Degree Offered
MS
Program Description
The Master of Science in Health Science is a 30-credit online program designed to provide individuals with the education and training needed to engage with and respond to civic, social, environmental, and economic challenges at the local, national, and global levels. The program prepares students to search, interpret, and evaluate medical literature, including interpretation of biostatistical methods, by accessing common medical databases and using sampling methods. Upon completion of the program, students should be able to deliver instruction in health care delivery systems and health policy as well as provide instruction on the principles and practice of medical ethics. Students are provided an overview of health care system delivery, patient safety, and quality and risk management. The program thoroughly reviews public health as it relates to the prevention of disease, maintenance of public health, and participation in disease surveillance, reporting, and intervention.
Program Admissions
Physician Assistant
All PA collaborative candidates must apply online through the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA); the portal is open in mid-April each year. CASPA is a web- based application service that allows applicants to submit an application to the Physician Assistant Program, which is received by AACC’s Health Professions Admissions Office. Complete application instructions and required credentials are published by CASPA and AACC at http://www.aacc.edu/ about/schools-of-study/health-sciences/physician-assistant/.
In addition to meeting CASPA application requirements, candidates for admission must meet the minimum qualifications and standards established by the Graduate School.
Non-PA Tracks
Applicants who are interested in the Master of Science in Health Science (MSHS) who wish to complete the UMB coursework can apply through the University of Maryland, Baltimore Graduate School. A letter of interest including personal goals and a CV should be sent to the MSHS administrative program director, with three letters of recommendation.
All candidates applying for admission must meet the minimum qualifications and standards established by the Graduate School, including the successful completion of a bachelor’s degree program listed previously and a minimum, cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. International students must provide current, official results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (minimum score of 80 for the internet- based test) or the International English Language Testing System exam (minimum Band 7).
Degree Requirements
The Physician Assistant track of the MSHS degree program requires a minimum of 30 credits from UMB and 6 credits of approved AACC PA coursework, which is transferred into the master’s program.
All admitted MSHS students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 to remain in good standing in the program. A complete description of progression guidelines and degree requirements is provided in the Degree Requirements section of the catalog.
*Descriptions of the non-PA tracks also are described as stand-alone certificate programs in this section of the catalog.
Program Tracks
Physician Assistant (PA)
This track is a collaborative arrangement between Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) and the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) Graduate School. It prepares students to become competent, ethical, and compassionate health care providers who are ready to fulfill the roles and duties of a primary care physician assistant. The program seeks those who recognize and promote the value of diversity and are committed to lifelong learning. Students who successfully complete all coursework from both institutions will receive a Master of Science in Health Science (MSHS) from UMB and a Certificate of Physician Assistant Studies from AACC. Graduates will be eligible to sit for the national certification exam for physician assistants. The Master of Science degree program at UMB is offered completely online. This full-time, 25-month program includes subjects in applied medical and behavioral sciences, patient assessment, clinical medicine, procedural skills, health policy, professional practice issues, and supervised clinical practice. The program is accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA).
Non-PA track students specialize in one of seven concentrations, each of which culminates in a stackable certificate that can be applied to the master’s program in Health Science.*
Aging and Applied Thanatology
This track is intended to meet the needs of individuals who are involved in any or all aspects of the dying, death, and grieving processes. It is, therefore, an interdisciplinary program intended to be of interest to a wide range of professionals with baccalaureate or advanced degrees, including physicians, nurses, psychologists, social workers, hospice professionals, bereavement counselors, clergy and chaplains, death educators, teachers, police, firefighters, paramedics, funeral directors, and others who provide support and assistance for those affected by death, as well as those who want to expand their own knowledge and skills on dying, death, and grieving.
Global Health Systems and Innovation
The focus of this track is to introduce basic global health systems and services to health professionals interested in short- or medium-term consultation/projects overseas and subsequent opportunities. Most students are already trained/ licensed experienced practitioners. This online program and track is offered in partnership with the University of Maryland University College’s (UMUC) Online Postbaccalaureate Certificate in Global Health Management. UMB’s Global Health Systems and Services certificate and UMUC’s Global Health Management certificate share two common core courses.
This UMB-UMUC partnership takes advantage of UMB’s extensive graduate health professional, clinical, practice, and global expertise and UMUC’s extensive online and health management expertise. It offers UMB and UMUC graduates and students interested in global health management and global health systems and services options unavailable through their home institutions. This program’s goal is to apply skills to improve delivery of global health systems, policies, and services.
Integrative Health and Wellness
Students in this track will study the differences between the philosophy, theory, and application of allopathic medicine and integrative medicine. Students will critically evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of both approaches as well as the strengths and limitations of the empirical evidence for the efficacy and safety of integrative health therapies. By participating in this program, students will have the chance to practice the key integrative skills they are learning, including popular forms of mind-body interventions, health coaching strategies, and integrative assessments and treatment plans. In addition to professional growth, students will have the opportunity to benefit personally from self-reflection exercises and guided experiential learning.
Research Administration
This track is designed to ensure that students have a greater understanding of the many behind-the-scenes aspects of research so they can successfully manage grants, understand legalities in research administration, and become familiar with the transfer of intellectual properties. Students in this track will gain advanced knowledge and practical training to ensure that learning is relevant and applicable to each student’s professional goals.
Research Ethics
This track was created to provide individuals with an understanding of the ethical and regulatory aspects of human subjects research and give them the skills needed to analyze ethical issues that arise in the conduct of research in domestic and international arenas. The certificate program interrelates with the Fogarty International Center/National Institutes of Health training program that is focused in the Middle East (MERETI). The inclusion of these targeted audiences will ensure an interprofessional and global experience for all participants. The program is particularly designed for investigators, clinical research coordinators, nurses, and individuals from institutional review boards, contract research organizations, pharmaceutical industry representatives, and others involved in research. The exclusive use of distance learning technologies meets the needs of professionals worldwide who may have few opportunities to enroll in an on-site program.
Research Implementation and Dissemination
This track’s goal is to translate the results of clinical and population research into everyday clinical practice and public health. Additionally, research implementation and dissemination science seeks to ensure that the knowledge and materials produced by health research lead to improved individual and population health by reaching the people for whom they are intended; being adapted to local circumstances; and being implemented effectively, safely, equitably, and in a timely and patient-centered manner.
Students in this program will study methods that promote systematic uptake and will translate the results of clinical and population research into everyday clinical practice and public health. The program also is intended to help students ensure that the knowledge and materials produced by health research will improve individual and population health.
Science Communication
This track is designed to equip students to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences using different forms and styles of writing. By providing students with advanced knowledge and practical training, this program strives to ensure that learning is relevant and applicable to each student’s professional goals. Students learn how to strategically plan, craft, edit, and execute their writing to communicate in an engaging, scientifically informed manner about health-related topics.
part of this catalog.