Department of Health Promotion

Master of Education in Health Promotion students are allowed three choices to complete their program of study. One option is to complete the requirements for HED 750 Graduate Project in the M.Ed in Health Promotion. The second option is the completion of advisor approved 3 credits plus successfully passing the Comprehensive Exam. The third option is to write a Thesis (see Thesis option guidelines). Students must enroll in at least one graduate credit at the time of the their graduation semester.

If a student sits for a written comprehensive exam for the M.Ed Health Promotion program, the following guidelines apply:

Eligibility for Sitting for Exam Students will meet with their advisors near the end of their coursework to determine when they will be permitted to sit for the examination. To sit for the exam, all health promotion core coursework and all research core coursework must have been successfully completed. In addition, there should be no more than six hours of coursework left to complete. If all coursework has been completed before taking the exam, students must make a request in writing that the "continuous enrollment" rule be suspended and direct the letter to the Graduate Coordinator.

Selection of the Exam Committee All students are expected to identify four faculty members as their examination committee. One member should be the student's chair/advisor, two should be faculty members in the Health Promotion program, and the fourth, a faculty member from the student's area of concentration. All members must hold current graduate faculty status with the graduate college. Students need to complete the Appointment of Advisory Committee Approval Form and submit to the Graduate College prior to sitting for the comprehensive exams.

Application for Sitting for Exam Comprehensive Examinations are held the first Saturday in March and October and during the first session of summer school. A maximum of six hours are scheduled to complete the exam - a maximum of four hours in the morning, a break, then a maximum of two hours in the afternoon. Once advisor approval is granted, eligible students will obtain the Department of Health Promotion Comprehensive Examination Application from the Health Promotion Department Office, and complete and return it by the following deadlines:

October Exam: Three weeks prior to the last day of instruction of the fall semester.
March Exam: Three weeks prior to the last day of instruction of the spring semester.
Check with the Department of Health Promotion for the date of the summer exam.

Purpose of Exam The purpose of the Comprehensive Examination is for students to demonstrate their ability to synthesize the depth and breadth of knowledge gained in the Master of Education in Health Promotion program. The exam will focus on the application of research and related theory in Health Promotion as well as the students' area of concentration.

Content of Exam Students will write one to three questions that are comprehensive in nature. The Health Promotion questions are designed to demonstrate a student's ability to synthesize, apply, and communicate competencies in Health Promotion and one question is designed to demonstrate a student's ability to synthesize, apply, and communicate competencies in the student's area of concentration. While students may discuss general content of the exam questions with their advisors, students will not be made aware of the exact question(s) prior to the examination.

Preparing for the Exam The Comprehensive Exam is designed to test the M.Ed Health Promotion graduate student's breadth and depth of the content areas of study (i.e. Health Promotion and the area of concentration). Students must be able to:

Synthesize knowledge acquired within the program;
Ground the knowledge in scholarly literature;
Apply the knowledge to contemporary programming; and,
Effectively communicate that knowledge to appropriate audiences.

It is suggested that students review the objectives of all course outlines contained within their course of study. Particular attention should be given to the content of assignments, exam questions, and lecture/classroom materials and activities. Students are encouraged to create a study group of peers to review the content of courses. Students are also encouraged to contact their Chair and/or the faculty representative in their concentration area if there are any questions regarding how or what to study. It is also suggested that students obtain a copy of the study guide(s) concerning the comprehensive exam well in advance of the testing date.

Exam Evaluation Procedure Students' names will not appear on the exam; the exam will only be identified by the students' identification numbers. The Comprehensive Exam will be read by students' program committee who may consult with any appropriate content faculty in evaluating responses. Advisors will read the questions independent of each other.

In addition to assessing content, committee members will evaluate a students' writing style. Each student must demonstrate the ability to produce advanced organized thought and an ability to communicate ideas so that they are easily understood (i.e. be able to write in a clear, concise, and grammatically accurate manner that is representative of graduate students).

Students must earn a "pass" on all questions to successfully complete the comprehensive exam.

Exam Rating Scale The following three categories are used to evaluate the Comprehensive Exam:

Pass: The response reflects an appropriate level of understanding of the content, includes supporting detail, includes adequate references to the scholarly literature, and the writing style reflects command of the standard, academic use of language.
Questionable: The response is weak and does not reflect an adequate level of understanding of the content. Supporting detail is lacking, and references to the scholarly literature are minimal. The writing style is not professional and contains grammatical and structural errors. Additionally, there is insufficient evidence of the relationship between theory and practice.
No Pass: The response does not reflect an adequate or appropriate level of understanding of the content. References to the scholarly literature are weak or absent, and it is clear the student's communication skills are inappropriate or lacking based on expectations for academic and professional writing.

To view a sample of writings of each level, click here.

Notification of Results Within one month of completing the exam, students will be informed, in writing, by their advisors of a meeting to review the results. (also see exam evaluation protocol)

Failure to Pass Exam An examination or parts of an examination may be repeated only once and only at the discretion of student's program committee. When a student does not pass all or part of the Comprehensive Examination, the program committee members will meet with the student to discuss one of the following options:

Option 1: The student will rewrite the entire examination after a three-month waiting period. The content of the questions will be decided upon by the program committee.
Option 2: The student will rewrite the one or two questions failed after a three-month waiting period. The content of the one or two questions will be the same.
Option 3: The student will orally clarify his/her responses to the advisor within three weeks of the examination. The advisor will make a decision at the conclusion of the oral exam and notify the students immediately of the results.

Both the Department of Health Promotion Chair and the Graduate Coordinator, and in some cases a content-area specialist, will be available to meet with the student.