Health Science, Master of Science (MS)
More information about this degree program can be found in the College of Health Sciences section of the catalog.
Faculty
Faculty teaching in the associated graduate certificate programs are drawn directly from the core faculty of the corresponding master’s degree programs. This ensures that students receive instruction from experienced scholars and practitioners who are actively engaged in the field. This structure also facilitates seamless stackability, allowing students to apply credits earned in a certificate towards a related master’s degree, fostering a cohesive and integrated learning experience.
Program Overview
Description
The Master of Science in Health Science (MS) program is a flexible graduate degree that offers a multidisciplinary curriculum tailored to the needs of students transitioning from other health science graduate programs. The program will combine advanced coursework, practical training, and other opportunities to ensure graduates are well-equipped to enter or advance in various non-clinical healthcare careers.
This innovative degree is composed of stackable graduate certificates, allowing students to tailor their education to their specific career goals and interests. Each certificate focuses on a specialized area applicable to health sciences, enabling students to build a comprehensive skill set that will shape the trajectory of their careers. Upon completion of at least two stackable certificates, students will have earned a Master of Science in Health Science degree, positioning them for advanced roles in the healthcare field.
This program of study will be a non-licensure, non-clinical degree applicable to healthcare-related fields that do not require graduates to obtain a professional license to work.
Program Admission Requirements and Processes
Enrollment in the Master of Science in Health Science Program is by permission of the Dean only via application.
Exit Requirements
Program completion and exit is contingent upon the following:
- Successfully completion of at least two graduate certificates as specified in the previous section.
Statute of Limitations
All coursework applied toward the degree must be completed within the past 5 years.
Tuition and Fees
Tuition and fees for this degree are not centrally determined. Instead, they are set by the specific academic department or program offering each applicable certificate. This means that costs can vary significantly between different stackable certificates, reflecting the resources, instruction, and materials required for each distinct program of study.
Degree-Specific Policies
Academic Standing
Students pursuing this degree must maintain a minimum cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 within the stackable certificates earned from Lipscomb University’s Pharmacy program, Physician Assistant program, or Cardiovascular Perfusion program. No failing credits will be accepted.
For any additional stackable certificates completed outside of these specified programs of study, students will be subject to the individual academic standards and GPA requirements set forth by the respective certificate-granting department or program.
It is the student’s responsibility to understand and adhere to the academic policies of each certificate program contributing to their Master’s degree.
Transfer Credit
Transfer credit is strictly limited to courses completed within existing Lipscomb University programs. No external transfer credits from other institutions, nor credits earned from non-Lipscomb certificate programs, will be accepted towards the completion of this degree.
Graduate Transfer Policy
The Stackable Certificate Master’s Degree program at Lipscomb University is designed to build upon existing graduate-level training within specific disciplines. To ensure academic alignment and program integrity, transfer credit is exclusively limited to courses completed within Lipscomb University’s Pharmacy program, Physician Assistant program, or Cardiovascular Perfusion program. No transfer credit from other institutions or programs, including other Lipscomb University departments, will be accepted in lieu of the core curriculum. However, the specific Lipscomb University graduate certificates described above may be applied toward the concentration pathway of this master’s degree. This allows students to leverage focused industry-specific graduate-level work completed at Lipscomb University to fulfill concentration requirements while maintaining the program’s academic rigor and coherence.
Candidacy
Candidacy for the Master’s Degree signifies a student’s formal acceptance into the degree program after completing one or more of the required stackable certificates from Lipscomb University’s Pharmacy program, Physician Assistant program, or Cardiovascular Perfusion program. To achieve candidacy, students must:
- Complete all required courses within the chosen Lipscomb University stackable certificate program with a minimum GPA as defined above.
- Submit a formal application for admission.
- Receive approval from the Dean of the College of Health Sciences.
Upon achieving candidacy, students are officially recognized as degree-seeking candidates and may proceed with the remaining requirements for the Master’s degree, as outlined in the program curriculum.