Master of Public Health in Behavioral and Community Health Sciences

The MPH program prepares students for an applied public health career. Students learn social and behavioral concepts to assess the health status of populations, develop public health interventions that are informed by social/behavioral theory, use social/behavioral science research methods to evaluate these programs as well as develop programmatic and policy recommendations for improvement, and communicate with other researchers, communities, and policymakers. The emphasis is on student learning and practicing assessment and research skills in the context of social and behavioral change at the individual, organizational, and community levels.

Careers

• preparedness training and exercise coordinator for a county health department
• director of a statewide HIV/AIDS education program
• program director with an international relief agency
• health coach for a national health insurance and medical provider
• evaluation and research director for a regional reproductive health program
• program officer for a local philanthropic foundation
• research associate with a university-based applied research team
• health promotion/education coordinator for the local office of a national prevention and advocacy organization
• director of a center for rural health
• patient services manager at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
• research and evaluation specialist for a large urban school district

Recent Essay and Thesis Titles

• Health Literacy And Clinical Preventive Behavior Among Older African Americans In Allegheny County
• Addressing the Disparity of HIV among Black MSM: A Review and Critical Discussion of the M2M Project
• A Creative Arts Approach To Learning With Youth About Bullying
• Empowering Women Through Recovery: Developing Educational Group Sessions on the Effects of Maternal Addiction on Children
• What Are Cancer Centers Advertising To The Public? A Rapid Review Of The Literature
• A Synthesis Of The Literature On The Relationship Between Food Access And Overweight And Obesity In African American Adolescents
• The Impact Of The Vaccine Supply Chain On The Socioeconomic Status Of Regions In Niger

Competencies

• Demonstrate ability to apply principles of community-based participatory research and practice to community health assessment.
• Develop quantitative and qualitative skills that can be applied to program planning and evaluation.
• Demonstrate process of planning, implementing, and evaluating programs and policies.
• Communicate in writing information to the public, to stakeholders and to policymakers.
• Apply theory to program planning and evaluation.

Requirements

• 45 credits, including coursework, practicum experience, and thesis/essay
• Foundational public health courses
• Advanced courses in health communications, program planning, and health education/health promotion theories
• On-site 200-hours public health practicum experience
• Thesis or essay research in an area of specialization

Full program information: