Employee Wellness and Health Coaching Specialization

Employee wellness is a critical factor in employee performance and retention: Gallup estimates that the global economy has suffered $322 billion in turnover and lost productivity costs as a result of employee burnout. Employee wellness affects everything from overall satisfaction to the number of sick days an employee takes to an employee’s risk of burnout.

Our online M.S. in HEB with an Employee Wellness and Health Coaching specialization gives graduate students the expertise to design, implement, and evaluate comprehensive wellness programs in workplace settings. Grounded in evidence-based health education principles, this specialization equips health educators to promote the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of diverse working professionals.

Our courses emphasize personalized coaching strategies that support sustainable lifestyle changes alongside employee engagement. This specialization is ideal for students seeking to integrate coaching and employee wellness into careers in organizational development, healthcare, or public health.

Career Opportunities

This specialization prepares students for careers in a variety of fields, including the corporate/private sector, healthcare organizations, the insurance industry, educational institutions, and consulting and wellness services. Completion of this program may lead to roles such as:

Corporate wellness coordinator
Health coach (individual or group settings)
Employee assistance program (EAP) specialist
Human resources wellness consultant
Organizational health promotion strategist

Request Brochure

To learn more about the University of Florida’s Online Master of Science in Health Education and Behavior and download a free brochure, fill out the fields below. You can also call (352) 662-3395 to speak to an enrollment specialist.

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Course List

Students in the Employee Wellness and Health Coaching specialization complete nine credit hours of coursework, which covers the M.S. in HEB’s elective requirement. Courses include HSC6695, HSC5135, and one of the following: HSC5576, HSC5925 or HSC6935.

HSC 6695 Worksite Health Promotion

This course explores considerations in planning, implementing, and evaluating comprehensive health education and health promotion programs at the worksite, including health risk appraisal, program design, and special educational strategies appropriate for the occupational setting.

HSC5135 Emotional Health Education

This course is designed to introduce students to theories of emotion, behavior change, and health counseling, as well as their practical applications. The course examines factors influencing the development and maintenance of emotional health, as well as strategies for incorporating positive mental health practices into health education/promotion programming, and health counseling.

Choose one of the following:

HSC5576 Nutrition Education For Special Populations

The purpose of this course is to provide students with an overview of assessing nutrition information needs for selected population groups. Planning, implementing, and evaluating nutrition education programs for special populations and settings will also be covered.

HSC5925 Determinants of Obesity

This course will examine the causes of obesity from a variety of perspectives. We will consider biological, psychological, social, environmental, and policy-related causes. We will also consider interventions to prevent and treat obesity with an emphasis on the assumptions of the intervention on causes and maintaining factors for obesity.

HSC6935 Physical Activity & Community Health

This interdisciplinary course examines the role of physical activity in promoting community health and preventing chronic disease. Students will explore population-level trends in physical activity, methods for measuring activity, and the evidence supporting its impact on health outcomes. Emphasis is placed on identifying and evaluating strategies for community-based interventions across diverse settings, including schools, workplaces, and faith-based organizations. Despite widespread recommendations, physical activity levels remain low among U.S. adults and children—highlighting the urgent need for innovative, inclusive approaches to increase engagement and improve public health.

Ready to learn more?

Download our program brochure, and visit our curriculum, FAQ and faculty pages for more information.