Health Education & Behavior

College of Health and Human Performance

Not all courses are offered every semester. Refer to the schedule of courses for each term's specific offerings.
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Unless otherwise indicated in the course description, all courses at the University of Florida are taught in English, with the exception of specific foreign language courses.

Department Information

For more than 60 years, the Department of Health Education & Behavior has been at the forefront of the health promotion and public health field, demonstrating leadership in instruction and mentoring, research and scholarship, and service and practice. By emphasizing innovation and data-driven advancements, the department’s efforts ensure that students are well prepared for the health promotion and public health careers of the future.
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 Curriculum


Courses

HLP 4933 Variable International Topics 1-6 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Provides the opportunity to study in a wide range of cultural settings.

HSC 3032 Foundations of Health Education 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Theory and practice in the health education profession.

Prerequisite: APK 2100C, APK 2105C, PSY 2012, STA 2023, and (MAC 1105 or MAC 1140 or MAC 1147 or MAC 2311); Health education and behavior majors, junior or senior standing only.

HSC 3102 Personal and Family Health 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Surveys personal health concerns: emotional health; aging and death; alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse; physical fitness; nutrition and dieting; consumer health; chronic and communicable diseases; human sexuality; and environmental health.

Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or higher.

Attributes: General Education - Social Science

HSC 3201 Community and Environmental Health 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Surveys community health organizations and contemporary health issues such as population growth, environment, poverty, medical care and disease.

Prerequisite: HSC 3032 with a minimum grade of C; Health education and behavior majors, junior or senior standing only.

HSC 3537 Health and Medical Terminology 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Develops a working knowledge of terminology related to the human body in health and disease through descriptive definitions, practical applications, understanding word roots, combinations and medical abbreviations.

Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or higher.

HSC 4133 Human Sexuality Education 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Emphasizes content, issues, methodology and materials for the study of human sexuality. Prepares students to educate individuals and groups.

Prerequisite: Health education and behavior majors, junior or senior standing.

HSC 4134 Emotional Health and Counseling 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Introduces theories of emotional well-being and health education, and the means of incorporating positive mental health practices into the health education programming and health counseling.

Prerequisite: Health education and behavior majors, junior or senior standing.

HSC 4143 Drug Education and Behavior 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Broad view of the elements of drug use and abuse, such as individual behavior, environmental factors and drugs. Drug taking is approached in a factual stance; i.e., what has been documented to date, so that participants can separate speculation and bias from fact. The emphasis is also placed on methods pertaining to the preventive aspects of drug use and abuse.

Prerequisite: APK 2105C or (BSC 2086 and BSC 2086L) or (BSC 2094 and BSC 2094L) with minimum grades of C; Health education and behavior majors, junior or senior standing only.

HSC 4174 Behavioral and Environmental Determinants of Obesity 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Explores interactions among individual, behavioral and environmental determinants of obesity. Focuses on the extent of the obesity problem primarily in the US from an epidemiological perspective. Ideas for prevention and control are discussed along with effective interventions to address obesity (policy development and implementation).

Prerequisite: Health education and behavior majors, junior or senior standing.

HSC 4232C Exercise Therapy, Adapted Physical Activity and Health 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Art and science of teaching exercise therapy effectively, including adapted physical activities and healthy living strategies. Presents medical and health characteristics of common disabilities and methods for prescribing appropriate exercise therapy programs. Also presents multiple adapted-equipment ideas to facilitate teaching in inclusive settings for all ages. Clinical experience with individuals with disabilities. (S and D)

Prerequisite: Health education and behavior or applied physiology and kinesiology - fitness/wellness majors, and junior or senior standing.

Attributes: General Education - Diversity, General Education - Social Science

HSC 4233 Patient Health Education 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Introduces theories that apply to the practice of patient education in a variety of health care settings. Emphasizes placed on education for health promotion and lifestyle changes. Additionally, provides an overview of the US healthcare industry.

Prerequisite: Health Education and Behavior or Applied Physiology and Kinesiology - fitness/wellness majors, and junior standing or higher.

HSC 4302 Methods and Materials in Health Education 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Fundamental strategies for health science education including conceptualizing instruction, specifying instructional objectives, and planning units and lessons using various instructional methods, selecting and using instructional materials, and evaluating the effectiveness of health instruction in school and community settings.

Prerequisite: HSC 3032 with minimum grade of C and Health education and Behavior major, junior or senior standing.

HSC 4564 Health Promotion in Gerontology 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Addresses the dimensions of healthy aging. Examines the relevance of behavior change theory with older adults and provides specific tools to design and implement health programs with older adults.

Prerequisite: HSC 3032 with a minimum grade of C and Health education and behavior majors, junior or senior standing.

