Behavioral health promotion & education
Training students to use social and behavioral sciences to design, implement, and evaluate health promotion and disease prevention initiatives — advancing health and equity across communities in Mississippi, the nation, and the world.
Quality education & community-based practice
The mission of the Public Health Program at Jackson State University is to provide quality education and leadership in community-based research and practice. Through collaborative efforts with communities, the Program promotes health and seeks to prevent disease and disability — with special emphasis on the underserved and at-risk populations of Mississippi, the nation, and the world.
Our Public Health Program is committed to educating and training its students to become effective leaders of the public health community at the local, national, and international levels. This commitment is realized in an urban environment that offers broad scope for students to become involved in the diverse communities in metropolitan Jackson and the region.
- Department
- Behavioral and Environmental Health Sciences
- College
- Health Sciences
- Programs
- MPH · DrPH · MPH (Environmental & Occupational)
- Focus
- Underserved & at-risk populations
- Location
- Jackson Medical Mall
- Phone
- (601) 979-8789
People, communities & systems — together
By including people, communities, and systems in our research, teaching, and practice, the Department of Behavioral and Environmental Health Sciences aims to promote and improve health as well as equity. We train students to use theories, concepts, and methodologies from many social and behavioral scientific fields to design, carry out, and assess health promotion and illness prevention initiatives.
Behavioral and social variables influence all diseases. To improve health outcomes, it is important to comprehend how diseases relate to the person, family, society, organizations, communities, and public policy. This dynamic system influences issues like care access and adherence — so behavioral and community health sciences within public health evaluate population needs, design interventions grounded in social and behavioral theory, and use research methods to evaluate programs and recommend improvement, frequently within community-based settings.
- Approach
- Social, behavioral, and community-based sciences
- Outcomes
- Health promotion & equity
- Setting
- Community-based, in metropolitan Jackson
- Methods
- Theory-driven design · rigorous evaluation
“Challenging Minds, Changing Lives.”
Jackson State UniversityConcentrations & degree programs
Three graduate concentrations — two master's tracks and one doctoral program — prepare students for leadership in behavioral, environmental, and occupational public health.
Career opportunities
Graduates of Behavioral and Environmental Health programs pursue a wide range of roles across healthcare systems, government agencies, and community organizations.
Student support & reference
Ready to join?
For more information, call the Department at (601) 979-8789 — we look forward to meeting with you.
Contact the Department
Jackson Medical Mall
Jackson, MS