Applied Health Science (MS)

Summary

The graduate program in Applied Health Science, MS (formerly Community Health Education, MS) is focused on advanced learning experiences related to health education and promotion for application in public health, community health, school, and clinical settings. Students completing this program are prepared for employment in educational settings, governmental agencies, private and voluntary health organizations, health care facilities, and business and industry. The curriculum focuses on skills and competencies required to apply for credentialing as a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) or a Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES). The skills needed to become a CHES or MCHES through the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. include: assessing needs and capacity for health education and promotion; planning and implementing health education and promotion interventions; conducting evaluation and research related to health education and promotion; advocating for health, health education and promotion, and the health education profession; communicating with other health professionals, consumers, students, employers, and other health education specialists; leading and managing health education and promotion programs; and applying ethics and professionalism to health education and promotion practice. Graduates of this program will also be able to demonstrate advanced knowledge and skills to support diversity, equity, health equity, and inclusion in health education and promotion interventions, advocacy initiatives, and health communications. Upon completion of the program, students are eligible to apply for the CHES exam administered by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. 

Catalog Year

2024-2025

Degree

Master of Science

Major Credits

30

Total Credits

30

Locations

Online

Career Cluster

Health Science

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Program Requirements

Common Core

Overviews basic principles and applications of epidemiological concepts and methods in the study of public health problems in populations. The focus of the course is on the interpretation and assessment of epidemiologic research, both descriptive and analytic, and its application to public health practice and relevance to the key disciplines of public health. Examples of the use of the principles of epidemiology will be presented so that students will have sufficient understanding to apply such principles in future public health work.

Prerequisites: none

Specific managerial components will be emphasized, such as organizational patterns, fiscal administration, and personnel management common to the healthcare system. Administrative functions of policy settings, planning coordination, public issue involvement, and community relations will be included. Particular attention is given to the human side of management.

Prerequisites: none

Provides a thorough background on the practical aspects of health planning, including development, adoption, and implementation of health programs.

Prerequisites: none

Provides a solid theoretical and philosophical foundation for professional health education practice. Current and historical health education, theoretical and philosophical models, and concepts are explored. Application of these models and concepts to professional practice is emphasized.

Prerequisites: none

Focuses on advanced development of communication and advocacy skills for the health education specialist. The course provides in-depth coverage of health communication theory, application, and evidence. Students will critique a current health communication campaign.

Prerequisites: none

Reviews the basic principles and techniques used in Biostatistics and will incorporate a final project that entails analyzing data, using the SPSS program, to answer hypothesized questions, and make conclusions using the inferential statistical process.

Prerequisites: none

Research/Methods Course(s)

Examines and applies research methods common to public health topics. Course requires an extensive literature review as part of a research proposal.

Prerequisites: none

Restricted Electives

Choose 6 Credit(s).

An in-depth review of significant current health concerns and controversies in health science, using the elements of reasoning as the framework for critiquing the issues.

Prerequisites: none

Promotes identification and analysis of environmental influences upon health status. Health concerns related to residential, occupational, and other environments are explored. Problems pertaining to air, water, solid waste, housing, land use, toxic waste, and sanitation are addressed.

Prerequisites: none

The course examines the foundations of emotional health and explores methods for promoting and maintaining emotional health. Emphasis is on recognition of, and enhancing awareness about, how stress affects human health and performance. Stress management techniques such as relaxation, effective communication, cognitive-behavioral approaches, eating behaviors, regular exercise, and time management are explored.

Prerequisites: none

This course investigates the physical and mental health concerns of the aging process. Explores specific health problems confronting older persons, and examines preventive health behaviors and health maintenance practices.

Prerequisites: none

This course is designed to provide students with practical knowledge and application techniques in assessing an individual with a chemical use/dependency problem. Various assessment techniques will be presented and discusses as to appropriate utilization. This course meets the criteria for Rule 25 training in Chemical Dependency Assessment.

Prerequisites: none

An in-depth study of specific topics of current interest in the Health Science discipline.

Prerequisites: none

Addresses the history, organization, influences, and delivery of healthcare in the United States (U.S.) and abroad. A focus will be on analyzing the factors, including the U.S. Constitution, that have shaped the healthcare system compared to other parts of the globe. Additional focus will be placed on the legal and social justice framework for urgent public health issues.

Prerequisites: none

Focuses on the determinants of health, the concept of culture, and the intersection of health issues, culture, and health status. Linkages between health and development are addressed and research methods instrumental in identifying relationships between culture and health are discussed. The course examines diverse strategies for measuring health and explores how public health efforts (domestic and global) benefit from understanding and working with cultural processes. Emphasis is on the burden of disease, risk factors, populations most affected by different disease burdens, and key measures to address the burden of disease in cost-effective ways.

Prerequisites: none

An examination of the judicial system and the development, enactment and enforcement of laws as they relate to the public's health.

Prerequisites: none

This course is designed to provide students with practical knowledge and application techniques in assessing an individual with a chemical use/dependency problem. Various assessment techniques will be presented and discussed as to appropriate utilization. This course meets the criteria for Rule 25 training in Chemical Dependency Assessment.

Prerequisites: none

The course examines approaches to promote health and prevent disease and injury, and explores other health related issues at the workplace. Assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation strategies are addressed. Model programs are reviewed and analyzed.

Prerequisites: none

Focuses on preventing and reducing risks associated with alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs in school and community settings. Emphasizes planning, implementing, assessing, and evaluating alcohol, tobacco, and other drug education in K-12 schools.

