The research-based Social and Behavioral Sciences track within the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences prepares you to critically assess and explain major theories, trends, and debates regarding the relationship between socially structured inequalities and health.
You’ll address existing challenges to achieving health equity at the behavioral, community and societal levels, and apply methods, analytic tools, and ethical principles to design and improve public health research and evaluation.
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Key Skills
Professional Development
Degree Requirements and Full-Time Sequence
Social and Behavioral Sciences Requirements Checklist
"What I loved most about GPH was my practicum experience in a research lab where I could apply what I learned in the classroom and interact closely with faculty.”
Key Skills
When you graduate with the Social and Behavioral Sciences Concentration, you’ll be prepared to take on leadership roles in public health settings around the globe. You’ll stand out to employers with a skillset that has both breadth and depth, including the following competencies.
- Critically assess the literature related to social and behavioral aspects of health
- Explain major theories, trends, and debates in the social and behavioral sciences literature regarding health
- Assess the means by which structural bias & social inequities undermine health & create challenges to achieving health equity at the behavioral, community & societal levels
- Apply the methods and analytic tools of social and behavioral science to design, implement, and analyze evaluation or research studies
- Apply ethical principles to public health research and evaluation
- Disseminate research findings to diverse audiences
Professional Development
You will benefit from countless opportunities to build skills and experience to prepare you for successful careers in social and behavioral sciences. Learn more about the professional development opportunities available to you at NYU GPH, including internships, fellowships, employment, volunteer opportunities, professional association membership, and more.
Social and Behavioral Sciences Course Checklist
The Social and Behavioral Sciences checklist outlines the requirements for the concentration, as well as which core and concentration courses have pre-requisites. Use this tool as you move along in the program to help keep track of the courses you’ve taken, as well as what’s up next.
Public Health Core (18 Credits)
All students in the Social and Behavioral Sciences concentration take the following core courses (18 credits):
Students who matriculated prior to 2018 may find their degree requirements here.
GPH-GU 2106 Epidemiology (3)
GPH-GU 2110 Health Care Policy (1.5)
GPH-GU 2112 Public Health Management & Leadership (1.5)
GPH-GU 2140 Global Issues in Social & Behavioral Health (3)
GPH-GU 2153 Global Environmental Health (3)
GPH-GU 2190 Essentials of Public Health Biology (3)
GPH-GU 2995 Biostatistics for Public Health (3)
GPH-GU 5171 Global Health Informatics Workshop (0)
GPH-GU 5175 Readings in the History & Philosophy of Public Health I (0)
GPH-GU 5180 Readings in the History & Philosophy of Public Health II (0)
GPH-GU 5185 Readings in the History & Philosophy of Public Health III (0)
Concentration Courses (15 Credits)
All students in the Social and Behavioral Sciences concentration take the following courses:
GPH-GU 2160 Qualitative and Field Methods (3)
GPH-GU 2361 Research Methods in Public Health (3)
GPH-GU 2353 Regression I: Linear Regression and Modeling (3)
GPH-GU 2354 Regression II: Categorical Data Analysis (3)
GPH-GU 2960 Theories in Public Health Practice, Policy & Research (3)
Electives (9 Credits)
GPH-GU 2220/5220 Accelerating Progress Towards Health-Related SDGs (3)
GPH-GU 2154 Adolescent Health and Development (3)
GPH-GU 3152 Advanced Agent-Based Modeling (3)
GPH-GU 2430 Advanced Health & Human Rights (3)
GPH-GU 2219 Application of Implementation Science Frameworks to Address Diseases in Global Populations (3)
GPH-GU 2372 Applied Bayesian Analysis in Public Health (3)
GPH-GU 2368 Applied Survival Analysis (3)
GPH-GU 2218/5218 Assessing Community Health Needs and Resources (3)
GPH-GU 5325/9325 Behavioral and Communication Strategies for Global Epidemics (3)
GPH-GU 2235 Biostatistical Consulting (3)
GPH-GU 5240 Budgeting for Sustainable Health Returns on Investment (3)
GPH-GU 2363 Causal Inference: Design and Analysis (3)
GPH-GU 2265 Climate Change and Global Public Health (3)
GPH-GU 3260 Complex Systems, Disasters, and the Social Ecology of Health (3)
GPH-GU 2242 Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (3)
GPH-GU 2336 Critical Reading of the Biostatistical Literature (3)
GPH-GU 5320 Data Utilization in Public Health Practice (3)*
GPH-GU 2232 Detection and Control of Waterborne Pathogens (3)
GPH-GU 5232 Disease Elimination and Eradication Strategies for Infectious Diseases in LMICs (3)
GPH-GU 2135 Dissemination and Implementation Science in Health Care and Public Health (3)
