Beyond the diagnosis
USC features the work of health promotion, education, and behavior associate professor Xueying Yang, who tracks HIV care from youth to adulthood.
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:
- community-engaged interventions
- economics of behavior
- global health
- health communication and use of digital technology
- healthy aging
- HIV/AIDS
- nutrition and food security
- physical activity
- prevention of cancer and other non-communicable diseases
- public policy and advocacy
- research methods, program evaluation, and implementation science
- sexual and reproductive health
- social determinants of health and health inequities
- tobacco use and vaping
Degrees Offered
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.
- Certificate of Graduate Study in Aging
- Certificate of Graduate Study in Global Health
- Certificate of Graduate Study in Health Communication
- Master of Public Health in Health Promotion, Education and Behavior (MPH)
- Online Master of Public Health (MPH) in Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior - Professional Program
- Master of Social Work / Master of Public Health in Health Promotion, Education and Behavior (dual degree)
- Ph.D. in Health Promotion, Education and Behavior
Are you an undergraduate student interested in doing research with an HPEB faculty member? Fill out this contact form for more information.
Health Promotion, Education & Behavior News
HPEB recognizes 2025 student award winners
Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior (HPEB) is proud to announce the 2025 winners of the department's student awards program: Ashley Thurber, Deeksha Gupta, and Mallory Gedeon.
Seven Arnold School faculty awarded ASPIRE and ASPIRE AI funding
The Office of the Vice President for Research has announced the recipients of the 2025 Advanced Support for Innovative Research Excellence (ASPIRE) and ASPIRE AI awards to fund 27 scholarly projects.
50 Careers for 50 Years: Edena Guimaraes
Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior alum (MPH, '94; DrPH, '11) Edena Guimaraes has been a faculty member in the department for nearly a decade and a part of the Consortium for Latino Health for even longer.
Roger Sargent looks back on the origins of the health promotion, education, and behavior department
Roger Sargent may have a background in biology, but he found his passion in public health. His Ph.D. program first introduced him to the field - a focus on human parasitology that brought him to USC's biology department in 1968.
Two Arnold School doctoral students recognized by the USC Graduate School
Salomé-Joëlle Gass (Ph.D. in Health Services Policy and Management student) and Berthe Abi Zeid (Ph.D. in Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior student) have been awarded Trustee Fellowships.