online m.s. in health education and behavior and behaior
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ONLINE M.S. IN
Health Education and Behavior
Health Education and Behavior
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T H E 1 0 0 % O N L I N E M A S T E R O F S C I E N C E I N H E A LT H E D U C AT I O N
A N D B E H AV I O R ( H E B ) prepares current and aspiring health
sector professionals to successfully plan, implement, and
evaluate health education and promotion in clinical, public,
non-profit, and community health settings.
9 2 % C H E S ® E X A M PA S S R AT EDuring the 2020 exam cycles, 51 students/graduates took the
CHES® exam. Of these test takers, 47 passed resulting in a
92% pass rate—nearly 24% higher than the national average.
The online M.S. in HEB curriculum was developed around the areas of
responsibility as defined by the National Commission for Health Education
Credentialing (NCHEC), Inc., ensuring that students are equipped with
the competencies and skills necessary to succeed as health education
specialists. By the end of the program, students will sit for the Certified
Health Education Specialist (CHES®) Exam.
Our M.S. in HEB faculty are heavily involved in the field of health education
and promotion, and many of them are either Certified Health Education
Specialists (CHES®) or Master Certified Health Education Specialists
(MCHES®). Credentials aside, each of our faculty is invested in students’
careers and professional aspirations and often provide personalized
guidance to help them meet their goals.
T H E J O B M A R K E T F O R H E A LT H E D U C AT O R S A N D
C O M M U N I T Y H E A LT H P R O M O T E R S I S E X P E C T E D T O
G R O W 1 1 % F R O M 2 0 1 8 — 2 0 2 8 , M U C H FA S T E R T H A N T H E
N AT I O N A L AV E R A G E F O R A L L O C C U PAT I O N S .
—BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS (2018)
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Who Can BenefitThe online M.S. in Health Education and Behavior is geared to both current health educators and
aspiring professionals who are passionate about health education and promotion. They typically aim
to enhance their knowledge to advance in their careers and earn a higher salary in settings
that include:
Community health agencies
Governmental health agencies
Colleges and universities
Clinical health organizations
Businesses/worksites
G R A D U AT E S O F T H E O N L I N E M . S . I N H E B W I L L B E A B L E T O :
• Identify, define, and describe principles and
foundations of health education/promotion.
• Assess needs, assets, and capacity for
health education/promotion.
• Plan, implement, and conduct evaluation
and research related to health education/
promotion
• Administer and manage health education/
promotion programs.
• Serve as a health education/promotion
resource person.
• Communicate and advocate for health and
health education and health promotion.
• Illustrate the highest standards of conduct
and ethical behavior when making
professional decisions in accordance to
the Unified Code of Ethics for the Health
Education Profession (Coalition of National
Health Education Organizations, 2020).
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R E Q U I R E D C O U R S E S ( 1 5 C R E D I T H O U R S )
HSC 6037 P H I L O S O P H Y & P R I N C I P L E S O F H E A LT H E D U C AT I O N (3 credits)
This course covers history, philosophy, and ethics;
theories of health behavior and principles of learning;
areas of professional specialization; roles and functions
of professional health educators; certification and
continuing education; trends.
HSC 6318 P L A N N I N G H E A LT H E D U C AT I O N P R O G R A M S (3 credits)
This course covers basic principles of health
education for various community health settings
and using communication media in joint planning for
comprehensive health education.
HSC 6506 E P I D E M I O L O G Y (3 credits)
Epidemiology is one of the basic disciplines of public
health. One of the tasks of epidemiology is to unravel the
risk factors of disease at the population level. The course
will teach how to evaluate relationships between potential
risk factors and health outcomes and how causal
relationships are interpreted for public health decision
making. This course will also provide a comprehensive
understanding of sources of population data in terms of
morbidity, mortality, and other vital statistics. Scientific
methods for approaching population data and identifying
public health problems and empirical analysis of data will
be emphasized.
HSC 6603 T H E O R I E S O F H E A LT H B E H AV I O R & P R A C T I C E (3 credits)
This course covers selected health behavior theories
and applying these theories to the practice of health
education and health promotion.
HSC 6712 E VA L U AT I N G H E A LT H E D U C AT I O N P R O G R A M S (3 credits)
This course covers models and strategies for conducting
formative and summative evaluations of health education
programs.
