Master's
MSPH with a Concentration in Health Promotion and Behavior
Health educators (also known as Health Education Specialists), using health promotion principles, assist individuals and communities in the adoption and maintenance of healthy lifestyles. The Health Promotion and Behavior concentration prepares students as health educators to collect and analyze data to identify diverse community needs prior to planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating community level health promotion programs; communicate health and health promotion needs; and plan, implement and evaluate health promotion programs using ethical standards and theoretical frameworks and models. Students engage in the social and behavioral aspects of public health and the prevention of health-related problems and conditions to create multi-level interventions that positively impact health at the individual, group, organizational and community levels.
Through the curriculum, students acquire relevant theoretical and practical knowledge in diverse fields such as the social and behavioral sciences, health communication, educational theory and design, and community organization. Students who complete a degree in Health Promotion and Behavior are eligible to sit for the national Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) examination.
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Students are guided by faculty mentors into various internships and applied practice experiences based on their interests and available opportunities in the community. Designated community-engaged learning courses provide students with the opportunity to apply their skills as they learn them, such as needs assessments, program planning, implementation, and evaluation.
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Health Education Specialists serve in a variety of settings and can use appropriate educational strategies and methods to facilitate the development of policies, procedures, interventions, and systems conducive to the health of individuals, groups, and communities. Health education specialists can be found in a variety of settings, including:
- Hospitals/Healthcare Systems/Clinics
- Schools (K-12)
- Universities
- Federal Government agencies
- Private industry/business
- Non-profits
Health education specialists work with individuals, families, and communities, as well as public and private organizations to create, implement, oversee, and analyze programs and strategies that promote health and well-being.
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To learn more, please contact a Pre-Admissions Advisor at (813) 974-6505 or preadmissions@usf.edu