
	Description

	Degrees Offered

	Admission

	Master of Science in Health Sciences

		Clinical and Lifestyle Sciences Track

		Health Services Administration Track

	Contact Info

Description

The Department of Health Professions offers a Master of Science degree in Health Sciences with two tracks: one in administration and one in clinical sciences. The track in Health Services Administration is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME). The track in Clinical and Lifestyle Sciences graduates students who will be eligible to sit for American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Clinical Certifications as Exercise Specialist or Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist.

Degrees Offered

Clinical and Lifestyle Sciences Track
Health Services Administration Track

Admission

For information on general UCF graduate admissions requirements that apply to all prospective students, please visit the Admissions and Registration section of the Graduate Catalog. Applicants must apply online. Please be sure to submit all requested material by the established deadline(s).

In addition to the general admission requirements, applicants must provide:

Transcript for a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university with a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for the last 60 attempted semester hours of credit earned for the bachelor’s degree.
Official Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores taken within the last five years with a competitive score on the quantitative and verbal portions. A Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) score of 500, a Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score of 150, or a Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) score of 27 may also be used upon approval by the department.
Statement of career goals, indicating how the Health Science Master's Program will enhance the applicant's career goals.
A resume (no longer than two pages).
Three letters of recommendation.
For applicants from countries where English is not the official language, or for an applicant whose bachelor’s degree is not from an accredited U.S. institution, an official score of at least 220 (computer-based test; or equivalent score on the paper-based test) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required.

Admission to the program is competitive, based on evaluation of the applicant’s abilities, past academic performance, work experience, and the match of the program with career goals. The Health Sciences Program accepts the most qualified students. Not all students who apply may be accepted, even if minimum requirements are met.

Application Due Dates

All application materials must be submitted by the appropriate deadline listed below.

All students applying for fellowships must apply by the Fall Priority deadline date.

U.S. Applicants

Program(s) Fall Priority Fall Spring Summer

Master of Science in Health Sciences

Clinical and Lifestyle Sciences Track Jan 15 Mar 15 Sep 1

Health Services Administration Track Jan 15 Jul 15 Sep 1

International Applicants

Program(s) Fall Priority Fall Spring Summer

Master of Science in Health Sciences

Clinical and Lifestyle Sciences Track Jan 15 Jan 15 Jul 1

Health Services Administration Track Jan 15 Jan 15 Jul 1

International Transfer Applicants

Program(s) Fall Priority Fall Spring Summer

Master of Science in Health Sciences

Clinical and Lifestyle Sciences Track Jan 15 Mar 1 Sep 1

Health Services Administration Track Jan 15 Mar 1 Sep 1

Master of Science in Health Sciences

Clinical and Lifestyle Sciences Track

It is well documented that the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States, including Florida, are largely preventable. Lifestyle Medicine is the use of lifestyle interventions in the prevention, treatment and management of disease. Such interventions include diet (nutrition), physical activity, and other behavioral modifications (i.e., stress management, smoking cessation). The M.S. concentration in Clinical and Lifestyle Sciences involves the advanced study of Clinical and Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Clinical Research methodology. There is a thesis option with 32 hours of required courses and 6 hours of Thesis, and the nonthesis option with 32 hours of required courses and 6 hours of a Research Rotation.

This program prepares graduates for careers in Lifestyle Medicine Centers, Industry, Government Agencies, Public Relations, Private Practice, or Research. This program could also serve as preparation for enrollment in a Ph.D. program in a health science discipline. Graduates of this program will be among those specialists who will meet future societal needs for adequately prepared clinical practitioners, researchers and industry leaders in this developing interdisciplinary area.

Students are encouraged to apply for fall admission. Admission for the spring semester will be considered on a limited basis. After acceptance, all students must meet with their academic adviser to plan a program of study.

