Department of Health Behavior (GRAD)
The Gillings School's Department of Health Behavior is the home for master of public health concentrations in health behavior, global health, health equity and social justice, as well as a dual master's degree and a doctoral degree. The department’s students develop the skills they need to be community change agents for issues that undermine public health both locally and globally, including: violence, obesity, cancer, HIV, health policy, and health disparities.
The Department of Health Behavior’s mission is to provide leadership in research, teaching, and practice to understand the social and behavioral determinants of health problems and develop effective interventions that are built on theory, scientific evidence, and respect for basic values of justice and human dignity in North Carolina, nationally, and internationally.
Master of Public Health (M.P.H.)
The UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health’s master of public health (M.P.H.) program is for people who are passionate about solving urgent local and global public health problems. With a legacy of outstanding education, cutting edge research and globally recognized leadership, the UNC Gillings School is creating the next generation of public health leaders through our integrated training program and 21st-century curriculum. The Department of Health Behavior hosts the Health Behavior, Health Equity and Social Justice (EQUITY), and Global Health concentrations.
Master’s-to-Doctoral (M.S.P.H.-Ph.D.)
The master’s-to-doctoral program (M.S.P.H.-Ph.D.) is for bachelor’s trained students seeking the Ph.D. in health behavior. Training focuses initially on acquiring master’s level core competencies in public health and health behavior, resulting in the M.S.P.H. degree. Students then complete all requirements for the Ph.D. in health behavior.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
The doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) in the Department of Health Behavior is for students with a prior M.P.H. or related master’s degree. Students are trained to lead research that will advance understanding of health-related behaviors and their determinants at all social levels as they contribute to critical public health problems. Doctoral students gain skills and knowledge in the empirical, conceptual, and theoretical foundations of the field, research methods, intervention development and evaluation, and professional development topics. Graduates apply their training to research focused on domestic and global public health problems.
Graduate Certificate in Total Worker Health®
The Department of Health Behavior and the North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center offer the Graduate Certificate in Total Worker Health® to train students from diverse disciplines to work effectively together to protect and promote workers’ health.
Carolina Graduate Certificate in Innovation for the Public Good (CIPG)
The Carolina Graduate Certificate in Innovation for the Public Good (CIPG) gives master's and doctoral students an educational pathway to explore modern change-making and practice the skills they need to help create meaningful change in the world. The certificate is sponsored by three academic units: the College of Arts and Sciences, Gillings School of Global Public Health, and the School of Education.
Courses
Numbered 400-999:
Public Health, Master's Program (M.P.H.) — Health Behavior Concentration
The Master of Public Health (MPH) concentration in Health Behavior is hosted by the Gillings School’s Department of Health Behavior (recently named the #2 best social and behavioral science program per U.S. News Rankings in 2024) and prepares students for leadership positions in public health practice. You will learn to use social and behavioral science to develop, adapt, implement and evaluate programs and policies that promote health, prevent disease and injury, foster social justice and reduce health inequities at all levels of the social ecological framework – from the individual to organizations; from communities to macro-structures and policies.
In the Health Behavior concentration, master’s students gain practical, career-relevant, on-the-ground experience through a mentored summer practicum and a capstone group project working with a community partner organization.
Course Requirements
Requirements for the M.P.H. degree in the Health Behavior concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| M.P.H. Integrated Core | ||
| SPHG 711 | Data Analysis for Public Health | 2 |
| or BIOS 600 | Principles of Statistical Inference | |
| SPHG 712 | Methods and Measures for Public Health Practice | 2 |
| or EPID 600 | Principles of Epidemiology for Public Health | |
| SPHG 713 | Systems Approaches to Understanding Public Health Issues | 2 |
| SPHG 701 | Leading from the Inside-Out | 2 |
| SPHG 721 | Public Health Solutions: Systems, Policy and Advocacy | 2 |
| SPHG 722 | Developing, Implementing, and Evaluating Public Health Solutions (MPH Comprehensive Exam administered in class) | 4 |
| M.P.H. Practicum | ||
| SPHG 703 | MPH Pre-Practicum Assignments | 0.5 |
| SPHG 707 | MPH Post-Practicum Assignments | 0.5 |
| M.P.H. Concentration | ||
| HBEH 730 | Theoretical Foundations of Health Behavior | 3 |
| HBEH 746 | Community-Led Capstone Project | 3 |
| HBEH 750 | Interpreting Health Behavior Research | 2 |
| HBEH 752 | Health Behavior Survey Methods | 2 |
| HBEH 753 | Qualitative Methods in Health Behavior | 3 |
| HBEH 772 | Planning, Implementing, and Evaluating Health Behavior Interventions | 2 |
| M.P.H. Electives | ||
| Electives (Graduate-level courses, 400+ level at Gillings, 500+ level at UNC); 9 credit hours minimum | 9 | |
| M.P.H. Culminating Experience | ||
| HBEH 992 | Master's (Non-Thesis) | 3 |
| Minimum Hours | 42 | |
Admissions
Please visit Applying to the Gillings School first for details and information. Application to the residential M.P.H. is a 2-step process. Please apply separately to (1) SOPHAS and (2) UNC–Chapel Hill (via the Graduate School application link that will be sent after completing the SOPHAS application). Visit the Graduate School Web site for more details. If you are interested in the online M.P.H., please visit the MPH@UNC website and fill out an inquiry form.
