2023-2024 Graduate & Professional Studies Catalog
Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences
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Return to: School of Public Health
The Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh examines the social determinants of health, that is, the set of social and behavioral factors that either promote or threaten public health. Our interventions alter these social and behavioral factors (such as housing, health literacy, or care management) to assess effects on community health. The BCHS mission statement summarizes our approach:
VISION
Healthy people living in thriving and equitable communities.
MISSION
Improve and promote health and equity by engaging individuals, communities, and systems through our research, teaching, and practice.
VALUES
Open communication; active collaboration; integrated and strength-based approaches; social justice and health equity; application of knowledge in the context of people’s lives.
The primary educational mission of the Department is to prepare students for positions of responsibility and leadership in public health practice, research, and training. Our students learn to employ the most current health behavior theories and community development strategies in approaching public health challenges. They develop applied research skills in community health assessment and planning, program implementation and evaluation, health education, and health communication. They learn how to design programs and conduct community-based research, and to work as part of interdisciplinary teams examining behavioral interventions and community assessment strategies. These educational and practice experiences prepare our graduates to move into leadership positions at the local, national, and international levels.
The department has a world-class faculty that is involved in teaching, research, and community service on the local, national, and international level. We collaborate with local and regional public health systems, and many of the leadership staff in these organizations also have faculty appointments and teach classes in the department.
Contact Information
Vice Chair for Education
MPH Program Director
Elizabeth Felter
6122 PUBHL
412-383-9629
PhD & GSPIA Joint Programs Director
Patricia Documet
6133 PUBHL
412-624-1601
Social Work Joint Programs Director
Steven Albert
6126 PUBHL
412-383-8693
Admission & Registration
412-624-3107
Admission: All Applicants
Applications for admission to the Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences are processed through the Office of Student Affairs at Pitt Public Health. You must apply for the MPH and PhD programs through SOPHAS, the centralized application service for graduate schools of public health.
Please review the School-level Admission Requirements before applying.
Application instructions differ depending on whether you are applying for a degree, a certificate, or for non-degree coursework. Please follow the Applying for Admission to Pitt Public Health for your plan of study when applying to Pitt Public Health.
Department requirements- BCHS doctoral applicants:
- PhD applicants: a master’s degree in a discipline relevant to public health is required
- A minimum grade point average of 3.3
- Completed 3 credits of college math passed with a C or better
Department requirements- BCHS MPH applicants:
- At least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale
- Completed 3 credits of college math passed with a C or better
- Completed 6 credits of social sciences passed with a C or better
The BCHS department requires a minimum TOEFL score of 100 on the IBT or a minimum IELTS score of Band 7.0, if applicable. TOEFL or IELTS must be taken within two years of application.
Joint Degrees:
Students in the BCHS MPH program can pursue two graduate degrees simultaneously, through partnerships with other schools and departments at the University of Pittsburgh. Joint programs typically reduce the number of credits needed for each degree, allowing students to earn two degrees in three years for master’s programs and four to five years for MPH/PhD programs.
To participate in a joint degree program, students apply separately to both schools, and must meet all of the usual admissions requirements (including entrance exams like the GRE). If admitted to both schools, students alternate their primary program of study by semester or by year.
Although it is possible to apply to both schools at the same time, currently enrolled students can still apply for a joint degree as long as they have not yet completed one year of full-time study.
Financial Assistance
Although resources for master’s students are limited, the program makes every effort to assist students in accessing some level of financial aid. Small grants and awards are available from the Department, the School of Public Health, and from the University, and many BCHS students have been successful in competing for these awards. In addition, a small number of Graduate Student Assistant and Graduate Student Researcher assistantships are available for full-time doctoral students. There are also opportunities for paid field practicum positions, and many students are able to supplement their income through part-time employment on public health-related service or research projects conducted within the Graduate School, the University, or in the community.
Research Focus
The Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences has an extensive array of funded research and training projects. BCHS faculty and staff are skilled in the use of both quantitative and qualitative research methods, and the Department is particularly well known for its community-based participatory research strategies and modeling-simulation efforts designed to improve the health and welfare of communities.
Areas of research strengths include:
- Diabetes and Chronic Disease Prevention
- Cancer Screening Behavior
- Health Equity
- Public Health and Aging
- HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases
- Maternal and Child Health
- Evaluation Science
- Global Health
- Modeling of health behavior and linked disease dynamics
- Mental Health
Research and training projects are funded by organizations such as:
- National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- National Cancer Institute (NCI)
- National Institute on Aging (NIA)
- National Institute of Nursing (NINR)
- Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HRSA)
- Pennsylvania Department of Health
- Local and National Philanthropic Organizations
ProgramsCertificateDoctoralJoint DegreeMaster’s
Courses
Return to: School of Public Health
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