The 33-credit M.S. in Prevention Science and Community Health is intended to provide students with training in the fundamentals of prevention science, including:
- Assessment of risk and protective factors that predict and modify health and behavior outcomes
- Development of preventive interventions that target these risk and protective factors
- Implementation and evaluation of these interventions
Students develop skills in translating prevention research into demonstrable, preventive action. They partner with communities and organizations to implement of evidence-based, preventive interventions with fidelity and sensitivity to communities’ diversity and unique strengths.
The focus of the program is in line with the seven priority areas of the U.S. National Prevention Strategy, including tobacco-free living, preventing drug abuse and excessive alcohol use, healthy eating, active living, injury and violence-free living, reproductive and sexual health and mental/emotional well-being. Students learn how to help create healthy and safe communities, eliminate health disparities, provide clinical and community prevention services, and empower people.
The program helps prepare students for research or technical positions in government, industry, academia, or private institutions. It’s also intended for students who want to pursue future doctoral studies in public health.
I was inspired to study public health in order to find a way to impact people on a grander scale. This means affecting not just the individual, but also the family, community, and society. I realized that there was a whole other aspect of addressing health and wellness that doesn’t focus purely on medicine. For example, vaccination campaigns, HIV/STI awareness, and nutrition are all critical to health.