Milestones
- Master's Committee
- Master's Written Examination/Approved Substitute (Comprehensive Exam)
- Thesis Substitute (Culminating Experience)
- Residence Credit
- Exit Survey
- Master's Professional Work Experience (Practicum)
Public Health, Master's Program (M.P.H.) — Health Equity & Social Justice Concentration
Students in the interdisciplinary Health Equity and Social Justice (EQUITY) concentration will develop skills to improve population health through measuring, identifying, and intervening to eliminate health inequities and advance social justice. Students will develop an in-depth understanding of structural inequities and gain practice in assessing and devising solutions to address key health determinants. Students also will gain experience in community-centered approaches to public health practice and research.
Course Requirements
Requirements for the M.P.H. degree in the Health Equity, Social Justice, and Human Rights concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| M.P.H. Integrated Core | ||
| SPHG 711 | Data Analysis for Public Health | 2 |
| or BIOS 600 | Principles of Statistical Inference | |
| SPHG 712 | Methods and Measures for Public Health Practice | 2 |
| or EPID 600 | Principles of Epidemiology for Public Health | |
| SPHG 713 | Systems Approaches to Understanding Public Health Issues | 2 |
| SPHG 701 | Leading from the Inside-Out | 2 |
| SPHG 721 | Public Health Solutions: Systems, Policy and Advocacy | 2 |
| SPHG 722 | Developing, Implementing, and Evaluating Public Health Solutions (MPH Comprehensive Exam administered in class) | 4 |
| M.P.H. Practicum | ||
| SPHG 703 | MPH Pre-Practicum Assignments | 0.5 |
| SPHG 707 | MPH Post-Practicum Assignments | 0.5 |
| M.P.H. Concentration | ||
| ENVR 784 | Community-Driven Research and Environmental Justice | 3 |
| EPID 826 | Introduction to Social Epidemiology | 2 |
| HBEH 690 | Special Topics in Health Behavior (Translating Health Equity Methods into Practice) | 1-3 |
| HBEH 700 | Leading for Health Equity | 3 |
| HBEH 720 | Health Equity Methods | 3 |
| HBEH 746 | Community-Led Capstone Project | 3 |
| M.P.H. Electives | ||
| Electives (Graduate-level courses, 400+ level at Gillings, 500+ level at UNC); 9 credit hours minimum | 9 | |
| M.P.H. Culminating Experience | ||
| HBEH 992 | Master's (Non-Thesis) | 3 |
| Minimum Hours | 42 | |
Admissions
Please visit Applying to the Gillings School first for details and information. Application to the residential M.P.H. is a 2-step process. Please apply separately to (1) SOPHAS and (2) UNC–Chapel Hill (via the Graduate School application link that will be sent after completing the SOPHAS application). Visit the Graduate School Web site for more details. If you are interested in the online M.P.H., please visit the MPH@UNC website and fill out an inquiry form.
Milestones
- Master's Committee
- Master's Written Examination/Approved Substitute (Comprehensive Exam)
- Thesis Substitute (Culminating Experience)
- Residence Credit
- Exit Survey
- Master's Professional Work Experience (Practicum)
Public Health, Master's Program (M.P.H.) — Global Health Concentration
Our signature philosophy is that there is no difference between global health and public health. Designed to train professionals to solve public health problems locally and globally, the Global Health concentration provides students with skills to advance the health and well-being of populations in diverse global settings. Students will gain skills in the development, implementation, and evaluation of public health programs and projects that are aligned with diverse cultures, contexts, and resources. This concentration is available only in a residential format.