P R O G R A M E L E C T I V E S ( 1 5 C R E D I T S )
T I E R I ( C O M P L E T E A M I N I M U M O F 6 C R E D I T S F R O M T H E C O U R S E S L I S T E D B E L O W . )
HSC 5956 W R I T I N G F O R P R O F E S S I O N A L P U B L I C AT I O N S (3 credits)
This course covers procedures and practices in scholarly
writing for health-related professional publications
including topic selection, literature searches, manuscript
preparation, and legal and ethical considerations.
HSC 6735 R E S E A R C H M E T H O D S I N H E A LT H E D U C AT I O N (3 credits)
This course is an introduction to research methods used
in health education and behavior.
HSC 6665 H E A LT H C O M M U N I C AT I O N S (3 credits)
The goal of this course is to help students understand how
the health industry operates and what role the student,
as a health practitioner and health consumer, plays in
that operation. The philosophy behind the course is that,
to understand any component of the industry, students
must understand how the components work and what
factors have shaped and continue to shape the industry.
CurriculumThe 100% online Master of Science in Health and Human Behavior (HEB) was designed by health
education specialists in the College of Health and Human Performance to equip students with the
skills and knowledge required to succeed in a range of clinical, community, and government health
settings. The online HEB core curriculum was developed around the seven areas of responsibility as
defined by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC), Inc. Students also
choose from a variety of program-specific electives — including four experiential options — that align
with their career goals and interest areas.
In addition to completing core coursework and electives, students are required to sit for the Certified
Health Education Specialist (CHES®) Exam before graduating. During the 2020 exam cycles, 51
students/graduates took the CHES® exam. Of these test takers, 47 passed resulting in a 92% pass
rate—nearly 24% higher than the national average.
During the 2020 exam cycles, 51 students/graduates took the CHES®
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T I E R I I ( C O M P L E T E A M I N I M U M O F 9 C R E D I T S F R O M T H E C O U R S E S L I S T E D B E L O W . )
HSC 5135 E M O T I O N A L H E A LT H E D U C AT I O N (3 credits)
This course is designed to acquaint students with theories
of emotion, behavior change, and health counseling as
well as their application. The course explores factors
associated with the development and maintenance of
emotional health and the means of incorporating positive
mental health practices into health education/promotion
programming and health counseling. In addition, the
course focuses on the development of a core set of health
counseling skills. The course builds a base of health
content, theory, and skills that are useful for students
interested in health careers, and, most importantly, for
the individual student’s own health.
HSC 5138 H U M A N S E X U A L I T Y E D U C AT I O N (3 credits)
The course is designed to increase students’ knowledge
of human sexuality issues, to increase students’
level of comfort with sexuality topics, and to provide
an opportunity for students to explore and clarify
their personal sexual attitudes and beliefs. Course
requirements, including class activities, emphasize
the importance of both content and process in human
sexuality education.
HSC 5925 D E T E R M I N A N T S O F O B E S I T Y (3 credits)
This course will examine the causes of obesity from
a variety of perspectives. We will consider biological,
psychological, social, environmental, and policy-related
causes. We will also consider interventions to prevent
and treat obesity with an emphasis on the assumptions
of the intervention on causes and maintaining factors for
obesity.
HSC 6235 PAT I E N T H E A LT H E D U C AT I O N (3 credits)
This course provides an introduction to theories that
apply to the practice of patient education in a variety of
health care settings. Emphasis is placed on education
for health promotion and lifestyle changes. Additionally,
this course aims to provide a critical overview of the
U.S. health care industry. This course focuses on the
role of the health educator in teaching patients to
maintain optimal health and become independent in
self-care activities. Course content addresses the basic
foundations of the health education process, the unique
needs and characteristics of learners in the patient role,
a survey of instructional strategies appropriate for health
educators (i.e., teachers) and patients (i.e., learners),
patient health literacy and its implications for health
education programming, and health education evaluation
methodology.
HSC 6575 W O M E N ’ S H E A LT H I S S U E S (3 credits)
The multi-dimensional roles of American women as
individuals, partners, mothers, nurturers, caretakers,
and career persons cause our health status to be of vital
importance. While women and men both experience
similar diseases, disorders, and causes of death, women
often experience these in different forms and at different
stages and ages in life. The primary purpose of this course
is to explore current issues in women’s health. The course
covers a broad range of health issues that are either
unique to women or of special importance to women.
