Master of Prevention Science Degree

We have a long list of goals in the College of Liberal Studies. Creating new degree programs to serve the diverse needs of our students and, on a larger scale, the needs of our communities is high on the list. We survey the landscape and listen to our constituents when making these decisions, paying attention to what the labor market is requiring of its employees.

It takes a lot of time and energy to put a new degree program through the proper channels on both the local and state levels, and then bring it to life.
So I am happy to tell you about a brand new degree being offered at CLS – the Master of Prevention Science. I feel confident in saying that this is an innovative degree option for professionals who are working in the growing prevention science field.

What exactly is prevention science? A lot of things but right now, our degree is focusing on substance abuse prevention. Of course, prevention applies to a number of areas including HIV, obesity and suicide and these vital areas will be added as the program matures.

For now, substance abuse is our focus because we can tap into a vital resource here at the University of Oklahoma, the Southwest Prevention Center. These are the folks that helped us shepherd this degree program through the process to make it available to prospective students.

Some of the areas this degree will explore include:
• Prevention systems and development
• Media advocacy and social marketing
• Human growth and development
• Risk factors such as family circumstances, ecological context and skill development delays
• Protective factors like psychological resilience, skills and environmental advantages
• Prevention trials
• Brain development and the impact of substances on this development
• Designing, implementing and evaluating substance abuse prevention programs
• Prevention science and public health.

The MPS is a 33-credit hour degree, with the first 18 hours consisting of core requirements. The remaining 15 hours are elective. This program also was designed specifically to prepare students for the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium’s Certified Prevention Specialist credential.