Health Psychology

Recent advances in research have led to new ways of thinking about health and illness. From a multidisciplinary perspective, you examine the biological, psychological, and social factors that influence health, allowing you to gain a broad understanding of the field of psychology, along with a focus on the knowledge and skills required to work in the fields of illness prevention and health promotion. Apply psychology and public health theories and principles to your work as you increase your understanding of the effects of illness and stress. Prepare for a position such as a research assistant, project manager, or behavior specialist in a variety of healthcare organizations, from primary care settings and inpatient medical units to community agencies.

Learning Outcomes

Based on completion of required coursework, you should:

• Understand and apply psychological concepts and principles to psychophysiological wellness, health, and immunocompetence
• Identify and moderate personal and environmental factors that impact health
• Understand and apply evidence-based psychological interventions that emphasize the role of stress on health
• Identify environmental factors that affect the health of a community
• Recognize the major social, behavioral, cultural, and biological factors that affect the health of individuals and populations
• Employ multicultural and global perspectives in understanding psychological theory, research, and practice
• Conceptualize a program evaluation plan that includes design, implementation, evaluation, and dissemination aspects
  

Completion Requirements

• 56–63 total quarter credit hours
  • Foundation course (1 cr.)
  • Core courses (35 cr.)
  • Specialization courses (15 cr.)
  • Capstone (5 cr.) or thesis course (12 cr.)
• Program of Study

Estimated time to completion: Approximately 1.5 years, depending on individual progress and credits transferred. For a personalized estimate of your time to completion, call your enrollment advisor at 1-866-492-5336.

Curriculum

The courses are delivered in a prescribed sequence. Each quarter includes two concurrent 12-week courses.

Course Code	Course Title	Credits
	Quarter 1
PSYC 6001	Foundations for Graduate Study in Psychology	1
PSYC 6211	Contemporary Issues in Psychology	5
	Quarter 2
PSYC 6205	History and Systems of Psychology	5
PSYC 6225	Biopsychology	5
	Quarter 3
PSYC 6305	Statistics 1	5
PSYC 6745	Health Psychology	5
	Quarter 4
PSYC 6310	Research Design	5
PSYC 6777	Essentials of Public Health: A Case Study	5
	Quarter 5
PSYC 6748	Stress and Coping	5
PSYC 6778	Social, Behavioral, and Cultural Factors in Health	5
	Quarter 6
PSYC 6314	Program Evaluation	5
PSYC 6393	M.S. Psychology Capstone	5

Thesis Option

This program does not require a thesis. However, upon consultation with an advisor, you may choose to take two 6-credit-hour thesis courses (PSYC 6390 Thesis) instead of PSYC 6393 M.S. Psychology Capstone. The thesis option extends the program by at least one quarter.

For more information about the thesis option and a personalized estimate of your time to completion, call your enrollment advisor at 1-866-492-5336.

Course Descriptions