Health and Behavioral Sciences
Director: Jennifer Boylan
Program Assistant: Maria Rase
Office Location: North Classroom 3018
Telephone: 303-315-7157
Fax: 303-315-7155
E-mail: jennifer.boylan@ucdenver.edu
Website: clas.ucdenver.edu/hbsc/
Mailing Address:
Program in Health and Behavioral Sciences
Campus Box 188
P.O. Box 173364
Denver, CO 80217-3364
Overview
The mission of the health and behavioral sciences (HBSC) program is to apply social science theory and innovative research methods to critically address emerging issues in health. The program trains students to confront issues affecting the health of communities and populations by focusing on social determinants of health and diseases. These determinants can be more influential on population health than the health care system.
The program’s overarching framework integrates social, cultural and biomedical perspectives to understand the underpinnings of health and the conditions essential for its creation and maintenance. Students and faculty conduct interdisciplinary research on topics including emerging diseases, maternal/child health, substance abuse, health disparities and global health. Graduates are innovative researchers, effective educators and leaders directly engaged in the practice of population health.
Population health is working to protect the environment, identifying sources of illness in population groups, controlling disease outbreaks, evaluating the economic impacts of changing demographics, developing interventions to promote healthy behavior, and producing health policy legislation. Population health draws from a broad array of disciplines, such as the social and behavioral sciences, sociology, anthropology, psychology, medicine, economics, statistics, epidemiology, law and biology, and each provides unique insights for the diverse set of activities involved in population health practice.
PhD Program in Health and Behavioral Sciences
The doctor of philosophy degree in health and behavioral sciences is rooted in the realization that our ability as a global society to overcome some of the most significant and intractable public health problems today rests on the willingness of biomedical and social science researchers to innovate across traditional disciplinary boundaries. Students are trained in theory from multiple disciplines and in both quantitative and qualitative research methods.
A master’s degree is not provided by the health and behavioral sciences department.
A student’s particular research focus constitutes a key part of his or her doctoral program. A range of possible foci exists, given the particular student’s interest and faculty expertise.
Examples of HBSC research foci include:
- Social determinants of health. Such research interests include studies on the health-related influences of socioeconomic position, social and economic inequality, discrimination, social networks and support, social capital, work conditions and psychological states including stress.
- Community health. This area of research involves community health assessment; program design and evaluation; translation of evidence-based interventions to diverse populations and communities; participatory research and community mobilization; policy analysis and advocacy for health-related problems.
- Biosocial ecology. Within this area are studies of the interplay of biological (including physiological, genetic or others of the biomedical health sciences), social, cultural and environmental characteristics influencing maternal/infant health, exercise performance or susceptibility to disease.
- Global health topics include social, cultural and biomedical factors influencing transmission of disease and health disparities on an international (as well as national) scale.
Recent student research exemplifying such foci includes:
- perinatal stressors and fetal and child health in New Zealand
- gender differences in access to effective HIV care in sub-Saharan Africa
- the factors that shape whether minority owned businesses offer employee sponsored health insurance
- decision making around healthy food choices among school-aged children
- community representation in health organizations in Colorado
- race/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in exercise, sleep, and nutrition behaviors among U.S. adults
Graduates of the HBSC program acquire skills that situate them for academic careers and leadership roles in population health. Depending upon a student’s concentration, the successful graduate will gain expertise in research design and methods; social, cultural and biobehavioral determinants of health and disease; the structure and organization of health care systems; the contribution of individual, social and cultural factors for deciding health behaviors; and how guided change in health care systems may enhance quality, efficacy and access. The significance of these skills in addressing current complex health issues ensures that graduates will be in demand in a number of employment sectors ranging from community and public health organizations, to academic institutions, to nonprofit research organizations and to private health care settings.
Requirements for Admission
A master's or equivalent graduate degree, or substantial research experience, is recommended for admission to the PhD program. Students applying without prerequisites may be admitted, but will be required to complete appropriate courses before being permitted to complete the core curriculum.
