MASTER OF SCIENCE IN HEALTH
PROMOTION
PROGRAM POLICY STATEMENT
August 10, 2010
Submitted to:
Dr. Mary Martin
Submitted by:
Dr. Elizabeth Orsega-Smith
Director
M.S. Health Promotion
09 Carpenter Sports Building
University of Delaware
On Behalf of:
M.S. Health Promotion Graduate Committee
M.S. Health Promotion
Program Mission:
The mission of the
University of Delaware’s M.S. in Health Promotion Program is to prepare leaders
in the diverse health promotion fields who can translate science for the
comprehensive promotion of health and prevention of disease among individuals
and population across the lifespan.
Students of Health
Promotion should be able to:
DEMONSTRATE BREADTH AND
DEPTH OF KNOWLEDGE IN THE DISCIPLINE
Graduate students should
understand the current and historical theories, concepts, and models of the
discipline. They should possess the ability to access and evaluate the
literature of the discipline and understand the major issues in the current
state of knowledge. In addition to knowing the specific content of the
discipline, students should be able to understand and appropriately use the
methods and techniques of advancing knowledge in the field of study.
EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE
KNOWLEDGE IN THE DISCIPLINE
Graduate students should
possess the ability to write and speak about the current issues of the
discipline to peers, practitioners, and the public. They should be able to
articulate and demonstrate knowledge of the discipline and write and present
scholarship to professionals.
DEMONSTRATE AN ABILITY
FOR ANALYTICAL THINKING IN THE DISCIPLINE
Graduate students should
be able to identify and understand critical issues in the discipline. They
should possess the ability to challenge and evaluate information, as well as
synthesize and integrate knowledge in the discipline.
EXHIBIT THE BEST
PRACTICES, VALUES, AND ETHICS OF THE PROFESSION
Graduate students should
understand and exhibit the professional standards for responsible conduct of
research in the discipline and understand the values and ethics of practicing
the profession in society.
APPLY KNOWLEDGE OF THE
DISCIPLINE
Graduate students should
possess the ability to apply knowledge in the discipline to solve sophisticated
problems and to interpret technical issues.
Programmatic Outcomes:
Students will be able to:
1.) Assess individual and
community need for health education and promotion,
2.) Identify health
behavior principles and theories as they apply to health promotion
3.) Implement health
promotion strategies, interventions, and programs,
4.) Conduct evaluation
and research related to health promotion,
Assessment:
|
Program Learning Outcomes |
Core Courses |
Elective courses |
Level of Emphasis (I, R, E)* |
Assessment Methods (D or I)** /Proficiency Level |
|
Assess individual and community need for health education
and promotion |
HESC609 HLPR 809 HLPR803 HLPR807 HLPR868 HLPR864 |
NTDT 640 |
I R E R E E E |
D-exam/ papers/presentation D-Paper/discussion/exam D- Research paper/exam Comprehensive exam D - summarize articles/present to peers D - research papers; presentations D- paper, exam, discussion |
|
Identify health behavior principles and theories as they apply to health
promotion |
HLPR 809 HLPR 803 HLPR 823 |
HLPR 815 HLPR 610 NTDT 660 |
E E R R E |
D - research paper Comprehensive exam D - research paper, presentations D - essay exams, presentation D - essay exams D- essay exam |
|
Implement health promotion strategies, interventions, and
programs |
HLPR803 |
HLPR 813 HLPR815 HLPR819 |
E R R R |
D- presentation/exam Comprehensive exam D – discussion/exam/paper D-discussion/exam/paper D-discussion/exam/paper |
|
Conduct evaluation and research related to health
promotion |
STAT course HESC 609 HLPR868 HLPR864 |
|
I I E E |
D - Papers and presentations D - Exam/papers,presentation D - Presentations/paper Scholarly project D - Paper/scholarly project |
MASTER
OF SCIENCE IN HEALTH PROMOTION
PROGRAM POLICY STATEMENT
The Master of Science in
Health Promotion prepares professionals to successfully design, implement,
administer, and evaluate health promotion interventions. Students are prepared in the science and art
of helping people change their lifestyle and behaviors through a combination of
efforts that involve cognitive and behavioral modification, and environmental
and cultural change. The program is
designed to meet the needs of both traditional graduate students and working
professionals, with graduates having the skills and knowledge to work with a
wide variety of populations and in diverse settings. The program provides opportunity to pursue
specific areas of emphasis within Health Promotion which can include but is not
limited to: exercise science, aging, community health, nutrition, social
marketing, health psychology, health communications, public health, global
health, worksite health, or behavioral health.
