Health Promotion and Health Behavior
PhD in Public Health
Transform knowledge into action and create healthier communities.
Address disparities in health
The Oregon State University public health doctoral degree program with a concentration in health promotion and health behavior (HPHB) provides research-based training for an interdisciplinary understanding of social and behavioral influences on health, with special attention to communities experiencing health disparities.
Recent graduates have gone on to prestigious post-doctoral positions, tenure-track faculty positions, and positions in industry and government.
Health promotion and health behavior research
As a doctoral student, you will collaborate with faculty members on interdisciplinary, community-engaged research spanning a variety of areas, including:
- Cancer prevention
- Tobacco
- Sexual health
- Environmental factors in health promotion
You will work alongside faculty on funded research studies, manuscripts, conference presentations and grant development.
Our work includes dissemination and implementation science research, and we are committed to enhancing health equity through our research and practice.
Research in action
COH faculty are working hard to understand the social factors that impact HIV prevention and treatment.
Your experience as a public health doctoral student
See which courses you’ll take as a public health doctoral student.
What you’ll learn in the health promotion and health behavior concentration.
Get information about assistantships, your investment and more.
Doctoral student research spotlight
Sydelle Harrison, MPH
HPHB PhD student
Through her research, Sydelle Harrison aims to identify and address gaps in public health translation at the Tribal level in the Pacific Northwest.
Her current community-based research focuses on investigation of indigenous environmental health priorities and capacity-building with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR).
We’re here to help
For questions about the application process and requirements, contact College of Health graduate admissions.
For academic or professional information specific to the health promotion and health behavior doctoral program, please contact Program Director Kari-Lyn Sakuma, PhD, MPH.
Accreditation
In 2014, our college was accredited by the Council for Education in Public Health – the first in Oregon. This distinction provides our students with more resources, more opportunities to engage in research, and faculty experts who specialize in a variety of public health topics.