Health Behavior and Health Education

A Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university and the completion of a minimum of 3 hours of course work from each of the following areas (total of 9 hours):

• Theory & Methods of Health Behavior and Health Education and/or Health Promotion
• Statistics
• Behavioral Sciences

Courses completed at another college or university may be used to satisfy part or all of the prerequisites. These courses should be completed prior to beginning graduate study in Health Behavior and Health Education. Such courses may not be used to fulfill the required courses for a graduate degree.

Individuals admitted without these prerequisite courses must fulfill this requirement in their first year by taking the appropriate courses either in residence or by advanced standing examination at The University of Texas at Austin. It is the policy of the Graduate Studies Committee that all courses taken to fulfill prerequisite requirements be taken on a letter grade basis.

After entering the program, the student should download the Prerequisites Form or obtain a copy from the Graduate Program Coordinator in Bellmont 722B. The completed form should be submitted to the Faculty Advisor for approval before it is submitted to the Graduate Program Coordinator.

Year 1

Fall

• HED 395: Theories of Health Behavior
• HED 386: Research Methods
• EITHER HED 311: Introduction to Health Promotion and Behavioral Science (ONLY for students who do not have a Health Promotion prerequisite) OR any Faculty Advisor-approved HED course (for students who have met the HED prerequisite)

Spring

• HED 395: Foundations of Epidemiology
• Elective Course
• Elective Course

Summer

• Elective Course (for students who enrolled in the Introduction to Health Promotion and Behavioral Science prerequisite)

Year 2

Fall

• HED 395: Planning Health Promotion Programs
• EITHER Elective OR HED 698A: Thesis
• Elective Course

Spring

• EITHER HED 697P: Internship OR HED 698B: Thesis
• Elective Course

Health Behavior and Health Education graduate programs focus theory-driven research utilizing a variety of quantitative and qualitative methods. Students in this program participate in research and applied opportunities within and outside the university. Content areas include research on:

• Tobacco Prevention
• HIV Risk Reduction
• Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention
• Successful Aging
• Coping with Chronic Illness
• Aggression Prevention
• “Best Practices” of Prevention Activities in Medical Care Settings
• Women’s Health
• Wellness and Resiliency
• Child and Adolescent Health
• Worksite Health Promotion
• Delivery of School-Based Interventions

The Master of Science (M.S.) program is research-oriented and offers the student an opportunity to identify and focus on specific problems related to health promotion. It also provides preparation for doctoral work in health behavior and health education. 

This program consists of four main areas of study:

• Health Behavior and Health Education Concentration Area (15 hrs)
• Electives in Health Behavior and Health Education (9 hrs)
• Supporting Work Outside the Department (6 hrs)
• Thesis: HED 698A and HED 698B (6 hrs)

Health Behavior and Health Education Concentration Area (15 hrs) 

• HED 395 Theories of Health Behavior*
• HED 395 Foundations of Epidemiology*
• HED 395 Planning Health Promotion Programs
• HED 386 Research Methods: Applied Research Techniques*
• HED 395 Faculty Advisor-Approved Course

*These courses should be taken during the first year in the program.

Electives in Health Behavior and Health Education (9 hrs)  

Students will select three electives such as those courses indicated below. The student should attempt to select a sequence that meets his/her interests and career direction. The student’s Faculty Advisor must approve selections. The following courses are indicated as examples.

• HED 395 Child and Adolescent Health Psychology
• HED 395 Adult Development, Aging and Health
• HED 395 Impact of Marketing on Public Health
• HED 395 Risk and Resilience in Children and Adolescents
• HED 395 Social Determinants of Health
• HED 395 Physical Activity & Public Health Practice
• HED 395 Exercise and Mental Health
• HED 395 Cognitive Exercise Across the Lifespan
• HED 395 Research Ethics

Supporting Work Outside the Department (6 hrs)  

One of the elective courses must be a graduate statistics course which should be selected with the guidance of the student’s Faculty Advisor. Depending upon the student’s background, an undergraduate statistics course or a prerequisite course may be necessary.

The second elective should complement the student’s specific research interest and should be selected with the guidance of the Faculty Advisor.

Thesis (6 hrs): HED 698A and HED 698B 

The Master’s of Science degree requires students to focus on research in the form of a thesis. The research project for a master’s thesis should be of the highest quality and contribute to the body of knowledge in the area of investigation. Students must enroll in HED 698A and HED 698B across the final two semesters of the program. HED 698A and 698B cannot be taken during the same semester.

The thesis may be either an original work, a part of a more comprehensive research project or an analysis of an available data set. The student should be responsible for the original, final product (data collection, analyses, etc.). Each student will prepare a concise but sound thesis proposal and present it to his/her Faculty Advisor.