The program has been in
existence since Fall 1998 and is currently under review for permanent status.
Students will be admitted to
the program based upon enrollment availability and their ability to meet the
following entrance requirements.
1.
A bachelor’s degree based on a four-year curriculum from an accredited college
or university.
2.
Acceptable undergraduate transcripts
3.
Three letters of recommendation indicating the capability, interest, maturity,
scholastic, and professional potential of the candidate for graduate study.
4.
Adequate preparation in health as determined by prerequisite requirements
5.
Acceptable GRE scores (combined math and verbal score of 1050)
6.
Acceptable TOEFL scores (82 internet or 220 computer)
Admission is determined by the Health Promotion Graduate committee.
All prerequisites are subject
to individual review by the Health Promotion Graduate committee. Specific prerequisites for the program are:
For students interested in
an Exercise Science emphasis prerequisites also include:
For students interested in a
Nutrition emphasis prerequisites also include:
Students may be accepted
into the program without prerequisites.
However completion of graduate program prerequisites as assigned by the
admission committee must be fulfilled in order to successfully complete the MS
in Health Promotion program of study.
Admission is competitive,
based on the number of well-qualified applicants and the limits of available
faculty and facilities. Those who meet
stated minimum academic requirements are not guaranteed admission, nor are
those who fail to meet those requirements necessarily precluded from admission
if they offer other appropriate strengths.
The Master of Science in
Health Promotion requires 30 credit hours of coursework at the 600 and 800
level, and 3 credits of either an internship or research project. The 30 credits of coursework must include 18
credits of required courses, and 12 credits of advisor approved coursework
which may include an area of emphasis of a minimum of 6 credit hours.
Credit Requirements
Core
Credits 18
Area
of Emphasis (optional) 6
Electives
(advisor approved) 6
Internship
or Research Project 3
Total
number of required credits 33
Note:
Area of Emphasis is optional. If no
emphasis area is chosen elective credit requirements are 12.
A. Courses Required Within Health Promotion (18
credits)
HESC
609 Survey Research Methods
HESC
602 Statistics (or equivalent)
HLPR
803 Advanced Health Promotion
Programming
HLPR
807 Topics and Issues in Health
Promotion
HLPR
809 Health Behavior
HLPR
823 Human Response to Stress
B. Area of Emphasis
Exercise Science Emphasis
(6 credits)
HESC685 Advanced Exercise Prescription
HESC800 Advanced Physiology of
Exercise
Cardiac Rehabilitation
Emphasis (6 credits)
HESC685 Advanced Exercise Prescription
HESC665 Cardiovascular Assessment I
Nutrition Emphasis (6 credits)
NTDT640 Nutrition and Aging
NTDT645 Teaching Methods: Nutrition
and Foods
NTDT615 Advanced Nutrition and
Physical Activity
NTDT660 Community Nutrition
Aging Emphasis (6
credits)
NTDT640 Nutrition and Aging
IFST603 Human Development: Lifespan
Perspective
IFST600 level or higher –
Aging related course
HLPR 813 Health of Older Adults
C. Recommended Electives (12 credits)
HLPR
610 Health and the Media
HLPR
813 Health of Older Adults
HLPR
815 Health Behavior and Health
Psychology
HLPR
819 Social Marketing
UAPP
657 Health Policy
UAPP
804 Program Evaluation for Health and
Social Services
UAPP
808 Qualitative Methods for Program
Evaluation
IFST
601 Theories of Human Development
IFST642 Leadership in Human Services
SOCI
607 Sociology of Gender
COMM
610 Organizational Communication Theory
COMM
654 Children and Mass Media
COMM
656 Communication in Organizations
COMM
657 Children, Television, and Education
COMM
624 Media Message Analysis
EDUC
685 Multimedia Literacy
EDUC
657 Children, television and education
EDUC
665 Elementary Statistics
HESC
800 Advanced Physiology of Exercise
PHIL
648 Environmental Ethics
PSYC
806 Social Cognition
PSYC614
Psychopharmacology
POSC653 Politics and Healthcare
SOCI
608 Gender, Work, & Families
SOCI
671 Disasters, Vulnerability &
Development
UAPP
608/IFST 608 Poverty , Neighborhoods, & Community Development
UAPP
616 Volunteer Management
UAPP
644 Grantsmanship and Proposal Writing
(1 credit)
UAPP
653/POSC 653 Politics and Healthcare
UAPP
657 Health Policy
UAPP
676 Survey Research
C. Internship or Research Project
HLPR
864 Internship
OR
HLPR
868 Research Project
Prior to enrollment in
either HLPR 864 or HLPR 868 students must successfully pass a Qualifying Exam.
