50 Careers for 50 Years: Jessica Seel
“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
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 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.
HPEB Graduate Student Welcome Guide
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.
Health Promotion, Education & Behavior News
Doctoral candidate Ally Hucek wins Steven P. Wallace Emerging Advocate Award
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.
50 Careers for 50 Years: Jean Marie Place
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.
50 Careers for 50 Years: Christy Kollath-Cattano
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.
Leila Larson applies global health expertise to complex condition affecting many South Carolinians during pregnancy
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.
26-author publication on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias harnesses power of collaboration using Team Science approach
As USC leadership and expertise in advancing brain health and healthy aging grows ever stronger, a recent scholarly paper perfectly exemplifies why South Carolina's flagship university is excelling in these efforts.
Big data may unveil the impacts of extreme weather events on child health and development in the U.S.
Using a second National Institutes of Health grant awarded this year, health promotion, education, and behavior assistant professor Leila Larson will examine the factors influencing childhood development from yet another angle: weather.