues in Health Promotion3
HS 5353Epidemiology3
HS 6443Theoretical Foundations of Health Promotion3
HS 5423Ethnic and Cultural Factors in Health Decisions3
HS 5383Program Planning and Implementation in Health Promotion3
HS 6453Strategies in Health Promotion Planning and Delivery3
Focal Area
Select 12 SCH from one of the following Focal Areas12
Higher Education
Curriculum Development for Health Professionals
Principles and Methods of Teaching for Health Professionals
Leadership Elective (speak with advisor)
Internship/Professional Affiliation in Health Promotion
Community/Population Health
Population Health
Psychosocial Aspects of Health
Leadership Elective (speak with advisor)
Internship/Professional Affiliation in Health Promotion
Research Tools
HS 5013Data Collection and Analysis3
Select one from the following3
Applied Statistics in Health Promotion
Applied Statistical Principles
Statistical Methods I
Advanced Psychological Statistics I
Total SCHs36

SHPK Master's Program Policies  

Culminating Experience 

After completing 24 semester credit hours of required coursework (including core courses), School of  Health Promotion and Kinesiology students are eligible to complete their culminating experience.  Students in the Master of Science in Health Studies program may choose one of two culminating options: 1) Thesis or 2) Internship/Professional Affiliation. Students are responsible for reviewing their emphasis area degree requirements, consulting with emphasis area faculty, and familiarizing themselves with the available options. Specific steps to complete each culminating experience option are located within the School of Health Promotion and Kinesiology (SHPK) Graduate Student Handbook. 

Thesis 

All School of Health Promotion and Kinesiology master’s students who select the thesis option are required to prepare, present, and orally defend a thesis reflecting substantial and independent research. The Thesis Research Committee must be formed according to Graduate School policies. Committees must include a minimum of three faculty members, with one faculty member being from outside the major/emphasis area. The School of Health Promotion and Kinesiology stipulates that a 10-class day reading period be granted to every research committee member for any thesis-related documents. No thesis research committee meetings may be scheduled or conducted during the last two weeks  (last week of classes and finals week) of any semester. Refer to the Graduate School policy for Thesis grading options. Any student in SHPK receiving two consecutive enrolled semesters of LP (Lack of Adequate Progress) and/or NP (No Progress) grades or three cumulative semesters of LP and/or NP grades will be dismissed from the program. 

Internship/Professional Affiliation 

To complete an internship or professional affiliation, a master’s student must enroll in a three-hour internship/professional affiliation course. A student may not register for the internship/professional affiliation course if final grade(s) for core course(s) are pending or if the student has an incomplete grade pending for any core course. Each master’s student must contact their major professor to confirm eligibility and request approval to enroll in the internship/professional affiliation course. 

The internship/professional affiliation site must be approved by the major professor and/or faculty member directing the internship/professional affiliation. The internship/professional affiliation must include at least 350 hours of site work for academic credit; however, the internship/professional affiliation site may require additional hours. Students must submit a log or logs of work hours completed and an evaluation of the internship/professional affiliation site. Students must also have the site supervisor submit two evaluations (midterm and final) to the internship/professional affiliation instructor. 

National Certification Exam plus 250 Internship/Professional Affiliation Hours

The internship/professional affiliation must be completed according to the above internship/professional affiliation policy, but only 250 hours of site work are required. The major professor must approve the national certification exam before sitting for the exam. Students must pass the exam to be eligible for graduation. 

Emphasis

9 SCH (Thesis Option) or 12 SCH (Internship/Professional Affiliation/National Certification Option) from one of two focal areas, Higher Education or  Community/Population Health.

Residence Requirement

For students in the Thesis Option, campus visits are required to defend the complete proposal and again to defend the complete thesis. No resident requirement exists for students in the Internship/Professional Affiliation/National Certification Option.

Final Examination

For the Thesis Option, the successful oral defense of a completed thesis; for the Internship/Professional Affiliation/National Certification option, the successful completion of HS 5003 and, if applicable, passing the certification exam.