Appalachian’s Beaver College of Health Sciences opened in 2010 as the result of a strategic university commitment to significantly enhance the health and quality of life for individuals, families and communities in North Carolina and beyond. The college offers ten undergraduate degree programs and six graduate degree programs, which are organized in six departments: Nursing, Social Work, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Nutrition and Health Care Management, Health and Exercise Science, and Recreation Management and Physical Education.
Students who choose the Beaver College of Health Sciences will learn in a collaborative model of education, research, and clinical outreach using state-of-the-art facilities. The college also emphasizes internships, research with faculty and study abroad experiences. You and your classmates will graduate as life-long learners who apply contemporary research to professional practice and who provide quality services in a respectful and caring environment.
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
comdis.appstate.edu
Gail Donaldson, Chair
Speech-Language Pathology
Kim McCullough, Program Director
mcculloughkc@appstate.edu
Appalachian’s Master of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology is devoted to the study of human communication and associated disorders and prepares clinicians for work in a variety of settings - schools, hospitals, nursing homes, community clinics, home health and private practice.
Students gain the academic and clinical practicum experiences necessary for certification by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, licensure by the North Carolina Board of Examiners in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, and advanced licensure by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction. Students planning to obtain the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology must complete State Department of Public Instruction requirements for the “S and G” Advanced (Graduate) level license in Speech-Language Impaired. All students must complete an individualized program of study and admission to candidacy, have these forms approved by their advisors, and file the forms with the Graduate Records.
Admission to the Speech-Language Pathology Program is on a competitive basis. Students who wish to be admitted to this program must submit evidence of satisfactory performance in all undergraduate course work and on the general GRE test. The Program does not permit deferred admissions. Students who are offered admission for a given term, and who cannot accept admission for that term, must reapply and be considered at a later time.
Master of Science
Communication Sciences & Disorders
Department of Health and Exercise Science
hes.appstate.edu
Kelly Cole, Chair
Scott Collier, Graduate Program Director
esgrad@appstate.edu
The Master of Science in Exercise Science degree requires students to complete a minimum of 36 hours over a 2 year period. The exercise science program permits students to elect from three concentration options:
- a Research Concentration that includes coursework and experiences to prepare students for future Ph.D. work;
- a Clinical Exercise Physiology Concentration that includes coursework and experiences to prepare students for careers in clinical settings such as hospitals and rehabilitation facilities focusing on preventive and chronic disease management; and
- a Strength and Conditioning Concentration that includes coursework and experiences to prepare students for careers in strength and conditioning, personal training, or sports performance.
Students are encouraged to assist in on-going research in the Departmental laboratories. In addition, students are encouraged to engage in research that culminates in a professional presentation or publication. The Clinical Exercise Physiology and Strength and Conditioning concentrations have required practicum or internship experiences. Research, teaching, and clinical assistantships are available for qualified students.
Master of Science
Exercise Science
Department of Nursing
nursing.appstate.edu
Kathleen Rayman, Chair
raymankm@appstate.edu
Susan Lane, Program Director
lanesh@appstate.edu
Master of Science in Nursing
Nursing
Department of Nutrition and Health Care Management
nhm.appstate.edu
Margaret Barth, Chair
Health Administration
hcm.appstate.edu
Sandi Lane, Program Director
lanesj1@appstate.edu
The MHA degree is a hybrid online program designed to meet the needs of working professionals. The educational mission of the program is to prepare individuals in advanced health care management and administration principles and applications. Graduates of the program will have the knowledge and competencies enabling them to lead a variety of health care organizations. Instruction in the MHA program combines theoretical foundation with applied principles of health administration and is delivered by faculty with applied work experience in the health care industry.
The MHA degree program is primarily an online program of 46 semester hours. The curriculum is structured around a core set of courses totaling 37 semester hours. Students will choose one of two concentrations in either Information Systems or Leadership for an additional 9 semester hours. Students can complete the program in two years of full-time study (9 semester hours per term) or three years of part-time study (6 semester hours per term).
