Health Sciences M.S.
Total Semester Credit Hours = 36
The Master of Science (M.S.) in Health Sciences Program is designed to prepare graduates to be effective leaders in the fields of health promotion and disease prevention. This program provides a strong foundation for both professional leadership roles and pursuit of more advanced degrees in the field of health.
The curriculum leading to the M.S.-Health Sciences Degree may be completed entirely online or via a combination of face-to-face and online classes.
Graduates of this program will be prepared to assume leadership roles in: a) planning, implementing and evaluating individual and group needs for interventions aimed at promoting health and preventing disease; b) administering and/or coordinating specialized activities and programs aimed at promoting health and preventing disease; c) communicating health needs, concerns, and resource availability for programs aimed at promoting health and preventing disease; d) critiquing, conducting and contributing to research related to health promotion and disease prevention; and e) serving as advocates for improvements in the fields of health promotion and disease prevention through effective education of individuals, groups, and communities.
Graduate Admission for Health Sciences M.S.
An individual interested in applying for admission to a master’s degree program in the Department of Health and Kinesiology should be aware of information and procedures related to graduate studies in general at UT Tyler. In addition to procedures that must be followed to meet requirements of the UT Tyler Graduate School, an applicant must complete and submit the following documents:
- Statement of Goals
- Three reference letters
All documents must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Admissions (ogs@uttyler.edu)
For full admission to the Health Sciences M.S. program in the Department of Health and Kinesiology, ordinarily an applicant must:
- Have an earned baccalaureate degree from an accredited academic institution in a field closely related to the mission of the intended master’s degree program.
- Have earned a grade point average of at least 3.00 on a 4-point scale for all upper-division undergraduate hours or have an earned graduate degree from an accredited academic institution.
- Applicant must have an interview with at least 1 Health Sciences faculty member.
- Submit three strong letters of recommendation from individuals in professional positions who can validly comment on the applicant’s suitability for graduate studies in general and for studies in the intended field in particular.
If the applicant is an international student, the TOEFL may be waived if the Health Sciences faculty assess both written and spoken English.
To discuss the application and admission processes related to the MS in Health Sciences program, contact Dr. William Sorensen at wsorensen@uttyler.edu.
Objectives:
At the completion of the Master's program, the graduate should be able to demonstrate the knowledge and skills identified in the seven areas listed below.
- Content Area
- Critique, conduct and contribute to health-promotion and disease-prevention research.
- Plan, implement, and evaluate health-promotion and disease-prevention interventions.
- Compare and contrast existing health programs and theories, and evaluate their relevance for personal and population health.
- Coordinate specialized health-promotion and disease-prevention activities.
- Critical Thinking Area
- Assess personal interests and abilities in preparation for selecting an area of specialization in the health field.
- Use analogy, model, and metaphor to organize information in the health sciences.
- Apply statistical, social/political, historical/futurist, and ethical modes of thinking as they pertain to health.
- Evaluate and critique the underlying assumptions of the dominant health-science discourses.
- Analyze and critically assess local, regional, national, and global health issues.
- Communication Area
- Communicate health needs, concerns, and resource availability for health-promotion and disease-prevention purposes in research format.
- Use analogy, model, and metaphor to communicate meaning in the health sciences
- Communicate health information to diverse groups, for health-promotion and disease-prevention purposes.
- Communicate health needs and concerns to governmental and non-governmental entities involved in establishing or changing health policy.
- Serve as a resource professional for health-promotion and disease-prevention activities.
- Present ideas clearly and effectively in written and oral communications.
- Develop and apply networking skills to create and maintain consultative relationships.
- Leadership Area
- Demonstrate knowledge of cutting-edge health policies or models.
- Advocate health to peers and family by practicing model health behaviors.
- Function as leaders in supporting health education of individuals, groups and communities.
- Advocate for improvements in the field of health promotion and disease prevention.
- Ethics/Values Area
- Evaluate moral and ethical conduct using multiple value systems and perspectives.
- Identify ethical issues involved in research, practice, and governance and understand how ethical principles are used to guide professional activities.
- Weigh judgments of detrimental behavior in respect to health outcomes against surrounding determinants of health.
- Technology Area
- Use statistical computing software to analyze data and display information.
- Use a broad range of technologies in health sciences.
- Evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of various intervention technologies in health science and promotion.
- Diversity Area
- Explain the cultural, social, economic, and environmental determinants of health and of health disparities.
- Describe recent trends in health sciences that reveal an association between socioeconomic status and disease or wellness.
Curriculum (36 semester credit hours)
Required core courses (18 hours)
Elective Courses (12 hours approved by adviser)
Thesis or Internship (6 hours)
In addition to completing the required course work, earning the M.S. Health Sciences Degree requires satisfactory completion of a comprehensive exam in the latter part of the student's program of study if the internship is selected.
Dual Master of Arts in Communication (M.A.C.) / Master of Science in Health Sciences (M.H.S.)
Students completing the Dual M.A.C.-M.H.S. degree option will be awarded the two degrees in the same academic term.
The Dual M.A.C.-M.H.S. Program
Students enrolling for this dual degree option must meet the admission requirements listed elsewhere in this catalog for both Communication and Health Sciences. Students complete a total of 63 hours. In addition to the 36 hours of coursework for the M.A.C. degree, students take 36 hours of coursework for the M.H.S. Nine of the hours for each degree are shared electives, resulting in the dual degree of 63 hours rather than the 72 hours required if each degree is pursued separately. The M.A.C. and M.H.S. degrees are awarded simultaneously at graduation. Students enrolling in this program must sign an agreement to complete both degrees and meet with the Graduate Advisor from each program.
M.A.C. Degree Requirements
All candidates for the Master of Arts in Communication degree must meet the following requirements:
- Completion of a minimum of 36 hours of graduate credit with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 in all course work applied towards the degree.
- No more than six semester hours in independent study courses may be applied to this degree.
- A grade of “B” or better in each core course.
- Students choosing the Non-Thesis option must demonstrate satisfactory performance on a comprehensive written and/or oral examination, to be taken during the student’s last semester of enrollment, over the work covered in his or her degree program.
- Students choosing the thesis option must submit a standard master’s quality thesis involving original research and satisfactorily defend the thesis. Students choosing the thesis option must complete 30 hours of coursework and COMM 5395 Thesis I and COMM 5396 Thesis II.
- Students choosing the project option must submit a standard master’s quality project involving original research and satisfactorily defend the project. Students choosing the project option must complete 30 hours of coursework and COMM 5397 Project I and COMM 5398 Project II.