Master of Science in Aerospace Medicine

Eligibility

The MS in Aerospace Medicine is an intensive, 12-month, 34 credit, in-person program. Applicants must be willing to relocate to the Galveston/Houston area for the duration of the training. The MS in Aerospace Medicine program is now accepting applications from the following interdisciplinary specialties:

Audiologists (AuD)
Dentists (DDS, DMD)
Doctoral-level professionals (PhD, PsyD, and related fields)
Flight Nurses (CFRN)
Nurses (MSN, DNP, BSN with work experience)
Optometrists (OD)
Paramedics (NRP, EMT-P, EMT-B with work experience)
Pharmacists (PharmD, MS)
Physical Therapists (DPT, MPT)
Physician Assistants (MSPAS, MHS, MCHS, MPAS)
Physicians (MD, DO)
Physiologists (MS, PhD)
U.S. and international military members with documented clinical and/or research need for the MS in Aerospace Medicine
Engineering with a strong background in biology, physiology, and related sciences 
Epidemiology, biostatistics, data science with a strong background in biology, physiology, and related sciences

If you do not see your profession on this list, but feel you are qualified, please reach out. Deviations from the above will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

International equivalents to the above degrees (e.g., MBBS) will be considered on a case-by-case basis with appropriate documentation.

International applicants attending on an F-1 visa should review UTMB's visa requirements, estimated costs, and I-20 request process before applying. F-1 Visa Information for SPPH Students

Academic Study and Degree Requirements

The MS in Aerospace Medicine meets the credit hour requirements set forth by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) and the American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM). The curriculum is built around three foundational pillars:

Aerospace specialty courses

Courses in core public health knowledge areas — Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Health Policy, Environmental Health, and Social/Behavioral Sciences

Completion of a mentored capstone thesis and presentation

Curriculum

You can begin the program in either the summer or the fall. Students who start in July take their semesters in the order summer, fall, spring. Students who start in August take them in the order fall, spring, summer. The required courses are the same in both pathways — only the order of the semesters changes.

Fall Semester (15 credits)

Introduction to Epidemiology
Biostatistics and Data Management
Biostatistics Lab
Aerospace Medicine I
US Healthcare Systems (option to substitute for Approaches to Academic and Professional Writing)
Mentored Capstone Thesis

Spring Semester (10 credits)

Preventive Medicine and Behavioral Health
Environmental Medicine
Global Health Policy, Practice & Delivery
Mentored Capstone Thesis
Elective

Summer Semester (9 credits)

Principles of Aviation and Space Medicine (PASM)
Introduction to Occupational Injury
Mentored Capstone Thesis

Aerospace Medicine Specialty Content

These courses cover the full breadth of physiologic, environmental, operational, and engineering challenges facing physicians and specialists who work in aviation and space medicine. Topics include:

Accident and mishap investigation
Acoustics and vibrations
Acute care and surgery in spaceflight
Aerodynamics, orbital mechanics, and kinematics
Aerospace dentistry considerations
Aerospace forensics
Aerospace pharmacy considerations
Aerospace radiation
Atmosphere, hypoxia, and hypercarbia
Aviation (fixed and rotary wing) principles of flight and flight controls
Biomedical and systems engineering
Clinical aerospace medicine
Commercial spaceflight considerations
Emerging aerospace technology
Environmental control systems
Human factors
Human physiologic response to aviation and space environments
Human response to transient and sustained acceleration, and altered-gravity environments
Hypobaric and hyperbaric exposures, sequelae, and treatment
Immunology in spaceflight
Infectious disease prevention for spaceflight
Leadership, management, and administration
Lunar and Martian dust considerations
Medical certification
Medical operations for the flight surgeon
Medical systems
Military aerospace medicine considerations
Nutrition in spaceflight
Occupant protection and restraint systems
Operational aerospace medicine
Operational medical support in isolated and confined environments
Probabilistic risk assessment
Requirements writing
Risk assessment and management
Safety and survivability in civil aviation
Spaceflight vehicle design considerations
Spacesuit development
Spatial disorientation
Telemedicine
The flight environment
Thermal loads
Toxicology

Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) Competencies

The MS in Aerospace Medicine is designed to prepare graduates to:

Discuss the principles of aviation and space medicine to enhance health, promote safety, and improve performance of persons who work or travel in the aviation and spaceflight environment.
Identify the factors that influence the health of persons who work or travel in the aviation and spaceflight environment.
Identify adverse health outcomes and treatment options following exposure to occupational hazards.
Apply primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention approaches to disease and injury prevention for persons who work or travel in the aviation and spaceflight environment.
Evaluate environmental hazards and recommend methods to reduce exposure and mitigate risk.

For a full breakdown of tuition and program fees, see the SPPH student fee sheet.

Apply via SOPHAS