Chair: M. Maldonado-Molina
Graduate Coordinator: A. Mobley

Complete faculty listing by department: Follow this link.

The Department of Health Education and Behavior offers a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Health and Human Performance with a concentration in Health Behavior, a non-thesis 30-credit hour Master of Science and a 36-credit Master of Science (M.S.) in Health Education and Behavior. Requirements for the Ph.D. and M.S. degrees are given in the Graduate Degrees section of this catalog.

The Ph.D. degree program trains health behavior researchers for academic positions in federal health agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health, for postdoctoral research fellowships, and for the private sector.

The 30-credit hour, non-thesis M.S. degree program is designed for students seeking an advanced practitioner's degree. A distinctive feature of this option allows students to choose a minimum of 15 credit hours of major elective coursework that matches their interests with faculty expertise to plan a program that achieves their professional goals. The degree prepares health promotion specialists to work in local, state, and federal health agencies, nongovernmental health organizations, patient care settings, and the private sector. Full-time students can complete this M.S. option in one year. This degree may also give students unique and distinguishing training experiences when applying to professional schools such as law, medicine, physician assistant, dentistry, chiropractic, osteopathy, nursing, occupational therapy, and physical therapy.
The 36-credit hour project in lieu of thesis, and the 36-credit hour thesis options are designed for students interested in developing research skills through conducting evaluation projects and empirical studies, as well as pursuing advanced graduate study, particularly the doctoral degree. Students typically can complete these options in about 4 semesters.
The Department also offers an accelerated B.S./M.S. program in Health Education and Behavior to enable students to receive both B.S. and M.S. degrees with a reduction of 12 credits (about one semester of course work).

Students who complete a graduate degree program in the Department of Health Education and Behavior acquire a range of skills required to research, plan, implement, and evaluate health promotion policies and programs aimed at improving the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities. Specific skills include:

• Conducting needs and capacity assessments to identify health priorities
• Planning, implementing, and evaluating health promotion policies and programs
• Conducting research on questions associated with determinants of health, as well as health promotion policies and programs
• Administering and managing health promotion programs
• Advocating for health promotion policies and programs in schools, communities, health care facilities, and worksites
• Developing social marketing and health communication messages and campaigns
• Researching and developing social media and new media-based health promotion applications
• Serving as a resource person for health information and referrals
• Using a variety of teaching-learning strategies appropriate to the target audience and setting
• Writing scholarly and professional articles
• Working collaboratively with public and private agencies, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and the private sector to achieve the goal of a healthier population.

This degree prepares the health promotion specialists and health behavior scientists to work in:

• Local, state, and federal health, education and social agencies
• Nongovernmental health organizations
• Schools and universities
• Healthcare settings
• Private sector

Sample position titles for individuals with this degree include:

• Health education specialist
• Health promotion specialist
• Public health adviser or public health analyst
• Health promotion coordinator or health promotion consultant
• Campus health educator or patient health educator,
• Health communication specialist
• Wellness specialist
• Wellness promotion coordinator
• Prevention specialist

For additional information, visit http://www.heb.hhp.ufl.edu.