Program Prerequisites

Biology (6 credits - Biology I and II)
2 semesters of human anatomy and physiology
Physics (6 credit - Physics I and II)
General Chemistry (6 credits - Chemistry I and II)
Organic Chemistry (3 credits)
1 semester of nutrition
1 semester of exercise physiology
Introductory course in pharmacology

Minimum Hours Required for M.S.—38 Credit Hours

Required Courses—32 Credit Hours

HSC XXXX Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases (3 credit hours)
HSC 6616 Clinical Exercise Physiology (3 credit hours)
HSC 6597 Human and Applied Metabolism (3 credit hours)
HSC XXXX Introduction to Clinical Research (3 credit hours)
HSC XXXX Introduction to Clinical Trials (3 credit hours)
HSC 6607 Lifestyle Medicine (3 credit hours)
HUN 5936 Principles of Human Nutrition (3 credit hours)
HUN XXXX Clinical Nutrition (3 credit hours)
PHT XXXX System Physiology (5 credit hours)
HSC 6946 Clinical Rotation (3 credit hours)

Thesis Option—6 Credit Hours

Students wishing to explore a scientific question in the area of clinical and lifestyle sciences may select this option subject to the availability of a faculty advisor in the area of interest. These students will complete all required courses above and at least 6 credit hours of HSC 6971 Thesis.

Nonthesis Option—6 Credit Hours

Students wishing a course work-only option must complete an additional 6 credit hours of HSC 6918 Research Rotation and write a comprehensive report relating their research experience to the concepts of lifestyle medicine studied in the didactic portion of the curriculum. This final written examination experience will be graded, and a student must earn a grade of "A" or "B."

Health Services Administration Track

Health Services Administration involves managing one or more of the administrative aspects of a health services organization. It encompasses the business management side of health care, including human resources, marketing, sales, accounting, information systems, planning, and facility management. Health care is America’s fastest-growing service industry, and health care executives are in demand to administer the acute and long-term care needs of an aging population and to serve as consultants to businesses and industrial organizations.

Students are admitted to the Health Services Administration Track in the fall and spring semesters. Full- and part-time plans of study are available for both fall and spring admission cycles. After acceptance, all students must meet with their academic adviser to plan a program of study.

Minimum Hours Required for M.S.—48 Credit Hours

Recommended Prerequisite Courses—9 Credit Hours

Completion of undergraduate course work including knowledge of the U.S. health care systems, finance, economics, and personal computers is required. These recommended courses may be taken after admission to the program.

HSA 3170 Health Care Finance or equivalent (3 credit hours)
HSA 3430 Health Care Economics or equivalent (3 credit hours)
HSA 4702 Health Sciences Research Methods or equivalent (3 credit hours)

Required Courses—45 Credit Hours

HSA 5198 Health Care Decision Sciences and Knowledge Management (3 credit hours)
HSA 6108 Health Care Organization and Management II (3 credit hours)
HSA 6119 Health Care Organization and Management (3 credit hours)
HSA 6128 Health Care Services Management (3 credit hours)
HSA 6155 Health Economics and Policy (3 credit hours)
HSA 6185 Health Care Human Resources (3 credit hours)
HSA 6385 Health Care Quality Management (3 credit hours)
HSA 6925 Capstone in HSA (3 credit hours; see description below)
HSA 6946 Internship (3 credit hours)*
HSC 6636 Issues and Trends in the Health Professions (3 credit hours)
HSC 6911 Scientific Inquiry in the Health Profession (3 credit hours)
PHC 6000 Epidemiology (3 credit hours)
PHC 6146 Health Planning and Policy (3 credit hours)
PHC 6160 Health Care Finance (3 credit hours)
PHC 6420 Case Studies in Health Law (3 credit hours)

* Students with three or more years of relevant work experience as defined by the Director may substitute a second elective for the Internship course.

Elective Courses—3 Credit Hours

Choose one course from the following list:

HSC 6656 Health Care Ethics (3 credit hours)
PUP 6607 Politics of Health Care (3 credit hours)
NGR 5660 Health Disparities: Issues and Strategies (3 credit hours)
ENC 5237 Writing for the Business Professional (3 credit hours)
GEY 5624 Gerontology: An Interdisciplinary Approach (3 credit hours)
Or an alternative graduate-level course at the discretion of the Program Director

Comprehensive Examination Experience

A final written examination experience is required of all students in the program. This requirement will be met through successful completion of the capstone course (HSA 6925). To successfully pass this course, students must earn a grade of "A" or "B."