Hosted by the Gillings School’s Departments of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Health Behavior, Maternal and Child Health, and Public Health Leadership Program, the Global Health concentration is designed for a broad range of professionals from a variety of disciplines who are interested in working on public health problems in resource-constrained settings outside the United States, or with foreign or vulnerable populations who face challenges to health because of similar resource constraints in the U.S. and other wealthy nations. Graduates in this concentration will be equipped to make immediate contributions to government agencies, nonprofits, private sector companies, research institutes, universities and international organizations. Students can take advantage of the many global health organizations located in the Research Triangle Park area bordering the University of North Carolina. We have close partnerships with organizations such as FHI360, RTI and CFK Africa in addition to broad contacts with health departments in North Carolina and relationships with diverse research and practice institutions worldwide. Through these connections, we will provide you with opportunities to apply knowledge gained in the classroom to real-world problems.
Course Requirements
Requirements for the M.P.H. degree in the Global Health concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| M.P.H. Integrated Core | ||
| SPHG 711 | Data Analysis for Public Health | 2 |
| or BIOS 600 | Principles of Statistical Inference | |
| SPHG 712 | Methods and Measures for Public Health Practice | 2 |
| or EPID 600 | Principles of Epidemiology for Public Health | |
| SPHG 713 | Systems Approaches to Understanding Public Health Issues | 2 |
| SPHG 701 | Leading from the Inside-Out | 2 |
| SPHG 721 | Public Health Solutions: Systems, Policy and Advocacy | 2 |
| SPHG 722 | Developing, Implementing, and Evaluating Public Health Solutions (MPH Comprehensive Exam administered in class) | 4 |
| M.P.H. Practicum | ||
| SPHG 703 | MPH Pre-Practicum Assignments | 0.5 |
| SPHG 707 | MPH Post-Practicum Assignments | 0.5 |
| M.P.H. Concentration | ||
| ENVR 779 | Project Management and Implementation | 3 |
| HBEH 780 | Mixed Methods for Global Health | 3 |
| HBEH 782 | Professional Development for Global Health | 1 |
| MHCH 723 | Monitoring and Evaluation of Global Health Programs | 3 |
| MHCH 780 | Cultural Humility | 2 |
| PUBH 711 | Critical Issues in Global Health | 3 |
| M.P.H. Electives | ||
| Electives (Graduate-level courses, 400+ level at Gillings, 500+ level at UNC); 9 credit hours minimum | 9 | |
| M.P.H. Culminating Experience | ||
| ENVR 992 | Master's Technical Report | 3 |
| or SPHG 992 | Master's (Non-Thesis) | |
| Minimum Hours | 42 | |
Admissions
Please visit Applying to the Gillings School first for details and information. Application to the residential M.P.H. is a 2-step process. Please apply separately to (1) SOPHAS and (2) UNC–Chapel Hill (via the Graduate School application link that will be sent after completing the SOPHAS application). Visit the Graduate School Web site for more details. If you are interested in the online M.P.H., please visit the MPH@UNC website and fill out an inquiry form.
Milestones
- Master's Committee
- Master's Written Examination/Approved Substitute (Comprehensive Exam)
- Thesis Substitute (Culminating Experience)
- Residence Credit
- Exit Survey
- Master's Professional Work Experience (Practicum)
Health Behavior, Doctoral Program (Ph.D.)
In the Doctor of Philosophy in Health Behavior program, students are trained to lead research that will advance understanding of health-related behaviors and their determinants at all social levels as they contribute to critical public health problems. Doctoral students gain skills and knowledge in the empirical, conceptual and theoretical foundations of the field, research methods, intervention development and evaluation and professional development topics. Graduates apply their training to research focused on domestic and global public health problems.
Course Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Public Health Foundation Courses | ||
| SPHG 600 | Introduction to Public Health 1 | |
| Core Courses | ||
Theoretical Foundations | ||
| HBEH 815 | Foundations of Health Behavior I | 3 |
| HBEH 816 | Foundations of Health Behavior II | 3 |
| One Advanced Theory Course 2 | 3 | |
Research Methods | ||
| HBEH 760 | Research Methods with Health Behavior Applications I | 3 |
| HBEH 761 | Applied Statistical Methods in Health Behavior Research I | 3 |
| HBEH 762 | Applied Statistical Methods in Health Behavior Research II | 3 |
| HBEH 763 | Scale Development Methods | 3 |
| HBEH 860 | Research Proposal Development | 3 |
| One Advanced Methods Course 2 | 3 | |
Interventions | ||
| HBEH 811 | Development and Evaluation of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Interventions | 3 |
| One Advanced Interventions Course 2 | 3 | |
Professional Development | ||
| HBEH 812 | Professional Development for Doctoral Students I | 2 |
| HBEH 813 | Professional Development for Doctoral Students II | 1 |
| Electives | ||
| Electives must be graduate-level courses. Students are encouraged to choose electives in HB and other departments, take additional advanced methods courses, and select courses that reflect their substantive interests. | 10 | |
| Thesis/Substitute or Dissertation | ||
| HBEH 994 | Doctoral Research and Dissertation | 6 |
| Minimum Hours | 52 | |
- 1
Students without a prior bachelor’s or masters degree from an accredited school of public health must take the 3-credit SPHG 600/FLO course before the completion of the 4th semester and before the written comprehensive exam. These 3 credits do not count towards the 52 credit minimum for graduation.
- 2
Advanced courses must be graduate-level courses offered in Health Behavior or in other departments.
Milestones
The following list of milestones (non-course degree requirements) must be completed; view this list of standard milestone definitions for more information.
- Doctoral Committee
- Doctoral Oral Comprehensive Exam
- Doctoral Written Exam
- Prospectus Oral Exam
- Advanced to Candidacy
- Dissertation Defense
- Doctoral Dissertation Approved/Format Accepted
- Residence Credit
- Exit Survey
- Doctoral Professional Work Experience (Primary Practicum - researched focused)
- Doctoral Professional Work Experience (Secondary Practicum - focus determined by student/advisor)
Professors
Clare Barrington, Global Health, Infectious Diseases, Minority Health, Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Noel Brewer, Biases in Health Decisions, Health Communication, Decision Making, Cancer Prevention and Control
Melissa Gilkey, Adolescent Health, Cancer Prevention, Health Services Research, Barriers to Vaccination
Vivian Go, Global Health, Opiates, HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Substance Abuse, Violence Prevention
Shelley Golden, Public Policies and Health Behavior, Tobacco Policy, Place-Based Health
Laura Linnan, Applied Research in Worksites and Other Community-Based Settings, Multiple Risk Factor Behaviors, Organizational Change
Suzanne Maman, HIV/AIDS, Global Health, Associations Between HIV and Violence
Deborah Tate, Obesity, Computer/Internet Interventions, Health Communication
Associate Professors
Lynn White Blanchard, Research Around Public Service (Including Community Partnerships and Collaborations), Program Evaluation, Service Learning
Liz Chen, Adolescent Health, Design Thinking, Technology
Melissa Cox, Adolescent Health, Alcohol Use, Place-Based Health
Carolyn Crump, Worksite Health Promotion and Evaluation, Program Planning, Management
Marissa Hall, Cancer Prevention Policy, Chronic Disease, Obesity Prevention
Lauren Hill, HIV/AIDS, Global Health
Larissa Jennings Mayo-Wison, Adolescent Health, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Economic/Mobile Health Interventions
Megan Ellenson Landfried, Community Engagement, Culturally Relevant Interventions
Alexandra Lightfoot, Community-Based Participatory Research, Health Disparities, Healthy Choices and Behaviors to Support the Growth and Development of Youth, Educational Inequities
Sarah Mills,Racial/Ethnic and Socioeconomic Disparities in Tobacco Use, Tobacco-Related Disease
K. Elizabeth (Beth) Moracco, Women's Health, Violence Against Women, Evaluation Research
Patsy Polston, Community Engagement, Health Inequities
H. Luz McNaughton Reyes, Adolescent Health, Reproductive Health, Global Health
