Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior (HPEB) is an interdisciplinary department that applies the social and behavioral sciences to improve public health.
HPEB conducts innovative research and prepares future leaders to improve public health locally, nationally, and globally. Our faculty and students address how interventions, social context, health care systems, and physical environments influence health behaviors and health status, with an emphasis on disadvantaged populations.
Departmental strengths include:
In addition to an undergraduate minor, we offer four advanced degrees related to health promotion, education and behavior as well as three graduate certificate programs. Each graduate degree and certificate has specific application deadlines and requirements.
Are you an undergraduate student interested in doing research with an HPEB faculty member? Fill out this contact form for more information.
Curious about what it’s like to be a graduate student in Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior (HPEB)? Our Welcome Guide offers an inside look at life in the program, what to expect, how to prepare, and where to find support. Whether you’ve just been accepted or are considering applying, this guide is a great starting point to understand our community, values, and resources that will shape your academic and professional experience.
Victoria Adebiyi graduates with a Ph.D. in HPEB this month after completing her global health dissertation project. She's currently working on manuscripts that describe what she learned during a mixed-methods she conducted study in Nigeria.
Keren Herrán graduates this month, and she's ready to change the world. The global health researcher gained a breadth and depth of international research experience during her Ph.D. program.
“There was never a question of where I belonged. The Arnold School was the only place that aligned with both my heart and my purpose." —Jessica Seel, MPH in HPEB
Ph.D. in Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior candidate Freda Allyson ("Ally") Hucek is the 2025 recipient of the Steven P. Wallace Emerging Advocate Award from APHA's Aging and Public Health Section.
Two-time HPEB grad (MPH & Ph.D.) Jean Marie Place says Arnold School faculty made all the difference when she was a student and ever since.
Meet Christy Kollath-Cattano! The associate professor of public health and department chair at the College of Charleston relies on her time at the Arnold School to guide her teaching, research and mentoring.
Health promotion, education, and behavior assistant professor Leila Larson conducts her nutrition-focused maternal and child health research all over the world, and South Carolinians will soon benefit from her expertise.