Prerequisites: none

Human health problems comprise a wide range of infectious, degenerative, and genetically-based disease factors. In addition to these factors, human disease results from a wide range of environmental and socially- caused pathologies. This course presents the basic scientific and biomedical concepts of modern public health problems and explores, in depth, mechanisms and models of the major categories of disease. The biologic principles presented in this course are foundations to developing and implementing public health disease prevention, control, or management programs in the students future.

Prerequisites: none

Designed to make students familiar with the steps of grant writing, explore the various sources of grants available to health professionals, and develop skills and competencies to successfully write grant proposals.

Prerequisites: none

Explores current issues, controversies, and concerns affecting sexual health. Relationships between social, cultural, psychological, environmental, and physical factors of sexuality will be examined.

Prerequisites: none

Focuses on the complexity of health behavior change and the skills necessary for a health promotion professional to assess, plan, and evaluate behavior change interventions for individuals and communities. Health behavior change theories and strategies will be discussed. Emphasis will be given to the impact of policy and environmental influences on behavior.

Prerequisites: none

Capstone Course

* Thesis requires 3 credits. APP requires 3 credits.

Course requires completion of Alternate Plan Paper and oral presentation for group review.

Prerequisites: none

Credit for students working on their thesis. Permission of advisor and department chairperson required.

Prerequisites: none

Degree Plan

The Degree Plan is a model for completing your degree in a timely manner. Your individual degree plan may change based on a number of variables including transfer courses and the semester/year you start your major. Carefully work with your academic advisors to devise your own unique plan.
* Please meet with your advisor on appropriate course selection to meet your educational and degree goals.

First Year

Fall - 9 Credits

Examines and applies research methods common to public health topics. Course requires an extensive literature review as part of a research proposal.

Prerequisites: none

Provides a thorough background on the practical aspects of health planning, including development, adoption, and implementation of health programs.

Prerequisites: none

Spring - 9 Credits

Overviews basic principles and applications of epidemiological concepts and methods in the study of public health problems in populations. The focus of the course is on the interpretation and assessment of epidemiologic research, both descriptive and analytic, and its application to public health practice and relevance to the key disciplines of public health. Examples of the use of the principles of epidemiology will be presented so that students will have sufficient understanding to apply such principles in future public health work.

Prerequisites: none

Specific managerial components will be emphasized, such as organizational patterns, fiscal administration, and personnel management common to the healthcare system. Administrative functions of policy settings, planning coordination, public issue involvement, and community relations will be included. Particular attention is given to the human side of management.

Prerequisites: none

Reviews the basic principles and techniques used in Biostatistics and will incorporate a final project that entails analyzing data, using the SPSS program, to answer hypothesized questions, and make conclusions using the inferential statistical process.

Prerequisites: none

Second Year

Fall - 6 Credits

Provides a solid theoretical and philosophical foundation for professional health education practice. Current and historical health education, theoretical and philosophical models, and concepts are explored. Application of these models and concepts to professional practice is emphasized.

Prerequisites: none

Credit for students working on their thesis. Permission of advisor and department chairperson required.

Prerequisites: none

Spring - 6 Credits

Focuses on advanced development of communication and advocacy skills for the health education specialist. The course provides in-depth coverage of health communication theory, application, and evidence. Students will critique a current health communication campaign.

Prerequisites: none

Course requires completion of thesis proposal or alternate plan paper, extensive literature review, and oral presentation for group review.

Prerequisites: none

Policies

Admission Requirements:

  • Bachelor's degree from an accredited university with a minimum GPA of 2.85.
  • A personal statement indicating purpose for pursuing a graduate degree in the department here at Minnesota State Mankato.
  • Three letters of recommendation from professors or professional colleagues.
  • A resume.

Additional Admission Requirements for International Applicants:

  • Minimum TOEFL iBT score of 79 or a minimum IELTS score of 6.5.
  • Credential Evaluation prepared by a National Association of Credentials Evaluation Service member.

Progression Requirements-Time Limits:

  • All work, including approved transfer credits, must be completed with a 6 year period.
  • The time limit begins with the first course taken that applies to the program.
  • The time limit applies to transfer credits.

Progression Requirements- Graduate Enrollment:

  • Graduate students must be registered for at least one graduate-level credit (500 level and above) during the semester they intend to graduate.
  • Finishing a previous course with an ‘IP’ does not fulfill this requirement. Courses must have final grades assigned.

Graduation Requirements:

  • Only graduate-level courses (500 level and above) will be counted toward a graduate degree.
  • At least one-half of the credits counted for the degree, excluding thesis and APP credit, earned in courses restricted to graduate students (600-699 level).
  • A 3.0 grade point average minimum must be maintained for all graduate work being counted toward the fulfillment of the degree.
  • Courses taken at Minnesota State University, Mankato that are assigned a "C-“ or below will not be counted toward graduation credit.
  • Transfer credits assigned a "B-" or below will not be accepted.
  • If a dual number course is taken at the undergraduate level, it cannot be taken at the graduate-level and counted toward the degree.
  • Graduate courses may be repeated but credit for the course is applicable toward the degree only once. However, all grades earned for that course shall be used in calculating the grade point average.
  • HLTH 630: Research Techniques in Health (3) or an equivalent graduate-level research methods course.
  • HLTH 675: Advanced Biostatistics (3) or an equivalent graduate-level statistics course.
  • A maximum of 6 credits of independent/individual study.
  • A minimum of 3 thesis credits must be earned by a student following a thesis plan.
  • A maximum of 6 credits of thesis credits may be earned by a student following a thesis plan.

Note: All other Minnesota State University, Mankato College of Graduate Studies and Research policies apply to this program.