Master of Science in Health Promotion and Management
Finish in as little as 9-12 months! Study online or on campus.
Our health promotion and management master’s degree will equip you for leadership careers in corporate health and wellness, public health, health education, health coaching, fitness programming and other health-related fields.
Health Promotion and Management Master's Degree at a Glance
Mode of Study
On Campus, Online, Hybrid
Est. Time
9-12 Months Full-time (Part-time Study Available)
Start Terms
Spring, Summer, Fall
View Application Deadlines
Credits
32
STEM Designated
No
Accreditation
Fellowships
Full-tuition &
Half-tuition
Scholarships
Dean Scholarship &
Alumni Scholarship
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Master of Science in Health Promotion and Management Tuition
Published Tuition
$1,100 per credit (32 credits). Tuition for 2024-2025. Rates are subject to change.
Average Aid Amount
Scholarships and fellowships significantly reduce the tuition for most of our students.
Average Tuition Cost
After scholarships and fellowships.
Typical Tuition Savings for the M.S. in Health Promotion and Management
Merrimack College offers generous scholarship and fellowship opportunities to offset your graduate tuition.
Presidential Fellowships are 9-month, 25 hour-per-week field placements and cover 100% of tuition ($35,200).
Provost Fellowships are 9-month, 15 hour-per-week field placements and cover 50% of tuition ($17,600).
Double Warrior Alumni Scholarships are awarded to all Merrimack College alumni, covering 33% of tuition ($11,616) for recent graduates (25% for previously graduated alumni).
Dean Scholarships are merit based aid awarded to all students, ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 and average $6,000, or 17% of tuition.
Visit the page below to find all up-to-date tuition and fees information.
Overview of Merrimack’s Master of Science in Health Promotion and Management
Choose from three concentrations:
Community Health Education
Health Promotion and Program Management
Health and Wellness Coaching
Why Choose the Master of Science in Health Promotion and Management at Merrimack?
EXCEPTIONAL INTERDISCIPLINARY TRAINING
Merrimack’s health promotion and management master’s degree provides tightly integrated expertise in health, wellness, leadership, health policy and marketing. Few U.S. graduate programs offer a comparable package, so our health promotion and management program elevates you to the top of the hiring pool.
OUTSTANDING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
All students in the health promotion and management program have opportunities to gain practical skills by participating in research, completing fellowships, conducting case studies and doing project-based assignments. The health promotion and management master’s degree culminates in a capstone project and professional presentation that showcases your talent and strengthens your portfolio.
ONE-OF-A-KIND FELLOWSHIPS
If you qualify for one of Merrimack’s unique health promotion and management fellowships, you can gain hundreds of hours of hands-on workplace experience with high-profile partners such as the Andover Health Department, Merrimack Valley YMCA and Merrimack Athletics and Student Wellness. Health promotion and management fellowships include a 50-100% tuition reduction.
SUPERIOR FACULTY
You’ll build relationships with seasoned health management practitioners, including nationally renowned researchers such as Juliana Cohen and industry veterans such as Allison Higgins, Raytheon’s former manager of corporate wellness, and Valeria Tivnan, the current Vice President of Population Health Strategy & Well-Being at IMA Financial Group. Merrimack professors combine academic distinction with extensive clinical experience, offering practical insights that go far beyond standard textbook curriculum.
Career Outlook: Where Can a M.S. in Health Promotion and Management Take You?
Average Salary
for Certified Health Coaches in 2023
Industry Growth
for Health Promotion Specialists expected from 2023-33
Job Openings
Annually for Medical and Health Services Managers
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 2024
Jobs and Opportunities with a Health Promotion and Management Master’s Degree
- Health Education Specialists
- Population Health Coordinator
- Health and Wellness Coach
- Corporate Wellness Program Manager
- Public Health Lobbyist
- Doctoral or Professional Degree Student (M.D., P.A., etc.)
Where Merrimack’s M.S. in Health Promotion and Management Graduates Work
Akamai Technologies
Global Wellness Specialist II
Greater Lawrence Family Health Center
Director
Northeastern University
Assistant Director for Health Education
Wentworth-Douglass Hospital
Practice Manager, Center for Pain Management
What Our M.S. in Health Promotion and Management Students and Alumni Say
Read Student Spotlight
Wentworth-Douglass Hospital
Read Student Spotlight
Read Student Spotlight
Read Student Spotlight
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What You'll Learn in Merrimack's Master of Science in Health Promotion and Management
Explore Our Three Career-Focused Concentrations
Health Promotion and Program Management
Prepare for a leading role in corporate wellness, public health, fitness programming and other health-related fields. The Health Promotion and Program Management concentration provides a tightly integrated curriculum in health, wellness, leadership, marketing, administration and policy. You’ll graduate with the well-rounded expertise and perspective required for leadership positions.
Health and Wellness Coaching
Prepare for a rewarding career as a health and wellness coach. Students in this concentration learn and practice evidence-based skills to actively engage clients/patients in various settings to foster lifestyle behavioral changes. In addition to earning their Master’s degree, students also receive a Merrimack College Health Coaching Certificate when they complete 50 coaching sessions with real-world clients as part of the course requirement.
Community Health Education
Help individuals, families and whole communities live healthier lives. The Community Health Education concentration offers you the resources, tools and hands-on training to encourage healthy lifestyles. By studying current population health issues and evidence-based professional practices, you’ll learn how to identify community health challenges—and work to solve them.
