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Department of Health Studies
Chair: Susan Ward, Professor
Location: CFO 1006
Phone: 940-898-2863
Fax: 940-898-2859
E-mail: healthstudies@twu.edu
Website: www.twu.edu/hs/hs
Faculty: Professor W. Cissell; Associate Professor R. Rager;
Assistant Professors M. Shaw-Perry, K. Wiginton; Visiting Assistant Professors S.
Eaddy, J. Oomen, B. Ritzert; Senior Lecturer B. Odom-Wesley.
Graduate Degrees Offered
- M.S. in Health Studies
- Ph.D. and Ed.D. in Health Studies
The master’s and doctoral degree programs in the Department of Health Studies
prepare graduates for leadership positions in the disciplines of health education and
health promotion. The graduate curricula are designed to enable students to function
in a variety of professional environments, including community, worksite, health care,
public health, and academic settings. The core curriculum provides students with a
blend of health education and health promotion theory and practice. Students are also
required to select one of the three focal areas - community, health management, or
higher education - which provides course concentration on programming and professional
practice in those areas. Opportunities for hands-on practical experience in the field
are offered through the graduate practicum.
Dual Degree Program
Through a joint program of the Department of Health Studies and the School of
Library and Information Studies, students may also pursue a dual master’s degree in
Health Studies and Library Science. This dual degree program prepares specialized
professionals for careers in health sciences information services and medical library
services, as well as in the field of health education and health promotion. Graduates
of this program will have the combined professional expertise of both disciplines to
address society’s growing needs for health information stemming from the rapid
advances in information technologies.
Teacher Certification
Post-baccalaureate teacher certification in health studies is also available
through the department.
In preparing students with the professional competencies to be effective leaders
and program managers in the field of health education and health promotion, the Health
Studies graduate curricula are designed to provide students with the knowledge and
skills to:
- develop a contemporary view of health which is demonstrated in their
work and lifestyles;
- assess the health needs and interests of individuals, groups, and
communities in relation to cultural, ethnic, and other demographic
factors;
- plan, implement, and evaluate health education and health promotion
programs in a variety of settings;
- approach health education and health promotion from a multicultural
perspective, and with sensitivity to diversity;
- develop appropriate strategies to effect positive health behavior in the
groups or populations being addressed;
- coordinate the provision of health education services and act as a
resource person in health education;
- critically analyze, communicate, and serve as an advocate regarding
current and future health education needs;
- apply appropriate research principles and methods in health education
and health promotion;
- apply ethical principles in the practice of health education.
Admission Requirements
Applicants may be admitted for graduate study in the Department of Health Studies
either unconditionally or provisionally. In addition to the general admission
requirements presented in the admissions section of this catalog, the Department of
Health Studies has established the following criteria for unconditional and provisional
admission.
Master of Science in Health Studies*
Unconditional admission:
- A minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for the last 60 hours of bachelor’s
degree coursework as evidenced by official transcripts.
- A preferred combined verbal/quantitative score of at least 850 on the
Graduate Record Examination (GRE), with at least 400 on the verbal portion;
and, for international students, a minimum score of 550 on the Test of
English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
- Appropriate academic background and professional and volunteer experience
for master’s study in health studies as evidenced by a professional vita.
- Two acceptable recommendations (using the departmental recommendation
forms), with at least one from the last academic institution attended.
- Ability to express concepts and ideas in writing as evidenced in a 300- word
written essay.
Provisional admission:
For applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements for unconditional
admission to the master’s degree program, provisional admission will be considered,
dependent upon the relative strength of the applicant’s undergraduate GPA, GRE/TOEFL
test score, academic background and professional and volunteer experience, and written
essay. As a substitute for the undergraduate GPA, a student’s performance on graduate
coursework taken prior to application for admission to the Health Studies master’s
degree program will be considered.
Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Education in Health
Studies
Unconditional admission:
- A GPA of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale on master’s degree coursework,
as evidenced by official transcripts.
- A preferred combined verbal/quantitative score of at least 950 on the
Graduate Record Examination (GRE), with at least 450 on the verbal
portion, and, for international students, a minimum score of 575 on the
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
- Appropriate academic background and professional and volunteer experience
for doctoral study in health studies as evidenced by a professional vita.
- Two acceptable recommendations (using the departmental recommendation
forms), with at least one from the last academic institution attended.
- Ability to express concepts and ideas in writing as evidenced in a 300-
word essay.
Provisional admission:
For applicants who do not meet the minium requirements for unconditional admission
to the doctoral program, provisional admission will be considered, dependent upon the
relative strength of the applicant’s master’s GPA, GRE/TOEFL test score, academic
background and professional and volunteer experience, and written essay.
