Program Overview
The BA in Health, Society, and Policy (HESP) to the MS in Epidemiology will provide qualified students interested in health policy, health care, and epidemiology an accelerated route to earn both the BA degree and the MS degree within five years. Having an accelerated route will help AU retain top performing students for an additional year while providing those students with a pipeline to future employment in health care and epidemiology.
The BA in HESP degree is a 124 credit hour undergraduate program. The MS in Epidemiology degree is a 36 credit hour graduate program, which is delivered completely online. Qualified students (see below for the program’s requirements) will take four courses in the MS in Epidemiology program (12 credit hours) during their senior year as an undergraduate in the BA in HESP program. Three of the four courses will double count toward the BA and MS degrees. If students successfully complete their undergraduate courses and earn a B or higher in the MS in Epidemiology courses, then they will graduate with the BA in HESP and automatically transition into the MS in Epidemiology program. While finishing the BA in HESP program, tuition and fees will be at the undergraduate level.
Program Contact
Admissions Information
For more information on admissions requirements, please visit the Office of Admissions website.
Progression & Graduation Requirements
First step: Standard admissions policies for the BA in HESP
Second Step: Admissions Policies for the BA in HESP to MS in Epidemiology
Students applying for this program must:
- Apply for the accelerated degree before their senior year.
- Have completed at least 30 hours of coursework at Augusta University.
- Complete SOSC 3001 and SOSC 3002 in their undergraduate degree.
- Have an overall cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.25 or better.
- Be within 30 semester hours of graduating with either a BA in Health, Society, and Policy (HESP) in the Department of Social Sciences.
- Have written permission of the chair of the Department of Social Sciences to use the graduate level courses as acceptable substitutes to fulfill related requirements of the HESP degree (students must satisfy all prerequisites for those graduate courses).
- Meet all requirements for admissions into the MS in Epidemiology program and be in good standing with the university (except for receipt of the undergraduate degree and the completion of the GRE).
- Submit an application for admissions in the spring semester of the junior year to the BA in HESP to the MS in Epidemiology program, along with all necessary admissions documentation to The Graduate School according to institutional policy.
Program Length: 4 Years
CIP Code: 44.0503
Program Code: 1BA-HESP
BA Program Information
Bachelor of Arts with a major in Health, Society, and Policy
MS Program Information
Master of Science in Epidemiology
