Prevention Science
Department of Kinesiology and Health Education
Designed for
Prevention Science is ideal for students passionate about preventing disease and promoting health through education and behavior change. The program prepares students for research and applied practice careers in schools, community organizations, healthcare settings and public health agencies.
Career Objective
Our graduates are prepared for careers that advance public health through education and research. Those completing the M.S. track often pursue doctoral studies or research positions in universities and health institutions while M.Ed. graduates typically move into applied roles in schools, nonprofits, healthcare organizations and government agencies. Both tracks equip students to lead evidence-based programs and qualify for professional certifications, positioning them to influence health outcomes at local, national and global levels.
At a Glance
Program Starts: Fall
Deadline to Apply:
Priority: December 1
Final: May 1
Length of Program: 24 months
Program Location: On campus
GRE Required? No
Shaping Innovators in Prevention Science
The Prevention Science program, formerly known as Health Behavior and Health Eduction, empowers students to work with experienced faculty who provide research and and other applied studies opportunities both within and beyond the university. Our faculty create an exceptional environment for exploring curriculum and research and our graduates leave with a distinctive skill set that prepares them for impactful careers or advanced scholarly work.
Students in this program participate in research on:
- Marketing and Public Health
- Substance Use & Misuse
- Risk and Resilience
- Stress Adaptation
- Immigration & Health
- Health and Place
- Sexual Health
- Parenting and Family Relationships
- Racial/Ethnic Health Disparities
- Physical Activity
- Obesity Prevention
- Positive Youth Development
- School-Based Intervention
Program Director
Miguel Pinedo
Graduate Program Administrator
Phillip Salazar
Program Overview
Application Requirements
Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree in a related field such as public health, behavioral science or a related discipline. In addition, all applicants must have completed at least three semester hours of coursework in both behavioral sciences and statistics.
Because of a recent program name change, students applying for Fall 2026 should submit their application under the Health Behavior and Health Education program.
Program Requirements
Core Courses: 18 credit hours for both the M.Ed. and the M.S.
- PSC 390 Introduction to Prevention Science
- PSC 386 Applied Research Methods
- PSC 393 Epidemiology
- PSC 391 Theories of Change
- PSC 392 Prevention Science Across the Lifespan
- PSC 394 Community Engaged Intervention Design
Statistics
- 3 credit hours M.Ed.
- 6 credit hours M.S.
Electives
- 6 hours (M.S.)
- 9 hours (M.Ed.) (3 credit hours external to PSC)
Options include:
- PSC 395 Advanced Methods in Prevention Science
- PSC 395 Implementation Science
- PSC 395 Efficacy Trials and RCTs
- PSC 395 Social Determinants of Health and Health Inequities
- PSC 395 Research Ethics
Internship (M.Ed.) / Thesis (M.S.) 6 credit hours
What is Prevention Science?
Prevention Science is an interdisciplinary field focused on improving health and well‑being before problems occur. It brings together ideas from health, behavioral, social and developmental sciences to understand what helps people and communities thrive—and what puts them at risk.
Prevention scientists work to:
- Identify risk and protective factors that influence health and well‑being.
- Design and test interventions that promote healthy behaviors and prevent disease.
- Evaluate effectiveness using rigorous research methods, such as randomized controlled trials.
- Scale and sustain successful programs so they can be widely implemented and have lasting impact.
Depending on the research question, prevention scientists may focus on:
- Individuals and families.
- Schools, neighborhoods and communities.
- Organizations and systems, including local, state, federal or tribal agencies in both public and private sectors.
This approach recognizes that health is shaped not only by individual behavior, but also by social, environmental and institutional contexts.
Prevention Science is highly collaborative. Researchers often work in teams that may include:
- Scientists and researchers.
- Practitioners and program leaders.
- Administrators and policymakers.
- Community members and stakeholders.
Together, these groups help ensure that research is relevant, practical and responsive to real‑world needs.
Faculty
Sexual health Sexual assault IPV HIV/AIDs Hookup culture Purity culture College students
J. Mark Eddy's primary area of expertise is the development, refinement and rigorous testing of culturally informed multimodal preventive and clinical psychosocial interventions to improve physical and mental health outcomes for children and families...
Researches the social and emotional processes that shape intergroup attitudes toward migrants and advances prevention science through the design and evaluation of culturally responsive interventions.
Studies school and community-based interventions regarding physical activity, healthy eating, and the prevention of chronic disease.
Teaches from a holistic health perspective with a focus on personal health, including mental health, meditation and other stress management techniques.
Focuses on adolescent and young adult problem behavior development, and tobacco use and cessation.
Focuses on identifying factors that hinder or promote the success of children and families from vulnerable and underserved populations.
Focuses on understanding how contextual, familial, and individual-level factors influence substance use, mental health, and chronic diseases, and translating this evidence into culturally adapted, evidence-based interventions spanning a spectrum from...
Examines the relation between marketing influence on youth and young adult risk behavior such as substance use, nutrition, sleep and energy drink consumption.
My work primarily investigates how immigration policies (e.g., deportations, parental deportations) contribute to inequities in substance use, mental health, and use of treatment services among Latino populations.
My research interests and expertise center in the reduction of spatial health disparities in access to environments that enable physically active lifestyles. Specifically, my work focuses on understanding the context-specific relations between the bu...
Identity, acculturation, cultural stress, crisis migration, adolescent development, family functioning, substance use, mental health, well-being
Focuses on how individuals successfully adapt to stress and build health resilience.
Research Labs
CHeRISH Lab
Seeks to advance the development, implementation and evaluation of culturally adapted, evidence-based interventions to improve health throughout the lifespan in the U.S. and abroad.
Culture, Family & Health Laboratory
Studies how identity, culture and family processes influence mental health and psychological well-being, focusing specifically on immigrant populations, ethnic minorities and U.S. citizens’ reactions to immigration.
Exercise & Sport Psychology Laboratory
Develops interventions to increase physical activity and health eating, and seeks to understand the benefits of exercise for mental 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.
