The Master's Program in Health Education is designed to train skilled practitioners and researchers to design, implement, and evaluate interventions that promote health and prevent disease. The Masters Program is grounded in the Responsibilities and Competencies for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES) developed by the National Center for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. (NCHEC, www.nchec.org).Students completing the masters program in health education are qualified to sit for the exam to be a Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES).
The Master of Science (M.S.) degree is designed to assure that graduates are fully competent practitioners of health education. This degree provides students with opportunities to (1) develop a working knowledge of the literature of health education (including documentation of the history, competing philosophies, prominent theories, and evidence-based practice of health education), (2) develop skills to read and apply research relevant to health education, and (3) prepare for professional leadership in the field.
It is important to note that those students seeking a master's degree in Health who come from another field of study should plan to take courses in preparation for graduate study in health education. These may be undergraduate courses in health or related areas that were not taken during baccalaureate work. The number of hours will be determined after transcripts have been reviewed by the Graduate Committee.
The following key concepts provide the philosophical foundation of a graduate education experience.
All coursework and structured educational experiences of the M.S. program are designed to provide students the opportunity to develop skills and competencies as health education and health promotion professionals. Master's students are expected to:
The masters program in health education requires 36 semester hours of coursework. Please consult the Texas A&M Graduate Catalog for specific requirements for the non-thesis option.
The masters program in health education requires students to complete a block of core courses (The Health Education Core) and elective coursework. Decisions on elective coursework are determined by the student in concert with his or her dvisor and are based on the students' professional interest and career goals. The Health Education Core classes are as follows:
Health Education Core |
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Course Title |
Course Description |
Credit Hours |
| Total Hours | 18 |
|
| HLTH 605 | Health Research Methods | 3 |
| HLTH 609 | Applied Epidemiology | 3 |
| HLTH 611 | Organization & Administration of Health Programs | 3 |
| HLTH 630 | Health Program Planning | 3 |
| HLTH 635 | Health Program Evaluation | 3 |
| HLTH 639 | Behavioral Foundations of Health Education | 3 |
Practicum Component |
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| Total Hours | 3 |
|
| HLTH 684 | Professional Internship | 3 |
Electives |
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| Total Hours | 15 |
|
| Any Health Education Graduate Courses | 9 |
|
| Any Graduate Courses | 6 |
|
| Minimum Hours Required for Degree | 36 |
|
Students may choose to pursue one of the eight masters level specialty areas. Each specialty area requires the same 21 hours of core courses and provides a list of additional courses germane to each specialty. The eight specialty areas are: