Department of Health Promotion and Education

Graduate Program

Degree Options 

The Department of Health Promotion and Education offers a two year master's (M.S.) degree and a 3 - 4 year doctoral (Ph.D.) degree that are designed to qualify students for professional careers in health promotion and education and prevention science.

Our Graduates 

Our graduates are employed in many different types of settings, including positions as teachers in public and private schools or professors at universities and colleges, division directors and staff with county and state health departments, and research evaluators and staff with the federal government in the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) in Washington, D.C. and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta.  

Curriculum 

Graduate students complete core classes in health promotion and education and then specialize in content areas of their interest (e.g., obesity, worksite wellness, diabetes, substance abuse, women’s health, international health, etc.).  Our graduate core classes stress professional skills in research methods, program planning and evaluation, locating and culturally adapting evidence-based programs, grant writing, communication and media, and health services administration. Course work focuses on the importance of social, psychological, behavioral, spiritual, developmental, educational, and communication theories as they relate to health education practice.

Faculty 

Our graduate faculty members are nationally and internationally known primarily in the areas of resilience and family-based interventions for the prevention of substance abuse, obesity, diabetes, child abuse, physical inactivity and related health problems. We also have well known faculty who are experts in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) with our Center for Emergency Medical Service.

If you are interested in any of these areas, you will enjoy our graduate program. Alternatively, if you are more interested in a two year public health MPH degree contact the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at http://medicine.utah.edu/dfpm/programs/publichealth/index.htm .