Master of Science in Psychology with an Emphasis in Health Psychology
Overview
Build and Sustain Habits for a Healthy Lifestyle
Understand and apply psychological behaviors in order to help others live a physically, mentally and cognitively healthy lifestyle with Grand Canyon University's (GCU) Master of Science in Psychology with an Emphasis in Health Psychology degree. Apply strategies to enrich others' lives through this College of Humanities and Social Sciences program. Learn to teach individuals and communities by using best practices to promote a healthy mind, body and spirit.
Theory, statistics and data analysis blend with your critical thinking skills to form a knowledge base that can influence change in health behaviors among diverse communities. A capstone project to complete the MS in psychology with an emphasis in health psychology degree program can help you implement your analysis and findings toward ultimately creating healthier populations.
Degree Outcomes
Change Lifestyles through Health and Wellness
Explore correlations between our physical and mental conditions as a pathway toward preventing illness and promoting positive change. Given the variety of physical, mental and sociological effects that can alter our individual and societal health, this health psychology degree allows you to better understand how past and current data can impact future generations. This knowledge can lead you to provide recommendations or implement programs toward improving future healthcare treatments.
What You Will Learn
A Hands-on Approach to Helping Others
As a student in this program, you study:
- Stress
- Nutrition
- Complementary and alternative medicine
- Eating disorders
- Statistics and research methods
- Pain management
- Social and cultural psychology
- Future of health psychology
- Psychology of death and dying
- Psychological, emotional and spiritual aspects of aging
Career Outcomes
Health and Nutrition Wellness Careers
Graduates of GCU's Master of Science in health psychology program will be prepared to conduct research or work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, universities, private corporations, government settings, nonprofit agencies and healthcare clinics.
Course List
Program Core Courses
Course Description
This course is designed to prepare students for the graduate learning experience at Grand Canyon University. Students have opportunities to develop and strengthen the skills necessary to succeed as graduate students in the liberal arts. Emphasis is placed on utilizing the tools for graduate success.
Course Description
This course serves as the foundation for advanced graduate study in the field of psychology. Professional skill development, such as critical thinking, scholarly writing, and literature reviewing are covered, as well as contemporary ethical issues in the field of psychology, including issues in research, writing, psychotherapy, forensic psychology, and animal research.
Course Description
This course is a study of social, group, and multicultural factors affecting individual behavior. Attention is given to the development of attitudes, leadership roles, group thinking, sources of conflict, altruism, attraction, effects of competition and cooperation, analysis and evaluation of propaganda techniques, and the influence of mass communication on social awareness and control.
Course Description
This course explores the promotion of health behaviors at the individual and community level. A special focus is on prevention programs and utilization of media to impact health behaviors. Factors contributing to successful prevention programs will be analyzed and program evaluation techniques will be demonstrated. Successful survey design techniques will be introduced and the current trends in health psychology will be explored.
Course Description
This course examines a variety of factors related to wellness and includes a focus on substance use and abuse, nutrition, weight control, diet, exercise and safety. An exploration of lifestyles factors related to promoting health and wellness across the lifespan will be assessed as well as effective coaching for health and wellness.
Course Description
This course provides a study of theories of probability, descriptive and inferential analyses of data, and testing of statistical hypotheses. Practical experience is provided in the application of statistical methods.
Course Description
This course emphasizes both the theoretical and applied aspects of experimental design and research methodology at the graduate level, including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed designs.
Course Description
This course examines health and prevention at the community level. This course examines the implementation of community wide change through intervention, prevention and program evaluation. Students will explore current research related to topics relevant to Community Psychology.
Course Description
This course examines the future of Health Psychology with an emphasis on understanding current public policy and implementing changes in this sector. Careers related to Health Psychology and issues and controversies that impact the field are investigated.
Course Description
This course prepares students to enter their prospective career and/or continue their education in psychology. Students will explore occupations and leaders in the various psychological fields, formulate and compile their experiences and achievements, and construct a roadmap for success. Original research ideas will be solidified and presented.
Program Locations
Online
Evening
* The Department of Education defines how an institution must calculate a program's On-Time Completion rate for federal disclosure purposes. The On-Time Completion rate is based on a program’s published required number of months to complete all degree requirements as provided in the institution’s catalog. Completion statistics are updated every January and are based on the cohort of students who graduated between 7/1 – 6/30 of the preceding year. The On-Time Completion rate is determined by the number of students in the cohort who completed the program within the published program length divided by the number of students in the cohort who graduated.
* Please refer to the Academic Catalog for more information. Program subject to change.