Health and Human Performance Programs

The purpose of the Master of Science (Health and Human Performance) (MSHHP) is to provide students who have a deep interest in self-discovery and personal growth with the knowledge and experience required to become health and human performance coaches, and health educators.

The MSHHP presents courses in health and human performance coaching and health education supported and informed by courses in nutrition, the physiology and psychology of performance, Chinese medicine, and evidence-informed practice.

By applying philosophies, principles, and knowledge from traditional medical systems like Chinese medicine and Ayurveda, along with modern science, graduates develop performance solutions for individuals and groups to achieve their goals. As health educators, they possess the skills to educate individuals and groups, as well as disseminate their knowledge broadly through multiple media and health & human performance job opportunities.

While private practice coaching jobs in sports, business, and the arts may be the goal for many students, degree-credentialed professionals are also able to pursue a career path in the following professions and industries:

• Human resources
• Corporate training
• Performance technology
• Nutritional product development, marketing, sales, and evaluation
• Sports product development, marketing, sales, and evaluation
• Health coaching
• Life coaching
• Health education
• Sports training
• Health and wellness education and journalism
• Personal training, mindfulness training
• Business management
• Game development

Master of Science (Health and Human Performance)

The minimum graduate admission requirements are:

• a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, or equivalent.
• a minimum grade-point average of 3.0.

Applicants with a lower undergraduate GPA may be considered based on professional accomplishments, such as passing a healthcare licensing examination, work history, GRE scores, etc. Applicants for whom English is not their native language must demonstrate competence by TOEFL/iBT.

Prerequisite subjects include anatomy, physiology, and general psychology. Students may take accelerated, non-credit courses or competency exams offered by Pacific College to fulfill these prerequisites.

Health and Human Performance Certificate

Acceptance to the Health Coach certificate program requires the applicant to be a healthcare provider such as an acupuncturist, registered nurse, chiropractor, etc. with a minimum of an associate’s degree or equivalent. Applicants must indicate their program intention at the time of application.

Contact an admission representative for more information.

The curriculum includes a compelling study of peak performers: highly accomplished athletes, scientists, business people, artists, musicians, and others. Through biographies, webinars, and personal appearances, students acquire insights into peak performance or what we call threads of excellence. Unlocking, inspiring, and amplifying an individual’s talent are fundamental goals of the health and human performance coach.

In short, students get to study the coolest people on the planet.

You’re interested in health, nutrition, physical fitness, and emotional wellbeing. You’ve studied on your own or taken some classes. You’d like to share what you know. You also have life experience: you’ve had some ups and downs, and you’ve learned from them. You can apply your wisdom as a Health and Human Performance Coach.

Imagine your favorite sports team or Olympic athlete without a coach. Do parents, teachers, business leaders, and coworkers deserve any less? In amateur sports, weekend warriors can benefit from the insights of world-class performers.

MSHHP graduates help individuals and teams make their most precious resource—time—more rewarding and fulfilling. In the workplace, graduates find support from companies that recognize that retaining and maximizing talent means offering benefits for the “whole” employee.

“A study conducted by McKinsey found that the average person spends about 5% of working hours in flow. But if you could increase that to 20%, they estimate that overall workplace productivity would double.”

Most health coach training is currently through unaccredited, non-degree programs. There is a need for graduate-level programs for adult learners with experience or interest in self-discovery and personal growth. The health and human performance field deserves critical analysis, advancement through research, and practitioners prepared by the rigor of graduate education.

Unrestricted by a single school of thought or method of coaching, Pacific College graduates distinguish themselves through extensive research, critical thinking, and a broad understanding of human performance.

Pacific College of Health and Science is the home of the world-renowned Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. Students in all programs at Pacific College benefit from education in holistic and Chinese medicine. Chinese medical theories and practices deepen your knowledge of the personal, social, and environmental influences on human behavior. Students gain not only a better understanding of their clients, but also of themselves.

We often serve as coaches in many areas of our lives. Parents, obviously, are coaches to their children. Good supervisors are coaches to their employees. Employees are businesses’ most valuable resource. Employees who help coworkers and teams to be more effective are valued by their employers. Perhaps the MSHHP is the MBA of the 21st century.

There is strong employment outlook in health-related fields. Overall employment of health educators and community health workers is projected to grow 16 percent from 2016 to 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations. Growth will be driven by efforts to improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs by teaching people healthy behaviors and explaining how to use healthcare services already available to them. Governments, healthcare providers, and social services providers want to find ways to improve the quality of care and health outcomes while reducing costs. This should increase demand for health educators and community health workers as they teach people how to live healthy lives and to avoid costly diseases and medical procedures. (https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/health-educators.htm#tab-6)

Everything in the program is applicable to yourself as well as your clients. The nutrition, physiology, and psychology of performance, holistic health, and coaching skills empower students to take control of their health, resist disease, and extend functional longevity. Recognizing the body-mind unity, MSHHP graduates employ mindfulness and meditation techniques for mental and emotional management, resulting in positive effects on relationships, creativity, productivity, habits, and even longevity.