Health Education

PHD

Why study Health Education?

The PhD in Health Education is an ideal program for individuals interested in helping people and communities to adopt healthy behaviors and healthy lifestyles through leadership and research. This nationally recognized program has been specifically designed for those who want to work as faculty members/professors in academic settings, researchers in health or governmental agencies, or professionals interested in serving as leaders in community health settings, health departments, nonprofit agencies, wellness centers, hospitals, corporate wellness programs, and health organizations. The program offers courses in all the major areas of health promotion and health education.

Graduates of this program have primarily obtained faculty and academic positions throughout the US in health promotion and health education. This degree can also be beneficial for individuals who want to attain a PhD and build a vita of quality teaching and research. Students are prepared through a program grounded in current research and evidence-based practices in the field of health promotion and health education to become certified health educators.

The Health Education faculty are student-oriented and possess a broad range of experience, skills, and knowledge in the field of health promotion and health education. Faculty members provide much research expertise in such health areas as substance abuse prevention, violence and suicide prevention, minority health, mental health promotion, women’s health issues, nutrition, physical activity, sexual health, health program planning, implementation, and evaluation, and various other health issues.

Students in the program attend classes both in the traditional face-to-face delivery method, as well as experience some classes delivered online via Canopy – UC’s advanced course development and delivery software. Graduates of the program have applauded the program’s commitment to excellence in teaching and research.

Prior to this PhD program, students must have earned a master's degree. Students with master's degrees from a variety of health-related or social science-based disciplines are accepted into the program. Master's level students from non-health education-related disciplines may need to complete additional master's level coursework in addition to the PhD requirements. In some cases, it may be preferable to complete the MS as a second master’s degree in route to the PhD All decisions concerning the transfer of credit and remedial work will be decided by the student’s program committee upon admission to the program. No more than 30 semester hours may be transferred into the PhD program from previous graduate work. For additional information, please contact Rebecca Vidourek via email

Admission Requirements

  • Bachelor's and master's unofficial transcript(s) for all colleges and universities attended
  • References (3 strongly preferred, minimum of 2 required)
  • Goal statement (2 parts, including a commitment to multiculturalism)
  • CV/Resume

Application Procedures:

Prospective students should complete the online application by February 1st for Fall enrollment. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all required materials and support documents are successfully submitted by the application deadline. Incomplete applications will not be processed or reviewed.

Unofficial Transcripts:

At the time of application, please upload unofficial transcripts from all colleges and universities attended to the application.

Official Transcript Submission after Enrollment Confirmation:

Once an applicant has been extended an offer of admission to the University of Cincinnati and has accepted the offer, they must submit an official transcript showing the conferral of a bachelor's degree. Official final transcripts or transcript evaluations showing bachelor's degree conferral must be submitted by the start of a student's first term of enrollment at UC. A course registration hold will be placed on the second term of enrollment for any student missing their official transcript/transcript evaluation showing bachelor's degree conferral.

For more information on where to submit official transcripts, please visit the Graduate College's website.

UC Alumni

Students who have received a degree from the University of Cincinnati do not need to submit official copies of their UC transcripts. However, unofficial copies are still required at the time of application. 

Individuals who are interested and committed toward research and service to the field of health education would benefit from this health education program. This program is ideal for students who wish to assist individuals, groups and communities to adopt healthy behaviors and healthy lifestyles through leadership and research. Students who excel in the program tend to have strong interpersonal skills and work well with others. In addition, possessing strong written and verbal skills will assist students in becoming successful health educators and quality academics in the field.

Graduates of this program will be prepared for the careers listed below. All opportunities may not be listed. 

Upon acceptance into the program, each student is assigned an academic advisor who is a faculty member in Health Promotion and Education. The advisor will assist the student in establishing an academic advising committee and selecting courses as well as a cognate to complete during the doctoral program.

This program is flexible and can be completed in three years if the student attends full-time. The Ph.D. program allows students to develop expertise in Health Promotion and Education as well as enhance their strength and understanding in a cognate area of personal interest. The GRE is not required for acceptance into the program. Classes are offered primarily in the evenings, which helps meet the scheduling needs of students who work during the day. In addition, there are several courses offered online. However, please not that this program cannot be completed entirely online. 

In order to graduate, students must complete all coursework and doctoral program requirements, including comprehensive examinations, a doctoral dissertation, and dissertation defense.

For international admissions requirements, please visit our website.

Application Deadlines

The Health Promotion and Education Program accepts applications for Fall Semester admission only.

The application deadline for Fall Semester admission to the Ph.D. in Health Education is February 1st.

The University of Cincinnati and all regional campuses are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Contact Information

CECH Office of Recruitment
PO BOX 210014
Cincinnati, OH 45221
(513) 556-6308
cechrecruit@uc.edu

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Program Code: 18DOC-HEDU-PHD