TCC, UH-Clear Lake Launch Joint-Degree Program

Curriculum for TCC Students Starting the M.S. in Fitness and Human Performance Program in the: Fall  | Spring | Summer

Texas Chiropractic College (TCC) and University of Houston-Clear Lake are excited to announce the signing of a memorandum of understanding which establishes a joint-degree program between TCC’s Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) degree and UH-Clear Lake’s Master of Science in Fitness and Human Performance (FHP). The agreement was formally signed on March 2, 2011 and goes into effect for the fall 2011 academic term.

TCC is the first chiropractic college in the United States to develop a dual-degree graduate program in cooperation with a publicly funded university.

“This is a ground-breaking opportunity for Texas Chiropractic College and more importantly, for our students,” said TCC Senior Vice President and Provost Clay McDonald. “We couldn’t be more excited to launch our first dual degree with the nationally respected fitness and human performance program at the University of Houston-Clear Lake. This represents a tremendous opportunity for our students to increase their knowledge and marketability, and also reflects the quality of growth taking place at TCC.”

“University of Houston-Clear Lake is excited about this wonderful opportunity and new partnership with Texas Chiropractic College,” said UH-Clear Lake’s Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Carl A. Stockton. “By putting this joint-degree program in place, we are giving students at UH-Clear Lake and Texas Chiropractic College more opportunities to strengthen their educational backgrounds, which will definitely help them in their future careers.”

Current students at TCC who have earned a bachelor’s degree, received passing grades in all trimester one through five courses, and hold a TCC grade point average of 3.0 or better are eligible to apply to the joint-degree program. UH-Clear Lake’s MS program in FHP is a 36-hour program, six of which will come from TCC’s curriculum. The joint-degree program will add one trimester to TCC’s standard 10-trimester (three and one-third years) doctor of chiropractic program.

This new agreement also provides for the participation of qualified TCC students in UH-Clear Lake’s FHP certification program. The certificate is designed for individuals with a bachelor’s degree who are not seeking a master’s in fitness and human performance but do want to receive specific instruction in fitness, exercise, nutrition and human performance (this is a 12-hour program).

For current UH-Clear Lake students in the master’s program, the agreement provides for early placement should they choose to attend Texas Chiropractic College.

“The result (of this dual-degree program) will be licensed chiropractic doctors equipped with advanced knowledge and practical experience in the science of exercise prescription,” said Bill Amonette, lecturer in fitness and human performance at UH-Clear Lake. “In my opinion, this will create a better product for the patient populations that our future graduates will work with. Our program is excited to work beside TCC, a college long respected for its academic excellence and quality graduates and to team together to improve the future of health-care.”

The UH-Clear Lake Fitness and Human Performance master’s program is a part of the School of Human Sciences and Humanities. Previous graduates of the FHP program have served as strength and conditioning coaches in the NBA, NFL, MLB, collegiate programs, NASA, and for international teams. Some graduates work as exercise physiologists, scientists, health promotion coordinators, fitness specialists, personal trainers and many other jobs. Others have continued their education in physical and occupational therapy schools, chiropractic schools, physician assistant programs, Medical school, and in Ph.D. programs in related fields.

Dr. Kyle Sprecher (TCC, 1986; UHCL, 1993) was already a practicing DC when he decided to pursue UH-Clear Lake’s master’s degree. “Since I was already a doctor, I implemented what I was learning from the fitness and human performance classes into the operations of my practice. I literally took my notes (from UH-Clear Lake) into my office and used them to help my patients.”

To learn more about becoming a doctor of chiropractic at TCC and the dual-degree program, please visit www.txchiro.edu/gotcc or contact the Office of Admission at 1-800-468-6839 or 281-998-6007 or via email at admissions@txchiro.edu. For specific information about UHCL’s fitness and human performance program and the university as a whole, please visit www.uhcl.edu.

About Texas Chiropractic College
Founded in San Antonio in September 1908, TCC relocated to Pasadena in 1965 to accommodate growing enrollment. It is the fourth oldest chiropractic college in the United States and is today recognized as a leader in chiropractic education. The College’s Moody Health Center provides health services to the public, and is a model integrative health care facility featuring traditional chiropractic care, family practice by medical doctors, acupuncture and massage. Highly ranked programs, together with world-class faculty, unparalleled opportunities for hands-on training, and an uncommonly close campus family environment have earned TCC a reputation as one of the nation’s finest producers of skilled, thoughtful, and ethical Doctors of Chiropractic.

About University of Houston – Clear Lake
University of Houston-Clear Lake offers 40 undergraduate and 45 graduate degree programs, including a doctoral program, from its four schools, which include the School of Business, School of Education, School of Human Sciences and Humanities, and School of Science and Computer Engineering. For more information about the university, visit http://www.uhcl.edu.