Trace S. Kershaw, Ph.D., Chair

The Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) department aims to understand and improve health equity and social justice, both domestically and globally. SBS provides instruction in the theory and methods of the social and behavioral sciences that emphasize individual, interpersonal, community, and structural influences on health, illness, and recovery. The primary emphases are focused on (1) understanding the psychosocial, behavioral, community, and societal influences on health in the general population, with a focus on those who are disadvantaged; and (2) creating multilevel interventions that eliminate barriers to health, from infancy to old age. The SBS curriculum takes an interdisciplinary approach and focuses on integrating methods from epidemiology and the social sciences, training scientists with a broad skill set that allows them to answer a host of complex research questions. The department has numerous research strengths including in HIV/AIDS, aging health, community-engaged health research, maternal-child health, mental health, health equity and social justice, and stigma prevention and health. 

Departmental Requirements

SBS 525	Seminar in Social and Behavioral Sciences	0
SBS 526	Seminar in Social and Behavioral Sciences	0
SBS 535	Applied Community Health Data Methods	1

One of the following:
PUBH 525	Thesis	2
SBS 532	Leadership in Public Health Practice	1

One of the following:
SBS 541	Community Health Program Evaluation	1
SBS 580	Qualitative Research Methods in Public Health	1
SBS 593	Community-Based Participatory Research in Public Health	1

One of the following:
SBS 529	Foundations of Behavior Change	1
SBS 574	Developing a Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Intervention	1
SBS 640	User-Centered Design of Digital Health Tools	1

Remaining elective courses (10–11 course units) may include any course in social and behavioral sciences from across the University at level 3000 or above, with approval of course instructor and YSPH faculty adviser.

Competencies

Upon receiving an M.P.H. with a concentration in Social and Behavioral Sciences, the student will be able to:

• Describe the consequence of understanding health from multiple levels, including the individual, the social group, and society (e.g., understand a broad ecological model of health)
• Develop interventions to address health inequalities and promote health equity
• Apply social and behavioral theory in the design and implementation of prevention interventions aimed toward improving health
• Evaluate health promotion interventions
• Apply ethical principles to the collection of social and behavioral health data