After admission to the
program, all students are required to complete an approved program of study in
order to meet the degree requirements.
The program of study is planned by the student and the student’s advisor
during the first semester of coursework.
The advisor is assigned to the student based on student’s interest,
faculty expertise, and faculty workload from the list of program faculty in
Health Promotion. Faculty status in the
Health Promotion program is granted to full-time faculty members who teach regularly
scheduled graduate-level required or recommended courses within the Health
Promotion program on a yearly basis or on a rotating-year basis, and/or who
supervise three or more research projects on a yearly basis. The program of study is then presented to the
Health Promotion graduate committee for their consideration, and
recommendations or approvals are made.
All programs of study must be approved by the graduate committee. Elective areas within the program of study
are considered guides, not contracts, due to changing course availability and
opportunities, and student interests and career goals.
The program of study must
include HESC 609 (Survey Research Methods) or acceptable equivalent, Graduate
Level statistics course, HLPR 803 (Advanced Health Promotion Programming), HLPR
807 (Topics and Issues in Health Promotion), HLPR 809 (Health Behavior Theory),
and HLPR 823 (Human Response to Stress).
In addition to the 6 required courses, the program of study must include
12 additional course credit hours consisting of an area of emphasis (minimum of
6 credit hours) or approved electives.
The final requirement will include either an internship or research
project. The time required to complete
the program is a minimum of two years for full-time students.
Credits for the MS in Health
Promotion are awarded for courses taken at the 600 and 800 level only. Students are limited to no more than 6-credit
hours of special problem/independent study (HLPR 866) in their program of
study. Students who lack graduate course
prerequisites may be required by their advisor to take additional undergraduate
prerequisites. This requirement is
subject to approval by the Health Promotion Graduate Committee. Program prerequisites may be completed after
acceptance to the program but prior to graduation. Program prerequisites will be determined upon
acceptance to the MS in Health Promotion program.
Per University of Delaware
Office of Graduate Studies guidelines, students who have taken graduate level
work at other accredited institutions of higher education may transfer up to a
maximum of 9 credit hours into their program of study pending approval of the
Health Promotion Graduate Committee. If
a student desires to take a graduate course (not available at the University of
Delaware) from another accredited institution of higher education while
matriculated at the University of Delaware they must gain prior approval from
their academic advisor and Health Promotion Program director.
In the event a student seeks
to substitute a course for a required course the student must submit a written
request explaining the nature and justification of the substitution to their
academic advisor. The academic advisor
will present this document to the Health Promotion Graduate Committee for
consideration and approval. Approval is
granted based on a majority faculty affirmative vote. Course changes within the elective/emphasis
area of the program can be done with approval of the student’s academic
advisor.
All students will be
required to complete a comprehensive examination. The examination can be completed as early as
the last four weeks of the semester in which they complete their last required
and recommended didactic program coursework (excluding electives), but before
the internship or research project. The
comprehensive examination will consist of questions provided by Health
Promotion program faculty from which the student has had coursework. Initiation of the comprehensive examination
is done by the student who informs the director when they would like to sit for
their comprehensive exams. The director
must be informed no less than one month prior to the chosen time/date.
Selection of faculty will be by the Health Promotion program director in consultation
with the student. The selection will
consist of the student’s primary advisor and two Health Promotion faculty who
will then form the student’s examination committee. Including the student advisor, the committee
will consist of two faculty members who will represent required coursework, one
faculty member who represents the area of emphasis (if applicable) or one
faculty member selected from whom the student has had a course. Each faculty member will be responsible for
submitting one question that reflects the course content as it relates to the
broader issues of Health Promotion. The
student must be informed by each respective committee member, at least two
weeks in advance of the examination date(s), about the general area of
assessment. The examination will be in
written format and can be completed one question per day, or all three
questions in one day (or a variation thereof) based on mutual agreement between
the student and the Health Promotion program director and faculty advisor. The student’s response to each question must
be evaluated by the respective comprehensive exam committee members and the
student notified of the committee’s decision within two weeks after the last
examination date. Responses will be
assessed as acceptable or unacceptable.
In the case of an
unacceptable response the student may schedule an oral examination as an appeal
within four weeks of the date the student was notified of the committee’s
decision. The oral examination provides
an opportunity for the student to orally defend their position or clarify their
response. Upon favorable review, the
committee has the option of changing the assessment to acceptable. If the student fails his/her oral examination
he/she will not be permitted to complete his/her program of study. The student must obtain acceptable responses
to all three questions posed by the examination committee to successfully pass
the comprehensive examination.
Independent Study in Health
Promotion (HLPR 866) provides students an opportunity for academic inquiry into
an area of interest and/or career/field enhancement. Constitution of an acceptable independent
study varies, but is dependent on approval of their academic/study advisor and
the Health Promotion Program director.
The Independent Study faculty advisor must be approved by the Health
Promotion Graduate director.
The internship is a
three-credit optional requirement that consists of a full-time, full-semester
experience. The internship should be
(although does not need to be) a paid experience which can be completed after
successful completion of required didactic coursework and the comprehensive
examination. Students will spend up to
450 hours in an agency that will assist them in meeting their career
objectives. In return, the student will
provide the agency with their expertise and services to help the agency achieve
its mission and goals. For example, the
student may initiate and/or complete a special project, develop a program or
intervention, conduct need assessments, develop resource and educational
materials. Students are responsible for
obtaining their internship, although their advisor or related professionals can
provide information about potential agencies within their field of
interest. The student intern will be
supervised by a host agency representative who will function as their immediate
superior at the internship site. The
intern will be monitored by a Health Promotion program faculty member
responsible for HLPR 864—Internship.
This faculty member will be responsible for ensuring students fulfill
all academic requirements for the internship.
Student interns are responsible for meeting internship guidelines and
requirements which include but are not limited to: completion of time
requirements, fulfillment of a special project on behalf of the host agency,
satisfactory supervisory evaluations, regular meetings, or reports to the
faculty advisor, final report of internship experience. Internships will be graded on a pass-fail
basis.
Research
Project Guidelines (HLPR 868)
The research project option
provides opportunity for application of course work to a student’s specific
area of interest. The research project
may include experimental techniques, pilot programs, case studies, surveys,
interviews, qualitative research or other items of mutual benefit to the
student and sponsor institution. For
quantitative and qualitative techniques, nationally acceptable standards
involved in scientific inquiry as established by professional refereed journals
shall be used in the development of proper research protocol. Additional standards applied to the research
project shall be agreed upon by the candidate and the project advisory committee. The student research project advisory
committee shall consist of two faculty members: a faculty advisor and a faculty
member serving as a second reader. The
main project advisor must hold full-time faculty status and teach at least one
course in the Health Promotion program.
The second reader shall be agreed upon by the advisor and the candidate.