Following approval, the proposal must be signed by the Faculty Advisor and filed with the Graduate Advisor prior to registration in 698B. The student may continue to modify and fine-tune their project. The final thesis must be approved by the Faculty Advisor and a second faculty member. All students must present their thesis research at the Kinesiology and Health Education Thesis Presentation Day.

The M.Ed. degree program is a practical degree in Health Behavior and Health Education. This program focuses on coursework and a student internship that prepares students for a career when they graduate. This program consists of four main areas of study:

• Health Behavior and Health Education Concentration Area (15 hrs)
• Electives in Health Behavior and Health Education (9 hrs)
• Supporting Work Outside the Department (6 hrs)
• Graduate Internship: HED 697P (6 hrs)

In addition to these required courses, M.Ed. students are also required to sit for the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam (or be currently CHES certified). Students should also ensure they have completed the necessary prerequisite requirements before applying to the master’s program.

Health Behavior and Health Education Concentration Area (15 hrs)

• HED 395 Theories of Health Behavior*
• HED 395 Foundations of Epidemiology*
• HED 395 Planning Health Promotion Programs
• HED 386 Research Methods: Applied Research Techniques*
• HED 395 Faculty Advisor-Approved Course

*These courses should be taken during the first year in the program.

Electives in Health Behavior and Health Education (9 hrs)  

Students will select three electives such as those courses indicated below. The student should select a sequence that meets his/her interests and career direction. The student’s Faculty Advisor must approve selections. The following courses are indicated as examples.

• HED 395 Child and Adolescent Health Psychology
• HED 395 Adult Development, Aging and Health
• HED 395 Impact of Marketing on Public Health
• HED 395 Risk and Resilience in Children and Adolescents
• HED 395 Social Determinants of Health
• HED 395 Physical Activity & Public Health Practice
• HED 395 Exercise and Mental Health
• HED 395 Cognitive Exercise Across the Lifespan
• HED 395 Research Ethics

Supporting Coursework Outside the Department (6 hrs)  

Students will also take classes outside of the department to achieve a multidisciplinary approach to Health Education. Ideally, the two courses should represent a sequence in one department or a sequence in a specific content area (e.g., demography, organization change, survey research and evaluation, child and adolescent development, nutrition, and adult learning).

Sequences can be developed depending upon the student’s interests. The courses are chosen under the supervision of the student’s Faculty Advisor.

Graduate Internship: HED 697P (6 hrs)

The 20-hour-per-week internship is taken in the final semester after the completion of all coursework. This experience gives students the opportunity to apply their cumulative knowledge and skills from their program. The internship provides a supervised practical opportunity to work in a community, school, worksite or health care setting. Each internship is supervised by the student’s Faculty Advisor, as well as an onsite supervisor. The internship begins the first day of the semester and continues until the last day of classes. 

Each student works to complete the required Internship Notebook,  which is due to the Faculty Advisor on the last day of class.

The M.Ed. program concludes with a demonstration of their experience during the Health Internship Presentation Day. Other graduate students and faculty will have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss their experiences.

Graduates of the Health Behavior and Health Education master’s degree programs (M.S. and M.Ed.) enjoy a variety of job opportunities at health departments, worksite health promotion programs, government agencies, voluntary health agencies, health care organizations, and other settings.

Students who conducted research in the M.S. program are also prepared to pursue a Ph.D. in Health Behavior and Health Education or a related field. With a doctoral degree, graduates are prepared for a career in academic and research careers.

Credentialing became available for health education in 1990 and health education is now listed on the federal government’s list of health occupations, further opening the field. For more information on credentialing visit the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, inc. Promotion for a healthy lifestyle has become a greater public concern over the past few decades. Organizations such as the American Public Health Association and the Texas Public Health Association work to educate the public and strengthen the public health profession.

Exercise & Sport Psychology Laboratory
Develops interventions to increase physical activity and health eating, and seeks to understand the benefits of exercise for mental health.

Kinetic Kidz
Examines the correlation between metabolic risk factors and cognitive health in children and young adults to determine how those factors may affect future health.

Migration and Health Lab
Focuses on better understanding how migration-related factors influence vulnerability to substance abuse and related harms among Latino communities in the US and Mexico.

Prevention Research Lab
Examines how the marketing of unhealthy products impacts youth and young adults’ behaviors. Explores how risk behaviors may co-occur among adolescents and young adults.

Stress Adaptation and Health Resilience
Focus areas include diabetes self-management interventions, the role of positive emotions in reducing depressive symptoms, and the relationship between chronic psychosocial stress and metabolic health.

Tobacco Research and Evaluation Team
Conducts research on youth and young adult tobacco use, and develops effective tobacco prevention programs and intervention tools that are easily accessible for various populations.

• National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, INC (NCHEC)
• American Public Health Association (APHA)
• UT Austin Graduate School