Each academic year, students will spend two to three days in face-to-face instruction on the Appalachian State University campus in Boone and dates will be announced prior to the start of each academic year. For information about the format of the online program, please contact the Office of Distance Education: http://distance.appstate.edu.
Nutrition
Martin Root, Program Director
rootmm@appstate.edu
The Graduate program in Nutrition is a Combined Masters of Science / Dietetic Internship program only open to those who have completed an undergraduate degree in Nutrition or Dietetics from an accredited DPD program. The Program is two years long including the intervening summer. The first year is graduate courses on campus; the summer is research or preparation for research; the second year is the Dietetic Internship. The Internship most frequently requires a move to other parts of North Carolina or beyond. Students graduate prepared to take the Registration Examination to become Registered Dietitians.
Master of Health Administration
Master of Science
Health Care Management
Nutrition
Department of Recreation Management and Physical Education
rmpe.appstate.edu
Dale Adkins, Chair
Health Education
Recreation Management
Department of Social Work
socialwork.appstate.edu
Lauren Renkert, Chair
Kelly Williams, Graduate Program Director
williamska3@appstate.edu
Guided by an overarching framework of human rights, and grounded in human relationships and scientific inquiry, the mission of the MSW Program at Appalachian State University is to promote the health and well-being of individuals, families, groups and communities; prevent oppression, discrimination, social and economic injustice; and provide assistance to those in need. The MSW Program, informed by and engaged with regional, state, national and global community contexts, aspires to provide exemplary educational opportunities. The foundation curriculum for the Program is designed to prepare students for generalist social work practice within the distinct Appalachian culture of the region, as well as across national and international contexts.
Building on the foundation, students select from one of two distinct concentration curricula: the Individuals and Families concentration or the Community and Organizational Practice concentration. The Individuals and Families concentration curriculum provides students with specialized knowledge and skills to effectively practice with adults, children, adolescents, and families in a variety of settings. The Community and Organizational Practice concentration curriculum provides students with specialized knowledge and skills to effectively practice with communities and organizations in different locales. Appalachian’s MSW Program also seeks to enhance students’ knowledge and skills through a unique crossover design. The crossover design provides students specializing in one concentration vital exposure to content from the other concentration. Graduates of Appalachian’s MSW Program demonstrate firm generalist practice knowledge and skills as well as specialized practice knowledge and skills to successfully serve individuals, families, groups, communities or organizations.
Appalachian State University’s MSW Program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
Academic Credit is not awarded for life or previous work experience.
Entry with Advanced Standing: Applicants who are graduates of Council on Social Work Education-accredited Bachelor of Social Work degree programs during the seven years preceding application and who have earned average grades of 3.2 or greater in their undergraduate social work course work may apply, by letter, for Advanced Standing in the MSW program. Only graduates of such Bachelor of Social Work programs are eligible for Advanced Standing. The prerequisites and basic admissions criteria for Advanced Standing are the same as those for admission to the two-year program. Those admitted as Advanced Standing students are not required to complete the required foundation courses (S W 5005 , S W 5010 , S W 5020 , S W 5030 , S W 5040 , S W 5200 , S W 5210 , S W 5220 , S W 5230 , and S W 5240 ).
Students admitted to Advanced Standing are required to enroll in and earn a grade of B or better in S W 5001 , Advanced Standing Transitional Seminar, and up to six hours of additional course work, if deemed necessary by the social work faculty at the completion of the Transitional Seminar. The number of hours required for advanced standing students is 33 semester hours plus up to 6 additional hours if deemed necessary by the social work faculty.
Location of Program: This program is offered on campus in Boone in the format described in this Bulletin. Off-campus, hybrid cohorts are also offered. To learn more about upcoming off-campus cohorts, please visit the Department of Social Work’s Distance Education website: http://socialwork.appstate.edu/graduate/distance-education
Master of Social Work
Social Work
