A Week in the Life of a Health Sciences Student

Flexibility of the Program

The program is designed to meet the needs of both clinicians and non-clinicians in the areas of health professions education and community health education. While most students complete their degrees within 1 to 2 years, you may take up to 5 years to complete the MSHS degree. In addition, you may transfer a maximum of 6 graduate units from another institution.

Most MSHS courses are 3 credit hours, representing 36 hours per semester in class. For every hour you spend in class, you will probably average an additional 2 to 3 hours of studying.

Part-time student

Typically part-time MSHS students are working professionals who take 1 to 2 classes per semester. This involves coming to campus 1 to 2 nights a week from 4:00-6:00p.m. and 6:30-8:30p.m.

Using the rubric above, the total time commitment for part-time students is about 8 to 10 hours per week per class.

Full-time student

Full-time MSHS students take 3 to 4 classes per semester. This involves coming to campus 2 to 3 nights a week from 4:00-6:00p.m. and 6:30-8:30p.m.

Using the rubric above, the total time commitment for full-time students is about 20 to 28 hours per week.

Academic Time

On Campus Time: Most classes involve a combination of discussion, lecture, and small group work sessions.

Online Curriculum and Study Time: The online portion of the program includes courses in applied statistics, instructional media, and research and program evaluation methods. Occasionally, you may come to campus for a lab session during the semester of an online class. This allows you to get to know the faculty and students you’re communicating with in the online environment.