Nora Rosenberg, HIV/AIDS, Adolescent Health, Global Health, Women's Health, Sexual Behavior
Assistant Professors
Dane Emmerling, Pedagogy, Health Equity
Yesenia Merino, Health Equity, Community Engagement, Pedagogy
Natalicio Serrano, Physical Activity, Neighborhood Environments, Health Equity
Deshira Wallace, Cardiovascular Disease, Type 2 Diabetes, U.S. Latin and Latin American Health
Adjunct Professors
Delesha Carpenter, Chronic Disease Self-Management, Patient-Provider Communication, Social Support
Edwin Fisher, Social Support, Mental Health
Kristie Foley
Vangie Foshee, Adolescent Violence Prevention
Adam Goldstein, Tobacco Intervention
Carol Golin, HIV
Nisha C. Gottfredson O'Shea, Substance Use
Jim Herrington
Phan Thi Thu Huong
Shawn Kneipp, Health of Disadvantaged Populations; Welfare Policy, Employment, and Women’s Health
Leslie Lytle, Diet and Nutrition
Tonia Poteat, HIV, LGBTQ Health
Kurt Ribisl, Tobacco Control Policy, Built Environment and Health, Cancer Prevention and Control
Carol Runyan, Injury Control, Violence Prevention, Worksite Injury Prevention
Paschal Sheeran, Social Psychology, Health Behavior Change
Arjumand Siddiqi, Social Epidemiology, Children's Health and Development, Social Policy and Health
Celette Skinner, Cancer Screening, Cancer Genetics, Tailored Interventions
Deborah Stroman, Diversity and Inclusion, Sport Business, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Leadership Development
Adjunct Associate Professors
Stephanie Baker, Racial Inequities in Cancer Care Treatment
Johanna Birckmayer, Health Policy, Tobacco Control
Felicia Browne, HIV Behavioral Intervention
M. Justin Byron, Health Communication, Tobacco Control
Susan Gaylord, Alternative Therapies and Integrative Health Care, Aging, Health Beliefs and Care Pathways
Jennifer Gierisch, Cancer Prevention/Control, Health Communication, Chronic Disease Management, Mental Health, Tobacco Use Prevention/Control, Women's Health
Abigail Hatcher, Violence Prevention, Mental Health
Andrea Knittel
Manish Kumar
Kathryn Lancaster
Kathryn Pollak, Patient-Physician Communication, Smoking Cessation, Health Disparities
Wizdom Powell, Men's Health, Population Health Disparities, Social and Health Behavior Theory
Brian Southwell, Health Communication
Anna Waller, Injury Prevention and Control, Data System Users (especially Database Design), Emergency Department Data and Surveillance
Adjunct Assistant Professors
Deborah Baron, Global Health
Betsy Barton
Becca Bender
Amrita Bhowmick, Health Care Marketing
Maribel Borger
Marcy Boynton, Novel Applications of Intensive Repeated Measures Designs, Health Communication, Effect of Stress and Coping Processes on Health Decision-Making
Stacey Cutbush Starseed
Dirk Davis
Venita Embry, Violence Prevention
Vichi Jagannathan, Adverse Childhood Experiences, Design Thinking
Maija Leiff, Carolina Collaborative for Research on Work and Health (CCRWH)
Christina Leos
Kathleen MacQueen, Social, Behavioral, and Ethical Aspects of Biomedical HIV Prevention Trials; Vaccines, Microbicides and PrEP
Emily Mangone
Derrick Matthews
David McCoy, American Indian Health, Health Care of Rural and Minority Populations, Budgetary and Policy Aspects of the Delivery of Health Care
Kyle McQuillan
Allison Myers, Tobacco Control, Public Health Policy, Health Equity
Robert Pleasants, Injury Prevention and Control
Tara Licciardello Queen, Tobacco Control, Quantitative Analysis
English Sall, Organizational Development and Metrics and Evaluation for Social Impact and Humanitarian Aid
Kevin Smith
Pamela Trangenstein, Alcohol Use, Place-Based Health
Tran Viet Ha
Naya Villarreal, Global Health
Maihan Vu, Qualitative Research, Adolescent Health, Obesity and Physical Activity
Michael Yonas, Qualitative Research, Participatory Research Approaches, Social Determinants of Health
Susannah Zietz
Adjunct Instructors
Elizabeth French, Patient Advocacy, Professional Development
Sally Herndon, Health Policy, Tobacco Use Prevention/Control
Ingrid Morris, Health Policy, Health Promotion, Obesity Prevention
Allison Pack
Katherine Turner, International Women's Health, Education and Training, Sexual and Reproductive Health Education and Counseling, Cultural Competency (Especially on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health)
Professors Emeriti
Karl Bauman
Brenda DeVellis
Robert DeVellis
Geni Eng
Susan Ennett
John W. Hatch
Elizabeth Mutran
Barbara K. Rimer
Allan Steckler
Department of Health Behavior
