A M.S. degree in Health Promotion and Wellness prepares students to design, implement, and evaluate interventions that promote healthy behaviors and lifestyles. Coursework reflects current professional standards and practices in the health promotion field.  Coursework also prepares students for the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam, a competency-based tool used to measure the possession, application, and interpretation of knowledge in the Seven Areas of Responsibility for Health Education Specialists. 

The Health Promotion and Wellness program is interdisciplinary and addresses the needs of students from a variety of academic backgrounds. A total of 30 semester hours are required for completion of this program. Electives allow students to further specialize their course of studies in areas of interest within this focus and are carefully chosen in conjunction with their advisor.

Admission Requirements

In addition to the University graduate admission requirements described in the Admissions section of the catalog, the department bases decisions for regular admission on a holistic review of credentials in which the following criteria are used to assess the potential success of each applicant:

• Undergraduate institutional GPA
• Undergraduate Senior Year/Major GPA
• Submission of letter of intent describing reasons for applying to the program and associated career goals
• Submission of contact information for two professional references
• Work Experience as reflected in a resume (only for graduate assistants)

Foundational Proficiencies

It is preferred that students in the Health Promotion and Wellness program have previous credit in human anatomy, physiology, or pathophysiology; general science course, and personal and community health; or the equivalent. 

Health Promotion and Wellness