HSC 4574 Nutrition Education for Special Populations 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Development of nutrition education programs for selected population groups. Emphasizes educational techniques utilized to inform special populations of changing nutritional needs. Discusses population groups such as ethnic minorities, the elderly, the pregnant female and the athlete.

Prerequisite: HSC 3032 and HUN 2201 or equivalent, with minimum grades of C; Health education and behavior majors, junior or senior standing.

HSC 4579 Women's Health Issues 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Women and men experience similar diseases, disorders, and causes of death, but women often experience these in different forms and at different stages in life. Explores current women's health issues and covers a broad range of health issues of special importance to women.

Prerequisite: Health education and behavior or applied physiology and kinesiology - fitness/wellness majors, and junior or senior standing.

HSC 4593 HIV/AIDS Education 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Seminar examines the medical, social, legal and educational implications of HIV/AIDS on individuals and society. Includes lectures, guest and student presentations, videos and student-initiated discussions. Local, state and national experts in the fields of medicine, epidemiology, law, education and health promotion provide lectures.

Prerequisite: Health education and behavior majors and junior or senior standing.

HSC 4623 Minority Health Issues 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Addresses health issues confronting politically and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups and ethnic minority groups in America. Not intended to be a comprehensive treatment of all pertinent health problems affecting minorities, but does address some of the more salient health concerns.

Prerequisite: Health education and behavior majors and junior or senior standing.

HSC 4624 Trends in International Health 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Overview of problems and practices in international health including disease patterns and prevalence, contributing factors, organizational and government initiatives and model programs with special emphasis on problems amenable to health education interventions. (S and N)

Prerequisite: Health education and behavior majors and junior or senior standing.

Attributes: General Education - International, General Education - Social Science

HSC 4663 Community Health Methods in Injury Prevention and Control 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Introduces current theory and knowledge in the field of unintentional injury prevention; prepares students to critically analyze current intervention strategies and explores new directions for unintentional injury prevention and control. Topics include the importance of injury as a problem, historical and conceptual underpinnings of injury prevention, epidemiology of injury, mechanisms of injury, basic concepts of injury prevention, the role of the law in injury prevention and the role if injury surveillance on unintentional injuries.

Prerequisite: Health education and behavior majors and junior or senior standing.

HSC 4664 Health Communication for Consumers 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Health communication processes and practices for health consumers and health professionals who facilitate health consumers. (WR)

Prerequisite: HSC 3032 with a minimum grade of C and Health education and behavior majors, junior or senior standing.

Attributes: Satisfies 6000 Words of Writing Requirement

HSC 4694 Worksite Health Promotion 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Considerations in planning, implementing and evaluating comprehensive health education and health promotion programs at the worksite including health risk appraisal, program design and special educational strategies appropriate for the occupational setting.

Prerequisite: HSC 3032 with a minimum grade of C and Health education and behavior majors, junior or senior standing.

HSC 4713 Planning and Evaluating Health Education Programs 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Frameworks, principles and strategies for planning, implementing and evaluating health promotion interventions.

Prerequisite: HSC 3032 with a minimum grade of C and Health education and behavior majors, junior or senior standing.

HSC 4800 Health Education Professional Development 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Review and discussion of the health education field, including career opportunities, department policies for health education internship selection and registration, professional development information and preparation for future employment or graduate coursework in the health education field.

Prerequisite: HSC 3032 with minimum grade of C and Health Education and Behavior majors and senior standing. Must be taken the Fall or Spring semester prior to HEB internship.

HSC 4813 Practicum in Health Education 1-3 Credits

Grading Scheme: S/U

Health education practicum.

Prerequisite: Health education major.

HSC 4876 Internship in Health Education 1-16 Credits

Grading Scheme: S/U

Health education internship.

Prerequisite: HSC 3032 and HSC 4800 with minimum grades of C and 4HH-Health education and behavior majors.

HSC 4905 Individual Study 1-4 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Supervised program of study to investigate problems significant to health professions.

Prerequisite: HSC 3032 with minimum grade of C and Health education and behavior majors, junior or senior standing; faculty member or program coordinator permission.

HSC 4910 Supervised Research Experience 1-3 Credits

Grading Scheme: S/U

Explores an area of interest in health research or the delivery and/or administration of health services through first-hand, supervised research experience.

Prerequisite: HSC 3032 with minimum grade of C and Health education and behavior majors, junior or senior standing; faculty member or program coordinator permission.

HSC 4912 Undergraduate Research 0-5 Credits

Grading Scheme: S/U

Provides health education and behavior undergraduates the opportunity to engage in supervised research. For this purpose, research is defined as an independent or team participatory experience that provides an opportunity to systematically investigate an existing or emerging health problem and to communicate the results of their work to others.

HSC 4950 Current Topics in Health Education 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Variable topics in health education.

Prerequisite: Health education and behavior majors and junior or senior standing.