A typed proposal regarding
the procedures for obtaining the necessary information must be submitted to,
and found acceptable by, the project advisor and second reader prior to the
initiation of the project. In addition,
approval for the use of human subjects (when necessary) must be obtained from
the University Human Subjects Review Board before data collection can commence. Following the advisor and second reader’s
acceptance of the proposal, activities will be implemented in an approved
setting. The first typed draft of the
completed project will be submitted to the advisor and reader for review and
defense. The final accepted draft will
mark the completion of the research project experience. Research project format will be governed by
the advisor and reader.
Full-time students are
expected to complete their program requirements in a minimum of two academic
years. Normal course load is 9 graduate
level course hours. For students opting
for the research project (HLPR 868), 9 credit hours will be taken during the Fall-Spring-Fall
sequence, and 6 credit hours during their final Spring semester (3 credit hours
for the Research Project and 3 credit hours of elective). Students who opt for an internship experience
will increase their course work by 3 credit hours during the Fall-Spring-Fall
sequence, and fulfill the internship requirement solely during their final
Spring semester. Course loads may vary
as appropriate if acceptable winter and summer courses are planned, or if
course opportunities and offerings change unexpectedly. However, to remain as a full-time student a
minimum of 6-credit hours per semester is required.
Part-time students are
expected to complete their program requirements in a minimum of five academic
years. Extensions to this timeframe may
be requested with a formal letter to the Health Promotion Graduate Program director. Extensions will be determined by the Health
Promotion Graduate Committee. A majority
affirmative vote is required to obtain an extension.
Acceptable program progress
is determined by maintaining an overall B average (3.0) in graduate level
coursework, completion of program prerequisites, and timely completion of
program requirements based on full-time or part-time status. Students in the research project option have
one full calendar year from the beginning of the semester they enroll in HLPR
868 to complete their research project requirements. Extensions to this timeframe may be requested
with a formal letter to the Health Promotion Graduate Program director. Extensions will be determined by the Health
Promotion Graduate Committee. A majority
affirmative vote is required to obtain an extension.
Students in the internship
option (HLPR 866) must satisfactorily complete their requirements in the
semester they register for this course.
A failure to meet the requirements will disqualify them from completion
of the degree. Students do not have
automatic opportunity to redo an internship.
In the event of extenuating circumstances, students may withdraw from
the course and complete it in another semester, or appeal in writing to the
Health Promotion Graduate Committee.
Opportunity to redo the internship will be determined by the Health
Promotion Graduate Committee. A majority
affirmative vote is required to obtain permission to repeat the course. A maximum of one HLPR 866 course repeat is
permitted pending Committee approval.
Students desiring to switch
from one graduate program within the College of Health Sciences to the Health
Promotion graduate program are required to complete a formal application and
accompanying materials as previously outlined in the admission requirements,
and submit it to the Health Promotion Graduate Committee for review. Students within the College of Health
Sciences are not required to reapply to the University of Delaware Graduate
Studies Office. Students who change
their program of study must be aware that they can lose their assistantship
from their previous program, and are not guaranteed in-kind financial aid from
the Health Promotion program.
Students desiring to switch
from one graduate program outside the College of Health Sciences to the Health
Promotion graduate program will be required to reapply to the University of
Delaware Graduate Studies Office, and follow the admission protocol outlined
for all potential graduate students.
Available financial aid will
be awarded to full-time students (registered in at least 6 graduate credits
each semester) based on admission ranking, needs of the program, and experience
and expertise of the graduate student.
Students who receive financial aid will be obligated to work up to 20
hours per week in an assigned position during the fall and spring
semesters. Some forms of financial aid
may provide support for tuition while others may not, and some may require work
during the academic Winter session.
Continuation of this award is contingent upon the evaluation of the
program director and Health Promotion Graduate committee. The student must remain in good academic
standing to be eligible for the continuation of the award.
Departmental
Operations
It is the responsibility of
the students to keep the Health Promotion program director and faculty aware of
their current contact information. Communication between faculty and students
is essential in the program. Students are encouraged to attend professional
meetings and conferences. However currently, the Department of Health,
Nutrition, & Exercise Sciences does not provide travel to such meetings.