Competency-Based Education in Health Professions
Our health professions programs are founded upon best practices and integrate academic excellence with rigorous practical and experiential preparation. Clinical and fieldwork-based education provides professional role modeling, direct observation and deliberate feedback, patient and client care, and competency development in various settings and contexts.
The core components of our health professions programs are:
- Cultural Humility
- Clinical and Critical Reasoning
- Patient and Client Centeredness
- Ethical and Compassionate Care
- Evidence-Informed Practice
- Interprofessional Education and Collaboration
Clinical Experience by Department
Behavior Analysis
You will receive comprehensive training on the science of behavior, research methods, evidence-based clinical applications, and ethical service delivery across broad domains of research and practice. Our interactive curriculum, experiential learning, and supervised student research requirements will help you become a scientist practitioner, preparing you for clinical and leadership roles post-graduation.
Nutrition
The Nutrition department offers abundant research and clinical experience opportunities, and our applied training requirements exceed most peer programs. You will learn through simulation, bench-lab training, and clinical skills practice with actual patients in acute care settings.
Physical Therapy
Clinical experiences are planned to coincide with your coursework and level of expertise. As you progress through the clinical education program, you will manage increasingly complex patients in different contexts with increased independence and confidence.
Public Health
We offer the opportunity to participate in internships, service-learning, and research opportunities at both the undergraduate and graduate level, enhancing the in-classroom experience and allowing you to gain a deeper understanding of course concepts. Two in-person immersion courses are available for graduate students, one in Boston focused on racism, oppression, and health, and one in southern Arizona focused on immigration, health, and restoration in the borderlands.
Spotlight on Students and Alums in Health Professions
Toward a More Equitable Future of Healthcare
What are the most impactful things you have done during your graduate program at Simmons? I was drawn to the Simmons’ master of public health (MPH) program for its focus on health equity and the in-person learning experiences. Although most...
Double Shark in Behavior Analysis Examines Microaggressions
Amy Maladore ’16MS ’25PhD earned her master’s and PhD in behavior analysis from Simmons, and her research explores the use of behavior analytic concepts to increase recognition of racist behavior. We spoke to Maladore about what brought her to study behavior analysis at Simmons.
Revelations in the Lab, Rewards on the Field
Piper Kinney ’26 discusses her involvement in research and studying both neuroscience and public health give her two essential and complementary perspectives on medicine. She also reflects on being a student athlete during her time at Simmons.
Nutrition Student Featured in WCVB News
Master of nutrition and dietetics student Charlotte Hogan ’26MS was featured in the Chronicle (WCVB-TV channel 5) for a segment about eating disorders. Hogan, a former competitive swimmer who is training for the Boston Marathon, shared her full-circle recovery story.
Nutrition Alumna’s New Bakery Featured in The Boston Globe
Janet Lu ’22MS, who studied nutrition at Simmons, recently opened Fuful Bakery in Boston’s financial district.
Alumna Consults on Nutritional Goals
In recognition of National Nutrition Month, we spoke to Registered Dietitian and Food Allergy Specialist Lisa Cooperman ’23MS, who offers insight into the vital field of food allergy and developmental disability nutrition.
A Pivotal Experience in Human Anatomy for DPT Student
Emma Radlinski ’24 ’26DPT is pursuing the accelerated program in health and exercise science & physical therapy (3+3), which combines a bachelor of science in health and exercise science with a doctor of physical therapy (DPT). Now in the DPT portion of her studies, Radlinski shares what brought her to PT in the first place, and the accelerated degree.
Alumna Brings Behavior Analysis Insights to Education
Megan Breault ’13MS ’25PhD is a graduate of the Simmons University Master of Science in Behavior Analysis and Phd in Behavior Analysis. Breault presented her dissertation research at the Contemporary Developments in Behavior Analysis Virtual Conference, hosted by Simmons’ Department of Behavior Analysis in January 2026.