College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Department of Allied Health Sciences

The Masters Program in Health Promotion Sciences offers:

• Competitive Graduate Research Assistantships
• Competitive Graduate Teaching Assistantships
• Individualized Programs of Study
• Full-time and Part-time Options
• Opportunities for Expanded Roles in Health Care
• Graduate assistantships provide a stipend, tuition waiver, and health benefits.

Research experience advances health promotion science through culminating projects and dissemination of new knowledge through scientific meetings and publications. Graduates of our Program are employed in leadership, research, and clinical positions in public health, health care, worksite and research settings.

• Graduate Program in Health Promotion Sciences Admissions

Program of Study

Students are able to develop individualized plans of study in conjunction with their major advisor and advisory committee to meet their professional, educational, and scholarly goals. These plans include the following required components:

1. Health Promotion (9 credits): Three courses in health promotion are encouraged to assist the student in achieving their professional, educational, and scholarly goals. This menu of GPAH courses includes GPAH 6324 (Critical Issues in Health Promotion Disease and Disability Prevention), GPAH 5319 (Health Education for At Risk Population) GPAH 6305 (Health Program Planning and Evaluation).
2. Research (9 credits): Students are expected to complete GPAH 6306 (Research Methods) and two additional statistics courses. The three courses selected to fulfill this category will equip the student with the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully complete their master’s thesis.
3. Electives: Students have the option of selecting one or more electives from courses offered in the GPAH or in other schools or colleges across campus in consultation with their advisory committee.
   

The Master's of Science degree in Health Promotion Sciences may be earned under either of two plans, as determined by the advisory committee

Plan A (Thesis Tract *)

Plan A (Thesis Tract *) The department strongly advocates research and encourages students to enroll in the Plan A program, which requires the completion of a research project, submission of a thesis, and satisfactory completion of a cohesive curriculum. Students in this option are responsible for a minimum of 30 credits of advanced course work including the completion of a 9-credit research project.

Master's degree research projects span a wide range of interests. We encourage you to visit GPAH Faculty, to gain more information regarding possible research topics.

Plan B (Project and Practicum Tract *)

Plan B (Project and Practicum Tract *) The Plan B Master’s Degree Program requires the student to attain a comprehensive understanding in health promotion, health education and behavior change, primarily through the completion of formal coursework. Independent studies are not part of the formal coursework credits. The specific requirements for the project and practicum of the Plan B program are outlined in the Guidelines for Projects and Practicum. Students are encouraged to follow the guidelines and obtain approval from their graduate advisory committee before starting the project and practicum. Projects and practicum are taken for credits and will be graded by the student’s major advisor. Plan B students are responsible for a minimum of 32 credits of advanced course work including the completion of 8 credits of applied scholarly work (project or practicum).

• Plan B Guidelines

Typical Plans of Study:

Students in both Plans must assemble a graduate advisory committee in conjunction with their major advisor to develop the Plan of Study and the research agenda or the project/practicum.

Advisory Committee

The graduate advisory committee is charged with guiding the student’s progress through the program and assisting in all matters pertaining to graduate study. All Plan A and Plan B Master’s degree students must assemble their graduate advisory committee, in consultation with their major advisor, within the first semester of enrollment. The graduate advisory committee will help each student map out a cohesive plan of study, oversee the selection of coursework, and will administer the final thesis defense for plan A and the final examination for Plan B students. The graduate advisory committee should consist of at least three graduate faculty members of which two members must be graduate faculty within the department of Allied Health Sciences. In some instances, experts from outside of the University may be included on the graduate advisory committee (See Graduate Catalog). Students are encouraged to schedule annual graduate advisory committee meetings to discuss their research and academic progress.

Once the major advisor and graduate advisory committee agree on the coursework requirements, an approved Plan of Study form must be submitted to the Graduate School prior to completion of 12 credits of graduate coursework. The department is diverse, with a large variety of student and faculty interests. As a result, each student’s program is quite flexible, and is shaped by the student in consultation with their major advisor and graduate advisory committee. The student's graduate advisory committee may require additional work not described in this document (e.g. reviews, proposals, special assignments, exams, etc).

Graduate Assistantships

Partial or full assistantship support may be offered to students based upon the availability of funding. Graduate funding may originate from external or internal faculty research grants, Hatch projects, or teaching assistantships. The offering of research assistantships is at the discretion of the faculty member offering the assistantship. The parameters of the assistantship are outlined in the offer letter. For those students employed as teaching assistants, students will be given instructions regarding their duties and responsibilities prior to the first day of classes by the instructors. Students will be evaluated on their performance by the course instructor, and possibly by the students in the class (at the discretion of the course instructor), and satisfactory performance is required. If a student’s performance is judged to be unsatisfactory by the course instructor, future assistantship support may be cancelled (at the discretion of the Graduate Committee, in consultation with the Director of the Graduate Program).

• Graduate Student Annual Report
• Graduate Student Packet

Scheduling and Facilities

To accommodate working professionals, courses are offered in the late afternoon and evening at the Storrs campus. The program may be pursued either full or part time.

Library facilities and services are extensive and include a modern library on the Storrs campus, the L.M. Stowe Library at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington, as well as specialized libraries on the Storrs campus.

For More Information Contact:

Pouran D. Faghri, MD, MS, FACSM, Professor
Director of the Graduate Program in Health Promotion Sciences
Department of Allied Health Sciences
University of Connecticut,
358 Mansfield Road, U-1101
Storrs, CT 06269

Email: pouran.faghri@uconn.edu
Phone: 860-486-0018
Fax: 860-486-5375