Health Promotion, MS

Our 34-credit hour Health Promotion master’s degree program equips students with the knowledge and skills needed to apply the principles of health promotion in a variety of community, research, clinical, business, and school settings. Graduates of this program are prepared to take leadership roles in designing, implementing, and evaluating health promotion programs in various public and private agencies at organizational, local, state, and national levels.

The Master of Science degree in Health Promotion is designed to prepare students for advanced study and practice in Health Promotion-related areas. Upon completion of the program, graduates are prepared to work in a variety of community and inter-professional settings including:

• School/Campus Health and Wellness
• Corporate and Worksite Wellness
• Community and Public Health organizations
• Military and Veteran organizations
• Health Coaching
• Hospital and Clinical entities 

Career possibilities for health promotion professionals include: 

• Health Coaching
• Community Health Program Manager
• Health Behavior Specialist
• Health Communications Professional
• Health and Wellness Coordinator

Graduate students pursue coursework in these areas of study and opportunities in inter-professional education, preparing them for collaborative practice.

Students learn how to work with individuals, groups, and communities to improve health behaviors and address health challenges across all dimensions of wellness.

The curriculum offers students hands-on and applied learning through leadership roles with campus and community-facing health promotion programs. Additionally, students have the opportunity to engage in faculty-mentored research through practicum, thesis, and capstone experiences.

What is Health Promotion?

Health promotion is a discipline that seeks to improve the health of individuals and communities through education, behavior change, and environmental improvement. Health promotion draws from a number of complementary disciplines including psychology, sociology, biological and clinical sciences, and business (marketing and management). In the words of the World Health Organization, health promotion is "the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health."

Become a Certified Health Coach before the end of your degree program

A Health Coach is an expert on behavior change and works with people on making behavior changes that can lead to them meeting or exceeding their health and wellness goals.

Health and Wellness Coach Certification through Real Balance Global Wellness

• Accredited certification
• Pathway to the National Board of Health and Wellness Coaches

Course Information

• Course taught on campus from UCCS faculty, Gina Burton
• Health Coaching Course is required for Health Promotion degree and offered as an elective for other programs.
• Health Coaching course is offered as 3 credit hours

In the first three semesters of program operations, peer health coaches helped more than 40 University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) students, faculty, and staff.

“[I have received] tools and ideas to help me organize and plan out my goals, and recommendations for tools and techniques that will help me accomplish my goals,” comments one client.

Learn more.

Students must complete 34 total credit hours of core courses, elective courses, and a capstone experience.

Admission Requirements

• Priority Application: All materials received by January 20.
• Final Admission Deadline: All materials received by April 15th.

Admission decisions to the graduate program in Health Promotion consider an applicant's full range of professional and personal experiences. Our requirements include both traditional and holistic measures that describe the applicant’s academic performance and preparation for success in the graduate program. Our holistic admissions approach provides considerations for students whose individual circumstances may not meet the traditional trajectory but can demonstrate their ability to be successful in other ways. 
 
Review of applications is completed through the lens of previous academic performance, persistence, motivation to overcome challenges, leadership experience, passion and drive for health and wellness promotion, as well as professional and life experiences such as extracurricular activities, relevant work experience, multicultural competence, etc.

Admission to the program is competitive based on controlled enrollment. Applicants meeting the priority enrollment deadline will be given preference for available seats in the program. Remaining applicants meeting the final admission deadline will be awarded admission based on availability of seats.

Admission to the Master of Sciences in Health Promotion program requires:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
• Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or above
• Applicants must submit:
  • 3 letters of reference
  • Official transcripts from all institutions where undergraduate credit was earned
  • Goal statement
  • Resume or CV
  • Application fee $60.00.

Streamlined Admission for UCCS graduating Seniors and Alumni requires:

• Must be about to graduate or graduated from UCCS in the last 4 years
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
• Undergraduate GPA of 3.25 or above, OR, Health Promotion program specific GPA of 3.25 or above.
• Applicants must submit:
  • 2 letters of reference (one from a current program faculty member)
  • Official transcripts from all institutions where undergraduate credit was earned
  • Goal statement
  • Resume or CV
  • Application fee $60.00.

International Applicants

In addition to the admissions requirements above, for international applicants:

• If English is not the primary language, must take the TOEFL, DUOLINGO, or the IELTS. TOEFL recommended score is 85. DUOLINGO recommended score is 105. IELTS recommended score is 6.5.
• May be required to participate in a Skype interview as part of the interview process to assist with English proficiency evaluation

* Upon the successful completion of your online application, you will receive a private link to upload each foreign post-secondary transcript from institutions you have attended. These transcripts must include all courses and grades, must be issued in the original language, and be accompanied by certified English translations when applicable.
This service is provided at no cost for UCCS applicants.

More details will be communicated to you via email. Please make sure to check your email for the uploading instructions.

TUITION ASSISTANCE

• General Scholarship Information
• Non-Resident Scholarships Graduate Assistantships and Teaching Assistantships
  • Out-of-State Graduate Scholarship (based on entrance GPA)
  • Out-of-State Graduate Merit Scholarship (based on entrance GPA)

For program coursework, please visit the Academic Catalog.