Social and Behavioral Sciences Concentration
SBS Concentration
Social and Behavioral Sciences is an elective concentration of the MPH program for students who wish to apply social and behavioral sciences theory and methods to the study, practice, and thought of public health. Skills such as survey research, statistics, behavioral measurement, ethnography, quality-of-life assessment, community-based participatory research, and cost-effectiveness analysis are stressed.
The focus of the SBS concentration is on research and application of knowledge concerning the relationships among:
- social, cultural, and behavioral processes
- health and illness
- what society does and can do to promote health and prevent illness
Graduates who complete the concentration will have the background and skills to pursue careers in either research or in public health practice.
Students electing to pursue the Social and Behavioral Science MPH Concentration must satisfy the General MPH Requirements for the School of Public Health and Department of Health Services as well as the additional requirements listed below.
Social and Behavioral Sciences Concentration Additional Requirements
Effective Autumn 2018
HSERV 514
Social Determinants of Population Health and Health Disparities
HSERV 507
Health Communication and Marketing for Health Promotion: Theory and Practice
HSERV 521
Qualitative Methods in Health Services Research
HSERV 522
Health Program Evaluation
HSERV 523
Advanced Health Services Research Methods I - Large Public Databases; Big Data
HSERV 524
Advanced Health Services Research Methods II - Hierarchical and Incomplete Data
HSERV 525
Advanced Health Services Research Methods III - Causal Inference Using Observational Data
HSERV 527
Survey Research Methods
HSERV 578
Preparing, Writing, and Critiquing Scientific Research Proposals
HSERV 584
Assessing Outcomes in Health and Medicine
HSERV 590
Organizational Theory and Applications in the Study of Health Services
HSERV 548
Research Methods of Social and Contextual Determinants of Health
HSERV 555
Health Disparities
HSERV 572
Planning, Advocacy, and Leadership Skills
HSERV 579
Structural Racism and Public Health
HSERV 589
Community-Based Participatory Reseach
B H 509
Ethics and the Social Determinates of Health
Waivers or substitutions of the concentration requirements can be made with the approval of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Concentration Faculty Lead. Core Requirement waivers and substitutions are rare and require multiple School and Departmental approvals.