Key Courses You'll Take
Health Promotion Programs
HSC 5360
Teaches students to systematically assess and analyze the health promotion needs of a specified target population at the individual, community, and organizational levels in order to develop a holistic and culturally appropriate comprehensive health program. Students will also gain an understanding of effective communication strategies used in health promotion programs.
Social Marketing and Communication for Health Promotion
HSC 5385
Provides students with an overview of concepts and strategies used in social marketing and public health information campaigns emphasizing skills to create audience-oriented health intervention efforts, including formative research, audience segmentation, channel analysis, and the application of behavioral theory.
Public Health Policy and Management
HSC 6500
Describes the health policy development process, including problem conceptualization, agenda setting, role of interest groups and public opinion, needs assessment, analysis of alternatives and policy selection and evaluation. Topics include healthcare system structure, management and leadership in organizations, health policy, law and healthcare reform, issues of diversity and international policies.
Master of Science in Health Promotion and Management Curriculum
View Full Curriculum from the Graduate Catalog
M.S. in Health Promotion and Management Requirements
To see more details about the program, please visit catalog.merrimack.edu.Skills You'll Learn
Needs assessment
Community program development and implementation
Organizational leadership
Public health advocacy
Management and strategic planning
Market analysis and community outreach
Program evaluation
Community health research
Disease prevention and health promotion
Featured Faculty
Allison Higgins, Dr. P.H.
Program Director; Assistant Clinical Professor, Nutrition and Public Health
Dr. Alison Higgins possesses over twenty years of experience in diverse health and wellness industries with special interest in building worksite health improvement and population health management programs. Her professional accomplishments include leading the strategy and execution for an award-winning wellness program at a Fortune 200 company. She holds a doctorate in public health from Boston University and also earned an M.Ed in Health Promotion and Behavior at the University of Georgia.
Francis Keannelly III
Adjunct Professor
The President and CEO of Merrimack Valley YMCA - an organization focused on providing programs and services that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all - Francis Keannelly III has served as an adjunct faculty member at Merrimack College for 9 years. He earned an M.S. in Human Services Organizational Leadership from Springfield College.
Valeria Tivnan, M.P.H.
Adjunct Professor
Valeria Tivnan possesses over 25 years of industry experience, including an extensive track record in developing holistic benefits packages resulting in improved employee health literacy and population health improvement. She currently serves as Vice President of Population Health Strategy & Well-Being at IMA Financial Group, and holds an M.P.H. in Community Health Science from UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health.
Fellowships, Scholarships, and Financial Aid
Health Promotion and Management Graduate Fellowships
Graduate fellowships in Merrimack’s M.S. in Health Promotion and Management program provide hands-on professional experience while significantly reducing tuition. Fellows benefit from real-world work opportunities, professional networking, and a career head start.
- Presidential Fellowships: Cover 100% of your graduate tuition and include a 9-month, unpaid fellowship placement of 25 hours per week.
- Provost Fellowships: Cover 50% of your graduate tuition and include a 9-month, unpaid fellowship placement of 15 hours per week.
These fellowships allow students to gain practical skills and build valuable connections, making them an ideal choice for those seeking an impactful start to their health careers.
Scholarships and Financial Aid
Merrimack College offers scholarships for students who are not receiving a full- or half-tuition fellowship. Our scholarship opportunities available to M.S. in Health Promotion and Management students include:
- Dean Scholarship: Determined by academic merit and financial need. Students not receiving a fellowship are automatically considered for a Dean Scholarship upon applying.
- Double Warrior Alumni Scholarship: Available to all Merrimack graduates. Students enrolling immediately after senior undergraduate year automatically receive a 33% discount, and 25% thereafter. Please note that Double Warrior alumni scholarships cannot be combined with Dean Scholarships.
Financial aid in the form of federal aid, private loans, and payment plans are also options available for graduate students. Click the link below to learn more about our scholarships and financial aid opportunities.
Application Information for the M.S. in Health Promotion and Management
It’s easy to apply online! Simply create your account by registering a username and password. This will allow you to start an application, save and log back in at any time to complete it before submission.
A Completed Application Includes:
Important Information:
- Online application
- Official college transcripts from all institutions attended
- Resumé OR link to LinkedIn profile
- Interview OR personal statement
- Contact information for one reference OR one letter of recommendation
- No application fee or GRE requirement.
- If applying for a fellowship, be sure to indicate that on your application. Fellowships may require the completion of an additional essay.
- Optional: Submit test scores to enhance or support your academic background.
Graduate Community and Student Support
Discover Merrimack’s vibrant and supportive graduate community! Our Graduate Center, located on the second floor of the McQuade Library, is our hub for student life, resources, and support, ensuring that you get the most out of your graduate experience.
Enjoy the following benefits that are exclusive to graduate students:
A comfortable lounge for studying and socializing
A home base for daily life on campus with coffee and tea, a microwave and a fridge
A venue for programs and services supporting graduate student success
A warm, inviting place to connect with staff and other graduate students
Want to Learn More about the M.S. in Health Promotion and Management?
Contact the Program Director, Dr. Allison Higgens!
Take the Next Step (We're Here to Help)
At Merrimack, we are ready to meet you where you are and get you where you want to go. And, we make the process simple along the way! Please feel free to contact our Graduate Admission team or join us at an upcoming event if you have any questions regarding scholarships, fellowships, financial aid, or the application process.
Programs Related to the M.S. in Health Promotion and Management
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Merrimack College Awards & Recognition
U.S. News & World Report | Best Regional Universities North (2024)
- Most Innovative Schools (#5)
- Regional Universities North (#39)
- Best Undergraduate Teaching (#19)
- Best Colleges for Veterans (#15)
- Best Value Schools (#51)