Other topics include information for the health consumer,
preparation as an advocate of healthy lifestyles, and
awareness of the role health plays in the life of all women.
HSC 6595 H I V/A I D S E D U C AT I O N (3 credits)
This seminar course examines the medical, social, legal,
and educational impacts of HIV/AIDS on individuals and
society.
HSC 6629 H E A LT H P R O M O T I O N P R O G R A M S F O R P R I O R I T Y P O P U L AT I O N S (3 credits)
The course addresses health issues confronting
ethnic/racial minority groups politically as well as
socioeconomically disadvantaged in America. The course
is not intended to be a comprehensive treatment of
all pertinent health problems affecting minorities, but
addresses some of the more salient health concerns.
HSC 6646 C O M M U N I T Y I N J U R Y P R E V E N T I O N A N D C O N T R O L
The focus of the course is on unintentional injury;
however, intentional injury is briefly introduced.
Intentionality is an important component in injury
prevention and control and therefore cannot be excluded
completely. Unintentional injury is defined as an injury
that is judged to have occurred without anyone intending
harm be done; in many settings these are termed
“accidental injuries” (National Association of Injury
Control Research Centers). The goal of this course is to
increase students’ knowledge and understanding of
unintentional injuries as a public health problem.
HSC 6695 W O R K S I T E H E A LT H P R O M O T I O N (3 credits)
This course explores considerations in planning,
implementing and evaluating comprehensive health
education and health promotion programs at the
worksite including health risk appraisal, program design
and special educational strategies appropriate for the
occupational setting.
HSC 6850 I N T E R N S H I P I N H E A LT H E D U C AT I O N (1-3; max 3 credits) HSC 6905 I N D E P E N D E N T S T U D Y I N H E A LT H E D U C AT I O N (1-3; max 3 credits) SC 6910 S U P E R V I S E D R E S E A R C H (1-3; max 3 credits) HSC 6940 S U P E R V I S E D T E A C H I N G (1-3; max 3 credits)
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AdmissionsA D M I S S I O N S R E Q U I R E M E N T S
Ideal candidates for the online Master of Science in
Health Education and Behavior will have:
• Graduated from an accredited college or
university with a minimum 3.0 grade-point
average (GPA) for all undergraduate coursework
beyond 60 credit hours
• Gained experience in the industry
• Strong interest in the Health Education and
Behavior industry
• Clear short- and long-term career goals
Note: The Department of Health Education and
Behavior is not requiring or reviewing GRE scores
as part of admission for all terms through 2023.
Decisions about GRE requirements after Fall 2023 will
be updated online.
The standards described below apply to all students—
domestic and international. Additional requirements
apply to international applicants. Learn more on our
Admissions page: hebmastersonline.hhp.ufl.edu/
admissions.
A P P L I C AT I O N M AT E R I A L S
→ S TAT E M E N T O F P U R P O S E — For full instructions
on your statement of purpose, please visit our
Admissions page.
→ R E S U M E — Your resume should be current and
highlight previous professional and academic
experience, as well as achievements and awards.
→ T H R E E L E T T E R S O F R E C O M M E N D AT I O N — At least
two letters must be from full faculty members
who can attest to your academic ability. An
exception exists for this requirement if you have
been working in the profession for at least five
years. In this instance, at least one letter must
be from a faculty member and remaining letters
can be from other professionals who can speak to
your ability to excel in graduate school.
→ O F F I C I A L A C A D E M I C T R A N S C R I P T S — Official
transcript should be sent directly from the
institution to [email protected] or:
Mail to: UF Admissions
PO Box 114000
201 Criser Hall
Gainesville, FL 32611-4000
→ A P P L I C AT I O N F E E : $ 3 7
T U I T I O N
Cost/Credit Hour (includes fees): $585.75
Total Tuition (30 credit hours): $17,572.50
Tuition excludes the cost of textbooks and materials,
which vary by course. Students are provided with
a list of required textbooks and materials upon
registration.
F I N A N C I A L A I D O P T I O N S
The University of Florida offers financial aid for
graduate students, including employment and
loan programs. Graduate students should begin by
applying for aid, using FAFSA: fafsa.ed.gov. The
FAFSA school code is 001535.
Degree-seeking students can apply for student loans
and learn more about their grant, scholarship and
loan options through our Student Financial Affairs
site: www.sfa.ufl.edu/graduate-students.
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