Doctoral Admissions Prerequisites
The prerequisites for doctoral study in Health Behavior and Health Education are the possession of a Master's Degree from an accredited college or university, and the completion of a minimum 3 hours of course work from each of the following areas (total of 12 hours):
- Theory & Methods of Health Education and/or Health Promotion
- Statistics
- Biological Sciences
- Behavioral Sciences
Courses completed at another college or university may be used to satisfy part or all of the prerequisites, provided such courses were completed prior to beginning graduate study at The University of Texas at Austin. Such courses may not be used to fulfill requirements for a graduate degree at the University. Individuals admitted without these prerequisite courses must fulfill this requirement in their first year by taking the appropriate courses either in residence or by advanced standing examination at The University of Texas at Austin. It is the policy of the Graduate Studies Committee that all courses taken to fulfill prerequisite requirements be taken on a letter grade basis.
After entering the program, the student should obtain a prerequisite form from the Graduate Program Coordinator. The completed form should be submitted to the Faculty Advisor for approval before it is submitted to the Graduate Advisor.
Sample University of Texas at Austin courses serving as prerequisites:
- KIN 370K Introduction to Health Promotion (offered first semester)
- EDP 371 Introduction to Statistics
- PSY 341 Health Psychology or SW 327 Human Behavior and Social Environment
- BIO 309D The Human Body
For acceptance into the Ph.D program, in addition to meeting the above Graduate School requirements, the applicant must submit a letter of application to the health education faculty, which includes a statement of career goals and research interests. Three letters of recommendation from former professors are required, and when possible, a personal interview is recommended.
Students applying to the Ph.D. program must have demonstrated capability of independent research by completing a thesis or publishing a research article(s). Students not meeting this requirement shall participate in a research project sponsored by a faculty member during the first year of study to demonstrate research ability. Final acceptance and continuation in the program are contingent upon sponsorship by a member of the Health Behavior and Health Education faculty who will serve as the student's advisor. The admission of a student into the program and the selection of an advisor are by mutual agreement.