MPH in Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior
Health promotion is where behavior change, community engagement and public health action come together. In USC’s MPH in Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior program, students will learn how to identify the factors that influence health, engage communities to address these factors, plan, implement and evaluate evidence-based programs and interventions, advocate for those in need through social action and policy change and communicate effectively across diverse populations.
The online format is especially well suited for students who are unable to attend classes on campus but want a practice-focused MPH grounded in community health, behavior change and applied public health leadership.
This program is for those who want to work directly with communities, promote healthy lifestyles, understand and change health behaviors, create, implement and evaluate health promotion programs, conduct research and make a meaningful impact on public health through work in government agencies, nonprofit organizations, research institutions, healthcare systems, and community health organizations. 3
What You’ll Study
Students will build the knowledge and skills to address complex public health challenges using evidence-based program planning frameworks and strategies that promote healthy lifestyles and improve population health. Students will develop a deep understanding of the social, behavioral, environmental and structural factors that influence health outcomes, and learn to apply behavioral change theories and models, develop, implement, and evaluate multi-level health promotion programs, engage partners and key stakeholders across various sectors, and advance healthcare access and health equity.
Curriculum
The MPH in Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior is a 45-credit-hour program that includes the public health core, HPEB core, cognates/electives courses, a 5-credit experiential applied practice experience and a comprehensive exam.
View the full curriculum in the Graduate Academic Bulletin: Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, M.P.H.
Admissions
Applicants for the MPH program apply through SOPHAS.
Learn about complete admission requirements: Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior Application Requirements
Where our Grads Work
Graduates are prepared for professional careers planning, implementing and evaluating health promotion and education programs in a variety of practice settings, in positions such as health educator, wellness specialist, health programs manager, evaluation coordinator and more. Our alumni work for S.C. Department of Public Health, Medical University of South Carolina, University of South Carolina, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina and others.
Graduate Assistantships
A graduate assistantship is a part-time position that allows graduate students to work in a variety of roles, depending on the source of funding.
Graduate assistants may be hired by a faculty member to support research on a grant-funded project or by a department to assist with clerical, administrative or other program-related duties.
Graduate assistants must be enrolled as full-time students. Assistantships are typically classified as quarter-time, which is 10 hours per week, or half-time, which is 20 hours per week.
Tuition
Tuition and fees are subject to change and vary based on enrollment status and residency. Students are encouraged to explore financial aid options, scholarships and assistantships to help support their education. Learn more from the Office of Graduate Student Services.
FAQ
Yes. The MPH is designed for students who want to become practitioners in health departments, schools, and worksite or community settings.
The program requires 45 credit hours.
GRE scores are optional.
Yes. USC offers an online MPH in Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior in a completely online, asynchronous format.
Applicants for the MPH program apply through SOPHAS.
Request Information
Learn more about the MPH in Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior.