Welcome to the Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences (BCHS) at Pitt Public Health. We invite you to browse our website and get a sense of faculty, staff, and student interests. Our site also provides news about funded research, community partners, degree programs and courses, and recent publications and awards.
BCHS applies research on the dynamics of health behavior change to improve health in communities. We explore social determinants of health to understand the conditions in which health behaviors are produced, as well as to pinpoint the most effective intervention points and methods. Testing these interventions requires engaged community partners and multi-level and frequently mixed-methods analyses. Some
examples of this work include explorations of the impact of social media on
public health issues such as vaccine hesitancy, development of
technology-enhanced interventions to reduce health disparities, and collaborative
filmmaking as an advocacy tool to build reproductive justice. Our work frequently
considers the role of intersectional stigma on minoritized and oppressed
populations. The goal is better health for populations, including those who are
historically excluded. We are committed to recognizing our privilege and
leveraging it to address racism and improve health equity.
Our
curriculum incorporates the latest advances in social, behavioral, and
computational science. Students can take advantage of courses and earn
certificates offered by centers within the department and school including the
Center for LGBT Health, Center for Health Equity, and the Evaluation Institute
for Public Health. Students can also earn a certificate in Community-Based Participatory
Research and work with our Concept Mapping Center.
The
department has a world-class faculty heavily involved in teaching, research,
and community service locally, nationally, and internationally. We collaborate
directly with an array of local and regional public health systems, and leaders
of many of these organizations serve on our faculty. We are involved in
national and international projects funded by NIH, CDC, USAID, and foundations.
We are particularly noted for our community-based emphasis in research,
practice, and evaluation. Faculty and student research extends from the US to
Thailand, India, Nepal, and Peru, to name a few.
Graduates assume positions in a variety of public health and related
organizations, including federal, state, and local governmental organizations,
as well as a range of private sector and public-funded agencies. MPH graduates
are responsible for community health planning, research and evaluation, and
administration of programs designed to improve the health of populations. PhD
graduates go on to careers in public health research, teaching, and
administration.
We are so glad you are exploring BCHS! Please contact Paul Markgraf with any questions about our program. We look forward to hearing from you.
Mary Hawk
Department Chair