General Requirements for Master’s Degree
Total Hours Required: 39 hours, including 6 hours for the thesis or 3 hours
for the professional paper.
Major: 39 hours.
Prerequisites or Corequisites:
- A bachelor’s degree in the field of health education/health promotion or HS
5413 Current Issues in Health Studies; and
- Two years of experience in health education/health promotion in a community,
worksite, or health care setting, or three years of health education/health
promotion volunteer work, or HS 5003 Practicum in Health Education. For those
pursuing the thesis option, a basic statistics course or tests/measurements course
or MATH 1703 is also required.
Final Examination: Oral defense of the thesis or professional paper.
General Requirements for All Doctoral Degrees
Total Hours Required: 96 hours beyond the bachelor’s degree, including 12
hours of research and computer tools and 6 hours of dissertation.
Major: 39 hours.
Interdisciplinary Studies and/or Transferred Hours: 39 hours of
interdisciplinary study and/or hours transferred from the master’s degree; 15 hours of
education coursework required for the Ed.D.
Minor: 6 to 12 hours; 15 hours of education coursework required for the Ed.D.
Research and Computer Tools: 6 hours of research methods and/or statistics
(or pass a statistics competency test) and 6 hours of electronic information retrieval
systems and/or electronic instruction tools.
Residence Requirement: None
Prerequisites or Corequisites:
- A master’s degree in health education/health promotion, or HS 5413 Current
Issues in Health Studies
- two years of experience in health education/health promotion in a community,
worksite, or health care setting, or three years of health education/health
promotion volunteer work, or HS 5003 Practicum in Health Education
- three hours of coursework in graduate-level research methods or HS 5023
Methods in Health Education Research and
- three hours of coursework in graduate-level statistics or MATH 5573
Statistical Methods I.
For the Ed.D. degree, two year’s teaching experience at the elementary and/or secondary levels is also
required.
Qualifying Examination: Candidates for the doctoral degree must pass a
three-part qualifying exam, consisting of:
- a multiple-choice statistics and research design examination
- a written multiple-question essay examination and
- an oral examination based on the candidate’s written responses in the essay
examination.
The written essay and oral portions of the examination, taken when the candidate has
completed all Health Studies core and focal area coursework, may be repeated only once.
A student who fails a second qualifying exam will not be permitted to remain in the
doctoral program.
All candidates for the Ed.D. degree must have knowledge in their major area and in
each of the following six areas of education:
- history and philosophy of education;
- educational psychology;
- curriculum, supervision, and instruction;
- guidance;
- measurement, evaluation, and statistics; and
- educational administration.
Students will be tested on these areas in their qualifying exams.
Final Examination: Oral defense of dissertation.
Minors Offered to Students From Other Departments
For minors offered to students from other departments, the hour and course
requirements are flexible, and are determined by major and minor committee members and
the student’s background and interests.
Courses of Instruction in Health Studies
HS 5003, 5006. Practicum in Health Education.
Internship experiences with health-related agencies or in the development of an
original contribution to teaching and learning materials. Eight or sixteen laboratory
hours a week. Credit: Three or six hours.
HS 5013. Data Collection and Analysis. Overview of data collection and
analysis in health and medical literature. Covers health education principles such as
age-adjustment, relative risk, vital statistics, life tables, and health surveys.
Analyzing retrospective and prospective studies, specifically in health education.
Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HS 5023. Methods in Health Education Research. Focus on basic research
skills, including library skills, the reading and interpreting of research, writing
style, research planning and design, methodologies, and research reporting as they
relate to health education. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HS 5053. Psychosocial Aspects of Health. Emphasis on theory, research,
and application of the interrelationships of the social and psychological aspects of
health and wellness, including concepts of stress management and the impact of
organizational factors. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HS 5063. Aging and Health. Aging as part of the life cycle; special
health concerns of the elderly; current life extending research and technology for
successful aging. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HS 5073. Seminar in Health Education. Seminar in health education,
professional development and scholarly activities. Three lecture hours a week. Credit:
Three hours.
HS 5103. Principles and Methods of Teaching Health Professionals.
Development of classroom and clinical teaching competencies with emphasis on
identification of resources, planning and implementation of instructional units, and
instructional strategies for health professionals. Three lecture hours a week. Credit:
Three hours.
HS 5113. Curriculum Development for Health Professionals. Theoretical
concepts of curricular design; identification and implementation of unique factors
that determine health curricula. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HS 5223. Patient Education and the Computer. Basics of planning and
implementing patient education programs in health care settings including: preplanning,
data, instructional and delivery designs, staff training, evaluation, and issues.
