Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior is an interdisciplinary field of study that can be described as the science and art of improving the public’s health through application of the social and behavioral sciences.
Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior (HPEB) professionals are concerned with improving the public’s health through use of the social and behavioral sciences. Knowledge, theories, methods and skills are used to address learning, motivation and behavior change at all levels; policy development and implementation; and program planning, implementation and evaluation.
HPEB is committed to training individuals to function in leadership roles in improving health at the individual, group, institutional, community, state and national levels. Professional preparation in HPEB includes knowledge, theories, methods and skills that address learning, motivation and behavior change at all levels; policy development and implementation; and program planning, implementation and evaluation.
Career opportunities exist in federal, state and local health departments; managed care organizations; hospitals and physicians’ offices; corporate wellness centers; community-based organizations; school districts; colleges and universities; and international organizations. Jobs in the field include district director of health education, community health educator, behavioral scientist, health communications specialist, public health educator, health promotion consultant, school health coordinator, health scientist, teacher, professor of health education and behavior, and program evaluation director.
In addition to an undergraduate minor, we offer six advanced degrees related to health promotion, education and behavior as well as a graduate certificate in health communication. Each graduate degree and certificate has specific application deadlines and requirements.
Are you an undergraduate student interested in doing research with an HPEB faculty member? Fill out this contact form for more information.
Megan Weis, associate director of outreach & program development for the South Carolina Institute of Medicine and Public Health, has been named the 2017 recipient of the Michael D. Jarrett Excellence in Customer Service Award. Weis is a two-time Arnold School alumna: DrPH and MPH in HPEB.
The USC Presidential Fellow uses both quantitative and qualitative methods to examine the core social factors driving population health inequalities in the U.S. and abroad, particularly among low-resource populations.
His research focuses on HIV prevention methods for black males, and he plans to pursue a career in academia, where he will design and implement programs to reduce the incidence of HIV for this population while teaching courses and advising students.
The MPH in HPEB professional online program’s format supported Alyssa Geis’ commitment to continue to working with Operation Smile, an international charity that provides free surgeries for children and young adults in developing countries.
HPEB associate professor Andrew Kaczynski has won a grant to advance the development of a technology system for collecting park data and engaging stakeholders in improving parks to promote health and other benefits.
Ingram has been selected to participate in Yale University’s Research Education Institute for Diverse Scholars program, which is designed to support HIV researchers from underrepresented groups meet the challenges and barriers they face.