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Welcome to the College of Health, Education and Social Transformation

The College of Health, Education, and Social Transformation was established in 2021 to serve students, faculty, and staff whose efforts are aimed at improving individual, societal, and policy outcomes. The college was formed by combining the previous College of Education and College of Health and Social Services, as well as the Department of Sociology from the College of Arts & Sciences.

The College of HEST mission is to pursue social change and transformation through education, research and outreach. Our vision is to be collaborators and leaders in the discovery of innovative solutions in health, education and social sciences that lead to social transformation in New Mexico and beyond. 

Let HEST lead you to your future! Learn more about our Academic Units below! 

Students in innoventure program
School of Nursing
School of Nursing ▸

The School of Nursing offers a range of programs from the Bachelor of Science in Nursing to the Doctor of Nursing Practice.

Students in innoventure program
School of Teacher Preparation, Administration & Leadership
School of Teacher Preparation, Administration & Leadership ▸

TPAL is devoted to the preparation of master educators, administrators and leaders for public, private and governmental institutions. Creating teachers, educational leaders, university professors and more.

Students in innoventure program
School of Social Work
School of Social Work ▸

The School of Social Work’s CSWE accredited masters and bachelors educational programs are designed to prepare students for ethical and evidence-informed professional social work practice.

Students in innoventure program
Kinesiology
Kinesiology ▸

Offering programs in athletic training, dance, kinesiology and K-12 PE, the department of kinesiology seeks to advance the science, practice and art of human movement.

Students in innoventure program
Public Health Sciences
Public Health Sciences ▸

Home to the only program in the state that is preparing public health educators at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Offering a nationally approved undergraduate degree in community health education and an accredited masters in public health degree specializing in Health Behavior, Health Promotion and Health Management, Administration, and Policy.

Students in innoventure program
Counseling & Educational Psychology
Counseling & Educational Psychology ▸

CEP promotes social justice advocacy as well as preparing paraprofessionals in clinical mental health counseling, school psychology, counseling psychology and clinical psychopharmacology.

Students in innoventure program
Communications Disorders
Communications Disorders ▸

The Communication Disorders Program is dedicated to excellence and best practices for delivering speech, language, hearing, cognitive, and swallowing services to diverse populations.

Students in innoventure program
Sociology
Sociology ▸

The department of sociology offers specializations in Race/Ethnicity, Inequality, Capitalism, Social Movements, Big Data, Environmental Sociology and Popular Culture. Named #1 in the U.S. for the most affordable online master’s degree in 2020.

Students in innoventure program
Borderlands and Ethnic Studies
Borderlands and Ethnic Studies ▸

The BEST department offers programs in relational Ethnic Studies, Native American Studies, Chicana/o Studies, Decolonial Research and Palestine Studies within an expansive Borderlands framework.

Borderlands and Ethnic Studies

Inside the College of HEST 

A Message from Dean Dr. Rick Marlatt

Man with suit smiling for photo
Dr. Rick Marlatt, Dean

Welcome to the College of Health, Education, and Social Transformation. HEST is a singular college which champions a bold vision for innovative solutions in health, social sciences, and education for New Mexico and the Borderlands region. I am tremendously privileged to have been selected to serve in this important role and am grateful to the incredible leadership team, unit leads, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members who truly make HEST transformational.  

HEST serves over 2,700 undergraduates and 1,200 graduate students, supported by nearly 200 faculty and 150 staff. We are home to nine dynamic academic units, numerous impactful research and outreach centers, countless sponsored projects and research and extension partnerships serving the state and region, and essential clinical operations committed to improving the lives of southern New Mexico families.

HEST faculty and staff take great pride in NMSU’s Carnegie Classifications of Community Engagement and R-1 University status, and our many nationally accredited programs prepare future practitioners and leaders to bring expertise to their fields and create economic development for their communities.

As we gear up for the 2025/2026 academic year, I am beyond excited to help our college continue its excellence in research, teaching, and community engagement. I am incredibly proud of who we are, our contributions to NMSU’s land-grant mission, and our robust engagement with communities and students across the state and region. Our students become experts in their fields through hands-on experiential learning and the cutting-edge scholarship of our faculty. Our students graduate, get great jobs right away and become strong leaders who are difference makers. HEST is a place to get involved, to embrace an identity of strength and servingness, and to advance the aspirations of New Mexico communities and families. I hope to see you soon, and I invite you to join us in carrying out our slogan: Learn. Engage. Transform. As always, Go Aggies! 

In partnership, 

Rick

HEST student stories

Watch the videos below to take a look inside some of our student's journeys at NMSU! 


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