Emphasis will be placed on preparing materials for the computer; however, no computer
experience required. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HS 5343. Risk Reduction. Identification and analysis of risk-taking
behaviors, and application of health risk assessment theory, tools, data sources, and
methodology. Use of risk assessments, demographic data, and behavior-change theories
to determine appropriate health risk reduction and health enhancement strategies for
various populations and settings. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HS 5353. Epidemiology. Study of disease occurrence in human populations
and the understanding of the various methods used in the study of disease. Three
lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HS 5363. Community Health. Organization, role, and structure of
community health agencies with special emphasis on health education services provided.
Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HS 5383. Program Development and Coordination. Development and
evaluation of community and worksite health education programs. Review of approaches
to program design, criteria for content selection, writing of programs, and community
resources and support. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HS 5413. Current Issues in Health Studies. Introduction to the
professions of health science and allied health: role, credentialing, ethics, journals,
associations and organizations, leaders in the field, and current and future trends in
health science. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HS 5423. Ethnic and Cultural Factors in Health Decisions. Consideration
of major chronic, degenerative, and communicable diseases in light of socio-cultural
influences; exploration of myths and misconceptions in ethnic groups and the related
health implications; alternative strategies for minorities to improve health through
education. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HS 5483. Evaluation in Health Education. Evaluative tools for
individuals, groups, and programs in health education; focus on methods for selecting
instruments and collecting data. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HS 5563. Consumer Health. Information concerning health care products,
services, and consumer protection. Strategies for effective delivery of information to
the public concerning consumer health related products and problems. Three lecture
hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HS 5613. Worksite Health Promotion. Design and management of effective
worksite health promotion programs; organizational aspects of healthy work environments;
critical issues related to health behavior change and intervention programs in the
workplace setting. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HS 5901, 5903. Special Topics. Concentrated study of a particular topic
in health education. Credit: One or three hours. May be repeated for credit when topic
varies.
HS 5911, 5913. Individual Study. Advanced study in a selected area of
health education leading to the solution of a problem of professional interest and
significance. Credit: One or three hours. May be repeated for additional credit.
HS 5953, 5956. Cooperative Education. Cooperative work-study arrangement
between business, industry, or selected institutions and the university. The work
experience will be health related and will involve some aspect of delivering health
education. Preplanning and evaluation will be required as part of the laboratory hours
per week. Credit: Three or six hours.
HS 5973. Professional Paper. Credit: Three hours.
HS 5983. Thesis. Credit: Three hours.
HS 5993. Thesis. Prerequisite: HS 5983. Credit: Three hours.
HS 6033. Research Methods in Health Science. Advanced methodology of
research in the health sciences; evaluation of research and the formulation of an
individual research project. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HS 6403. Health and Human Ecology. Basic principles of ecology as they
apply to the health of human beings; analysis of modern developments in technology and
science and their resultant effects on human beings; development of community efforts
in establishing environmental quality. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HS 6413. Contemporary International Health. Overview of health status,
health-related programs, and trends in health care delivery in various countries
throughout the world. Major emphasis is placed on culture and environment as they
relate to health practices in various countries. Three lecture hours a week. Credit:
Three hours.
HS 6433. History of Health and Medicine. Significant historical events
with emphasis upon ideas, personalities, institutions, and cultural factors of each era
as they affected the origin and development of health education. Three lecture hours a
week. Credit: Three hours.
HS 6443. Foundations of Health Science. Introduction of theories and
concepts related to health science. Includes rational, psychodynamic, and behavioral
theories from education, psychology, and sociology. Applications of theory to health
education practice and research. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HS 6453. Strategies in Health Education Delivery. Identification of the
various entities within the health education system which influence decisions about
accepting health information and changing unhealthful lifestyles. Development of
strategies for effective utilization of health information. Three lecture hours a
week. Credit: Three hours.
HS 6911, 6913. Individual Study. Individual study in health studies
leading to the solution of a problem of professional interest and significance. Credit:
One or three hours. May be repeated for additional credit.
HS 6953, 6956. Cooperative Education. Cooperative work-study arrangement
between business, industry, or selected institutions and the university. The work
experience will be health related and will involve some aspect of delivering health
education. Pre-planning and evaluation will be part of the laboratory hours per week.
Credit: Three or six hours.
HS 6983. Dissertation. Credit: Three hours.
HS 6993. Dissertation. Prerequisite: HS 6983. Credit: Three hours.
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