In addition to the general admission requirements for graduate admission, the specific admission requirements for the PhD in health and behavioral sciences are as follows:
- Knowledge from prior course work or vocational experience in Epidemiology (3 semester hours or the equivalent work experience). The applicant should have an understanding of the basic concepts and methods of epidemiology, including measures of risk, mortality, the distribution of disease, the role of bias and confounders, and study design.
- Demonstrated academic excellence as evidenced by strong undergraduate and graduate GPAs. Admission to the program is highly competitive.
The applicability of a student's prior course work will be decided by the program executive committee after reviewing the student's transcript and additional materials. If the student does not have the requisite educational background or GPA, the student may be admitted on a conditional or provisional basis and additional course work required in accordance with Graduate Education Policies and Procedures.
Prospective students should not be dissuaded from applying to the program if they do not meet all of the requirements for admission. In some cases, employment experience may be counted toward meeting a requirement. In other cases, students may be admitted conditionally upon their completion of a list of prerequisite courses that will be established at the time of admission. Students should be sure to address this issue in completing the graduate application by specifying the academic and vocational experience they possess that meets, in part or full, the admission requirements described above.
Master's Level Preparation for the Doctoral Program in Health and Behavioral Sciences
The program does not currently offer master's-level training in HBSC.
To Apply For Admission
At the Denver campus, all graduate applications are now submitted electronically. To begin the application process, go to the online admissions website. If you have any difficulties, call the administrative assistant at 303-315-7157. The program admits students only for the fall semester, which typically begins in mid- to late August. The deadline for the receipt of all application materials is January 1 for admission the following August.
Applicants should invest considerable thought and effort in preparing their application. For instance, in the essay, applicants should provide information on:
- their research interests and plans for graduate study;
- how they see their research interests fitting into our program;
- academic or professional research experiences including publications, theses, and research in progress;
- academic and professional experiences in their proposed or related fields, including non-course education, teaching or other relevant employment, or other scholarly activities.
Applicants should also submit a brief writing sample that showcases their current skills in writing and analytical thinking. It is more important that the writing sample reflect their best work than that the topic match their planned area of study in our PhD program. Examples could include a class paper, a selection from a thesis, a lead or sole authored paper, an op-ed style essay, a policy brief, or other sample.
Applicants should provide a current resume or CV to support their application.
In addition to the required recommendation form, letters of recommendation are required from at least three individuals in a position to judge the applicant's ability to complete the program. Recommenders may be employers, colleagues or professors; however, the applicant should be sure that the letters address the quality of, and aptitude for academic work as well as personal characteristics and qualities.
The program does not require GRE scores, but applicants may submit their scores if they believe it will strengthen their application.
Financial Aid
There are five kinds of financial aid available: graduate student stipends/fellowships; tuition assistance; teaching assistantships; research assistantship positions funded by grants to specific program faculty; and the regular package of financial aid (primarily loans) available through the financial aid office.
Newly admitted, out-of-state, and students demonstrating outstanding scholastic achievement receive priority when assigning departmental sources of funding. Students interested in research assistantships should contact the individual faculty member with whom they wish to work regarding potential assistantship positions.
All other aid should be requested through the CU Denver Financial Aid Office
Advisors
Upon admission to the program, each student will be assigned a first-year advisor. The student or the faculty will then choose the faculty advisor who will guide the student through the core and elective course work. This faculty advisor may or may not be the student's dissertation advisor. The student selects his or her dissertation advisor and a minimum of three additional committee members who oversee the student's comprehensive examination and dissertation research.
Faculty
Professors:
Patrick Kreuger, PhD, University of Colorado
Ronica Rooks, PhD, University of Maryland College Park
Karen Spencer, PhD, Indiana University
David P. Tracer, PhD, University of Michigan
Sara Yeatman, PhD, University of Texas Austin
Associate Professors:
Jennifer Boylan, PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Assistant Professors:
Emma Bunkley, PhD, University of Arizona
Hyeyoung Oh Nelson, PhD, University of California Los Angeles
Research and Clinical Faculty:
Jorge Ivan Ramirez, PhD, Michigan State University
Faculty Affiliates:
Karen Hampanda, PhD, University of Colorado, Denver
Professors Emerita:
Debbi Main, PhD, University of Colorado
Jean Scandlyn, PhD, Columbia University