The Department of Health Education and Behavior presented changes to the program for the Master of Science to the University Curriculum Committee on Jan. 20, 2009, making the amendments official.

Starting Fall 2009, HEB will be offering a 30-hour, non-thesis program. It also will be offered as a combined-degree program.

The changes to the program plan are sharpening the focus of the degree, said James Milford, HEB program assistant.

The M.S. is designed for students seeking an advanced practitioner’s degree. Health education specialists will be prepared to work in local, state and federal health agencies, voluntary health organizations, patient care settings and private industry. This degree also has been designed for students seeking a competitive edge when applying to professional schools.

Students are required to take 15 hours of core coursework and 15 hours of electives. Students can add 6 hours of research or a special project to obtain their thesis.

For the combined-degree program, undergraduate students will be able to take 12 hours of graduate-level courses that will count for both their undergraduate and graduate degrees. This option is open to all majors.

The program was previously a 36-hour degree plan. Students were required to take 12 hours of core course work, 6 hours of recommended electives and 18 hours of other electives. The revised program also added HSC 6637 Social Marketing and Health to the core coursework section of the degree plan. This class was previously an elective.

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