Master of Science in Health & Wellness Management
The Master of Science degree in Health and Wellness Management program will equip students with the competencies required to successfully promote and advance the health and well-being of defined groups of people, to effectively lead wellness programs and to conduct research in the discipline. The degree is designed to prepare professionals to assume senior leadership positions in the wellness management field and is unique from other programs in that it has an increased emphasis on management and leadership competency development and focuses on all dimensions of personal and organizational wellness. Over the past 30 years, wellness has developed into a primary business strategy as these programs, when managed effectively, have documented successes in addressing key business issues such as health care cost containment, productivity, absenteeism, and risk management. The program features a multidisciplinary curriculum that draws on psychology, health, nursing/healthcare, communication and management sciences.
Program Learning Outcomes
Graduates of the HWM program will be able to:
- Demonstrate familiarity with best practices in behavior change facilitation, including the evaluation of lifestyle coaching plans.
- Demonstrate knowledge of ethical and legal issues relevant to health policy and clinical practice.
- Analyze the interrelations among health providers and key stakeholders and understand how these interrelations influence public health systems.
- Determine the impact of current wellness initiatives on an organization’s healthcare costs and develop strategic and project management plans to improve the programs.
- Demonstrate an understanding of business marketing, including market analysis, evaluation, communication, and promotion.
- Examine customer needs and apply a system approach in successfully addressing those needs.
- Integrate health informatics, information technology, and communication strategies in the design, implementation, evaluation, and replication of best practices to improve program performance.
Admission Requirements
Each applicant’s prior academic work and experience will be evaluated prior to admission. Applicants are expected to have college-level writing, oral communication and computer skills. Students who show exceptional promise but lack the minimal prerequisites may be admitted provisionally. Applicants are not required to take the GRE for admission.
To apply, you will need:
- Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution
- 3.0 grade point average. Applicants with a GPA of less than 3.0 may be considered for provisional admission.
- UW System application form (apply.wisconsin.edu)
- $56.00 application fee
- Official transcripts from all colleges and universities previously attended*
- Prerequisite baccalaureate coursework or the equivalent in the following:
- Anatomy & Physiology or Human Biology
- Introduction to Psychology
- Elementary Statistics
- A personal statement of up to 1,000 words describing your decision to pursue this degree and what you believe you will bring to the Health and Wellness field. Space for the personal statement is included in the online application.
- Resume: your resume may be uploaded as part of your application or can be emailed to gradstu@uwgb.edu
- Two letters of evaluation
- The Health and Wellness Management letter of evaluation is an electronic form the applicant initiates and sends to two references. The references must complete the form and email directly to the Office of Graduate Studies: gradstu@uwgb.edu. Information on this process will be provided to the applicant after the UW System application has been received. Traditional letters of recommendation are not required.
- International students will also need to provide the following documentation:
- A test of English proficiency (TOEFL or IELTS)
- Course-by-course transcript evaluation from a professional evaluation service currently recognized by NACES (www.naces.org). UW-Green Bay recommends one of the following evaluation services:
- Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) http://www.ece.org/
- World Education Services (WES) http://www.wes.org/
- Please note that this program is entirely online. International students are welcome to apply for and enroll in an online program. However, they are unable to apply for an F-1 or J-1 visa based on enrollment in this program.
*Official electronic transcripts must be sent to UWGB Admissions at uwgb@uwgb.edu directly from the institution that issued the transcript.
**The MS in Health & Wellness Management letter of evaluation is an electronic form the applicant initiates and sends to two references. The references must complete the form and email directly to the Office of Graduate Studies: gradstu@uwgb.edu. Information on this process will be provided to the applicant after the UW System application has been received. Traditional letters of recommendation are not required.
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HWM 700 | Contemporary Health and Wellness Perspectives | 3 |
| HWM 705 | Strategic Management for Wellness Managers | 3 |
| HWM 710 | Research Methods for Wellness Programs | 3 |
| HWM 715 | Persuasion Skills for Wellness Managers | 3 |
| HWM 720 | Exercise and Nutrition in Health and Disease | 3 |
| HWM 730 | Biopsychosocial Aspects of Health | 3 |
| HWM 740 | Health Systems and Policy for Wellness Managers | 3 |
| HWM 750 | Planning and Evaluation for Wellness Managers | 3 |
| HWM 760 | Wellness Law | 3 |
| HWM 770 | Behavior and Development in Organizations | 3 |
| HWM 780 | Best Practices and Emerging Issues in Wellness | 3 |
| HWM 787 | Capstone Preparation Course | 1 |
| HWM 790 | Health and Wellness Management Capstone Course | 3 |
| Total Credits | 37 | |
Progress to Degree
Steps Toward the Degree
- The candidate applies to the Master Health and Wellness Management program by submitting an application, all required application materials to the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
- The candidate is admitted to the Master of Health and Wellness Management program by the program Chair.
- The student fulfills the degree requirements for the program.
- The student is awarded a Master of Health and Wellness Management degree from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Faculty
Dr. Myunghee Jun PhD, RN, Associate Professor and Academic Director of the Master of Science in Health and Wellness Management. Nursing. BSN (1981), MSN (1995) & Ph.D. (1994) Seoul National University, South Korea.
Fields of interest: Research Methodology, Health Promotion and Management, and Global Health.
Dr. Christine Vandenhouten PhD, RN, APHN-BC, CPH, Professor, Chair of Nursing and Health Studies, and Academic Director of the Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management & Technology. BSN (1986) Marian University, Fond du Lac, WI; MSN (1991) University of Wisconsin- Oshkosh; Ph.D. (2008) Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI.
Fields of interest: Health Policy, Healthcare Finance, Program Assessment and Evaluation, Emotional intelligence/leadership styles, Community/public health, global health, Interprofessional healthcare, Leadership on Boards of Directors.
Dr. Lori A. Thompson PhD, Instructor, Founder of Envision Associates. Therapeutic Recreation. B.A. (1986); Health Education and community Health administration. M. A. (1991) University of Northern; Education. Ph.D. (2010) North Dakota State University.
Fields of interest: Assessment, Evaluation, Comprehensive Qualitative and Quantitative Research Skills, Institutional Analysis, Training and Development, and Interpersonal Skills in Education, Business, Non-Profit, and Government Entities.
