Interdisciplinary Education on Community Health and Wellbeing, MA
ASU Health - 1 year, Community Developer, Interdisciplinary, Leisure, Mindfulness, Physical Activity, Recreation, Social Services, Stress Reduction, Well-being, lifestyle
Gain the knowledge and skills to have a positive impact on individuals and communities at the intersection of education, health and leisure.
The Master of Arts program in interdisciplinary education on community health and well-being is designed to equip graduate students for roles in diverse educational settings, such as schools, community centers and adult educational programs, with a primary focus on health and well-being. The degree places a significant emphasis on the various dimensions of wellness, illustrating how these dimensions can be leveraged to design, implement and assess educational and health promotion initiatives aimed at enhancing overall health and quality of life.
The program furnishes individuals with comprehensive knowledge and fundamental skills across a variety of areas, fostering a heightened understanding and appreciation for all individuals. It cultivates creative and innovative, systems-level thinking, encouraging a reimagining of health and disease management and facilitating the development of physical activity and health programming.
This program is a partnership with two colleges: Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College and Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions. Students have the opportunity to select courses from disciplines such as physical activity and physical education, social work, recreational therapy, and nonprofit leadership and development.
In terms of design aspirations, the program stands out for its integration of intellectual disciplines, incorporating courses with theoretical perspectives from education and public service. Furthermore, it impacts societal transformation by promoting health across various community settings. The program is intentionally socially embedded, fostering connections between communities through numerous beneficial partnerships.
- College/school:
Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching & Learning In
- Location: Online
- STEM-OPT extension eligible: No
Acceptance to the graduate program requires a separate application. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master’s during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
30 credit hours including the required applied project course (EDU 593)
Required Core (3 credit hours) Leadership and Innovation (6 credit hours) Other Requirements (18 credit hours) Culminating Experience (3 credit hours) Additional Curriculum Information
COE 501 Introduction to Research and Evaluation in Education (3)
NLM 560 Leadership and Ethics in the Nonprofit Sector (3)
NLM 562 Social Entrepreneurship (3)
NLM 572 Community and Social Innovations (3)
PPE 585 Reading and Understanding Research: Physical Education and Beyond (3)
PPE 586 Physical Activity Leadership in Schools (3)
CRD 551 Recreational Therapy and Play with Children, Youth and Families (3)
CRD 563 Advocacy in Therapeutic Recreation (3)
PPE 531 Analysis of Skill and Game Performance (3)
PPE 532 Principles of Sport Coaching (3)
PPE 550 Physical Education for the Elementary School (3)
PPE 555 Physical Education in the Secondary School (3)
PPE 598 Special Topics (1-4)
SWG 501 Human Behavior and Social Experiment I (3)
SWG 558 Introduction to Behavioral Health Services (3)
SWG 579 Critical Response to Mitigate Stress (3)
EDU 593 Applied Project (3)
Students complete two courses from the Leadership and Innovation coursework list for a total of six credit hours. All topics of PPE 598 are approved, and the course can be taken for one to four credit hours, as long as the total Other Requirements coursework is equal to 18 credit hours. Courses should be selected in consultation with the program advisor. Substitutions may be made for other requirements coursework, including CRD 551, with department approval.
General university admission requirements:
All students are required to meet general
university admission requirements.
U.S. applicants | International applicants | English proficiency
Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College.
Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in any field from a regionally accredited institution.
Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.
Applicants are required to submit:
- graduate admission application and application fee
- official transcripts
- personal statement
- professional resume
- three letters of recommendation
- proof of English proficiency
Additional Admission Information
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of current residency.
Applicants must provide a written statement of approximately 500 words that describes their personal interest in working in diverse, interdisciplinary educational and health promotion settings with a focus on health and well-being, the goals they wish to achieve while in the program and their short- and long-term career aspirations. The admission committee pays particular attention to the quality of writing, the ideas expressed and the relative match between the applicant and program goals.
Three professional or academic references should be provided.
ASU offers this program in an online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. Applicants may view the program’s ASU Online page for program descriptions and to request more information.
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | Online | 08/31 | Final |
| Session B | Online | 10/08 | Final |
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | Online | 01/31 | Final |
| Session B | Online | 03/05 | Final |
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | Online | 07/15 | Final |
Graduates of this program can pursue careers as:
- adult education directors
- behavioral health technicians
- corporate or employee wellness coordinators, managers or specialists
- health communications developers
- health and wellness coaches, managers or specialists
- health promotions managers or specialists
- life skills or lifestyle coaches
- nonprofit organization or government office directors
- professional mentors
- recreational programmers
- wellness operations specialists
- wellness program managers or directors
Division for Advancing Education Policy, Practice
|
ED 118
GraduateEducation@asu.edu
602-543-6358
3 year programs
These programs allow students to fast-track their studies after admission and earn a bachelor's degree in three years or fewer while participating in the same high-quality educational experience of a 4-year option. Students should talk to their academic advisor to get started.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Acceptance to the graduate program requires a separate application. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master’s during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