Independent learning is demonstrated throughout the curriculum through the process of inquiry and dialogue. Tangible research projects, scholarly papers, internships, or our capstone experience also contribute to the self-development of our students. The research study and final report will focus on reviewing and analyzing contemporary research in a student’s particular specialization within the profession in order to help students acquire knowledge and skills pertaining to research-based best practices in that specialization area.

Program Options

The HSA Program is attractive to working professionals with its flexibility in course offerings and times and locations of courses. Students have the ability to choose from among four campuses to complete their degree: Palm Bay, Cocoa, Daytona Beach, and Orlando. Some courses may be offered via the web, during evening hours, and often on weekends.

Minimum Grade Requirements for Graduation

A grade point average of at least 3.0 (“B”) is required for graduation. Additionally, a student may earn no more than two grades of “C” to graduate. Students who earn two “Cs” will be warned, and students who earn a third “C” may be dismissed from further study in the major. See Policies Chapter, Academic Progress. In any course repeated, a student must earn a grade of “B” or better. A student who earns a grade of “D” or below will be dismissed from further Health Sciences graduate studies. The Health Sciences Program does not use plus/minus grading.

Minimum Academic Requirements

An evaluation of each student’s academic progress and graduation eligibility will be conducted at the end of each semester using both a Program of Study GPA and a Graduate Status GPA. Students must maintain a minimum 3.0 in both the Program of Study GPA and the Graduate Status GPA to continue study in the program and be eligible for graduation.

The Graduate Status GPA is the cumulative GPA of all graduate courses taken since admission to the degree program. This Graduate Status GPA does not include coursework transferred in from another institution or courses taken while in another degree program or as a non-degree student at UCF. Transfer work may be applied to fulfill degree credit hour requirements; however grades from these courses will not be included in the Graduate Status GPA calculation.

The Program of Study GPA is the cumulative GPA of all courses taken as part of the student’s academic Program of Study, including courses transferred in from another institution or courses taken at UCF while in another degree program or as a non-degree seeking student.

For most students, these GPAs will be the same; however, students who have transfer courses should pay careful attention to both GPAs. The academic progress and graduation requirement of a minimum 3.0 GPA in all graduate courses completed since admission to the graduate program and in all courses in the Program of Study cannot be waived.

Students whose Graduate Status GPA or Program of Study GPA drops below 3.0 will be placed on probationary status for a maximum of nine semester hours. If a 3.0 is not attained for both GPAs at the end of the nine semester hours, the student will be dismissed from the graduate program. Students who are dismissed from their graduate program will not be allowed to enroll in additional graduate courses in that program.

Additionally, a student who earns a grade of 2.0 or below in a course will be dismissed from further study in the Health Science program.

For complete policies regarding academic progress and degree requirements, students should refer to the General Policies section of the Graduate Catalog.

Financial Support

Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans. For more information, see Financing Grad School, which describes the types of financial assistance available at UCF and provides general guidance in planning your graduate finances. The Financial Information section of the Graduate Catalog is another key resource.

Key points about financial support:

If you are interested in financial assistance, you are strongly encouraged to apply for admission early. A complete application for admission, including all supporting documents, must be received by the priority date listed for your program under "Admissions."
You must be admitted to a graduate program before the university can consider awarding financial assistance to you.
If you want to be considered for loans and other need-based financial assistance, review the UCF Student Financial Assistance website at http://finaid.ucf.edu and complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form, which is available online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. Apply early and allow up to six weeks for the FAFSA form to be processed.
UCF Graduate Studies awards university graduate fellowships, with most decisions based on nominations from the colleges and programs. To be eligible for a fellowship, students must be accepted as a graduate student in a degree program and be enrolled full-time. University graduate fellowships are awarded based on academic merit and therefore are not affected by FAFSA determination of need.
Please note that select fellowships do require students to fill out a fellowship application (either a university fellowship application, an external fellowship application, or a college or school fellowship application). For university fellowship applications, see Financing Grad School.
For information on assistantships (including teaching, research, and general graduate assistantships) or tuition support, contact the graduate program director of your major.

Contact Info