GPH-GU 5150 Emergency Preparedness for Healthcare Organizations (3)
GPH-GU 9228 Global Food Policy in Public Health (3)
GPH-GU 9130 Global Health Diplomacy (3)
GPH-GU 5210 Global Health Disaster Preparedness & Response (3)
GPH-GU 2342/5342 Global Issues in Public Health Nutrition: Obesity and Diabetes (3)
GPH-GU 5312 Global Perspectives in Reproductive Health & Human Rights (3)
GPH-GU 2285/9385 Global Women's Health Programs - Analyzing the Evidence to Improve Women's Lives (3)
GPH-GU 2319 Grants Writing to Fund Public Health Research (3)
GPH-GU 2205 Gun Violence in America: Public Health, Politics, and Pragmatism (3)
GPH-GU 2250/5250 Health and Human Rights (3)
GPH-GU 2244 Health Care Management Science (3)
GPH-GU 2405/5405 Health Communications: Changing Social Norms in Theory and Practice (3)
GPH-GU 2282 Health Economics (3)
GPH-GU 2126 Healthcare Claims Data Analysis (3)
GPH-GU 5120 HIV/AIDS from a Global Perspective (3)
GPH-GU 2343 HIV/AIDS Public Health Promotion (3)
GPH-GU 2324 Infectious Disease Epidemiology (3)
GPH-GU 2450 Intermediate Epidemiology (3)
GPH-GU 3040 Intervention and Prevention Science (3)
GPH-GU 2152 Introduction to Agent-Based Modeling (3)
GPH-GU 2183 Introduction to Statistical Programming in R (2)
GPH-GU 2224/9224 Introduction to Urban Health and Equity (3)
GPH-GU 2357 LGBTQ Health Disparities (3)
GPH-GU 2344 Maternal Child Nutrition in Public Health (3)
GPH-GU 3240 Organizational Theory and Behavior in Healthcare (3) - requires permission of instructor
GPH-GU 5288 Perspectives in Migrant Health & Human Rights (3)
GPH-GU 2349/5349 Program Planning and Evaluation (3)
GPH-GU 2326 Public Health Communication for Impact (3)
GPH-GU 2227 Psychiatric Epidemiology (3)
GPH-GU 2225 Psychometric Measurement & Analysis in Public Health Research and Practice (3)
GPH-GU 2345 Public Health Emergency Preparedness & Response: A Global Perspective (3)
GPH-GU 2296/5296 Public Health Innovation and Entrepreneurship (3)
GPH-GU 3210 Qualitative Analysis: Interviewing & Mixed Methods Approaches (3)
GPH-GU 5410 Results-Focused Strengthening of Health Systems in LMIC Countries (3)
GPH-GU 1165 Research Ethics (3)
GPH-GU 2317 Social Epidemiology (3)
GPH-GU 2512 Special Topics: Applied Spatial Statistics for Public Health (1)
GPH-GU 3225 Statistical Inference (3)
GPH-GU 2132 Stress and Health in Communities (3)
GPH-GU 2255 Substance Use and Public Health (3)
GPH-GU 2347 Tackling Global Health Disparities through Implementation Science Research (3)
GPH-GU 2248 Teams and Strategy in Public Health Management (3)
GPH-GU 2500 Topics in Public Health: The Geopolitics of Pandemics (3)
GPH-GU 2270/5271 Translating Research into Practice: Adapting and Implementing Evidence-Based Public Health Interventions (3)
GPH-GU 9252 Urban Health: New York and London - A Comparative Perspective (3)
GPH-GU 2272 Value-Based Healthcare (3)
GPH-GU 2128 Writing and Communication in Public Health Policy and Management (3)
Culminating Experience (4 Credits)
The culminating experience for students in the Social and Behavioral Sciences concentration consists of: 1) a minimum of 180 hours of a practice experience, completed prior to Thesis I, and 2) a two-semester MPH thesis.
GPH-GU 2686 Thesis I: Practice and Integrative Learning Experiences (2)
GPH-GU 2687 Thesis II: Practice and Integrative Learning Experiences (2)
46 Credits Total
Full-Time Course Sequence
First Year:
Fall semester (12 credits)
GPH-GU 2995 Biostatistics for Public Health (3)
GPH-GU 2106 Epidemiology (3)
GPH-GU 2190 Essentials of Public Health Biology (3)
GPH-GU 2140 Global Issues in Social & Behavioral Health (3)
GPH-GU 5171 Global Health Informatics Workshop (0)
GPH-GU 5175 Readings in the History and Philosophy of Public Health I (0)
Spring semester (12 credits)
GPH-GU 2153 Global Environmental Health (3)
GPH-GU 2353 Regression I: Linear Regression and Modeling (3)
GPH-GU 2361 Research Methods in Public Health (3)
Elective (3)
GPH-GU 5180 Readings in the History and Philosophy of Public Health II (0)
GPH-GU 5185 Readings in the History and Philosophy of Public Health III (0)
Second Year:
Fall semester (11 credits)
GPH-GU 2686 Thesis I: Practice and Integrative Learning Experiences (2)*
GPH-GU 2960 Theories in Public Health Practice, Policy & Research (3)
GPH-GU 2160 Qualitative & Field Methods (3)
GPH-GU 2354 Regression II: Categorical Data Analysis (3)
Spring semester (11 credits)
GPH-GU 2687 Thesis II: Practice and Integrative Learning Experiences (2)
GPH-GU 2110 Health Care Policy (1.5)
GPH-GU 2112 Public Health Management & Leadership (1.5)
Elective (3)
Elective (3)
* includes 180 hours of public health practice (may also be done in the spring semester.
Part-time Course Sequences
Students completing the Social and Behavioral Sciences concentration on a part-time basis should meet with their advisors to map out a course plan based on the number of credits they would like to take each semester and the number of years they intend to take to complete the degree. Note: all students have a maximum of 6 years to complete the MPH requirements.