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Interdisciplinary Education on Community Health and Wellbeing, MA

Interdisciplinary Education on Community Health and Wellbeing, MA

Academic programs / Graduate degrees / 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.

Program description
Degree awarded: MA  Interdisciplinary Education on Community Health and Wellbeing

The Master of Arts program in interdisciplinary education on community health and well-being equips you 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 you 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 College for Teaching and Learning Innovation and Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions. You 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.

At a glance
  • STEM-OPT extension eligible: No

Accelerated program options

This program allows students to obtain both a bachelor's and a master's degree in as little as five years. Accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree programs are designed for high-achieving students who want the opportunity to share undergraduate coursework with graduate coursework to accelerate completion of their master's degree. These programs feature the same high quality curriculum taught by ASU's world-renowned faculty.

This program is offered as an accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree with:

Learn more about this program
Undergraduate advisor
Danielle Broderick
480-965-5555
MLFCThrive@asu.edu
Graduate advisor
Amber Mesko
602-543-9419
MLFCInnovate@asu.edu
General contact
602-543-9419
Learn more about this program
Undergraduate advisor
Melissa Bryant
602-496-1658
scrdadvising@asu.edu
Graduate advisor
Amber Mesko
602-543-9419
MLFCInnovate@asu.edu
General contact
480-965-5555
Learn more about this program
Undergraduate advisor
Melissa Bryant
602-496-1658
scrdadvising@asu.edu
Graduate advisor
Amber Mesko
602-543-9419
MLFCInnovate@asu.edu
General contact
480-965-5555

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.

Degree requirements

30 credit hours including the required applied project course (EDU 593)

Required Core (3 credit hours)
COE 501 Introduction to Research and Evaluation in Education (3)

Leadership and Innovation (6 credit hours)
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)

Other Requirements (18 credit hours)
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)

RTH 551 Play with Children, Youth and Families (3)
RTH 563 Advocacy in Therapeutic Recreation (3)
SWG 501 Human Behavior and Social Experiment I (3)
SWG 558 Behavioral Health Services (3)
SWG 579 Critical Response to Mitigate Stress (3)

Culminating Experience (3 credit hours)
EDU 593 Applied Project (3)

Additional Curriculum Information
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 RTH 551, with department approval.

Admission requirements

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 College for Teaching and Learning Innovation.

Applicants must 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:

  1. graduate admission application and application fee
  2. official transcripts
  3. personal statement
  4. professional resume
  5. one letter of recommendation
  6. 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.

One professional or academic reference should be provided.

Tuition information
When it comes to paying for higher education, everyone’s situation is different. Students can learn about ASU tuition and financial aid options to find out which will work best for them.
Attend online
ASU Online

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.

Application deadlines
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
Program learning outcomes

Program learning outcomes identify what a student will learn or be able to do upon completion of their program. This program’s learning outcomes include the following:

  • Reflect on their employment of team-based interprofessional practices to advance community health outcomes.
  • Critique social issues facing community health from an interprofessional perspective.
  • Design innovative interdisciplinary solutions to address community health issues.
Career opportunities

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
Contact information

Program term definitions

Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.

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. 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.

Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.

Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.

ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the "New Programs" option.

ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.

The Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) provides a reduced tuition rate to non-resident graduate students who qualify. Visit the WRGP/WICHE webpage for more information: https://graduate.asu.edu/wiche.

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