Making healthy communities a reality
The faculty and staff of the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences are a multidisciplinary team with backgrounds in anthropology, community health, dentistry, epidemiology, health communications, health promotion, higher education, neuroscience, psychology, public health, social intervention and sociology. Together, we view health through the lens that all people should have access to healthy places to live, work and play.
Welcome to the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences webpage. Do you want to make the world a better place? Do you want to know why different populations have different health outcomes? Do you want to eliminate these disparities? Do you want to work toward societal changes that will improve the health and wellness of all people? Then you have come to the right place!
If these things interest you, please check out our degree and certificate programs below. We have an outstanding group of faculty, staff, and students from diverse backgrounds and disciplines. This diversity allows us to look at the health of communities from many different viewpoints. We are focused not only on understanding why health disparities occur, but on doing something about them at the community and societal level. This goal is incorporated into everything that we do.
Students in our classes work alongside faculty and local, national, and international community partners to develop strategies and policies that address the social and behavioral factors that influence health and wellness for individuals, families, communities and society. Our students’ work has been implemented to make significant changes in the lives of communities. If you would like to find out more about us, check out our student facilitated podcast, Community Solutions.
We consider social and behavioral sciences to be the heart and soul of public health. We hope that you will consider becoming a part of the social and behavioral science department family, either as a student or as a partner. There is a lot for us to do to advance health and social justice for all. If we are to be successful, we need to do this together.
– The Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences
BSPH in Community Health, 2017
"The BSPH in Community Health program allowed me to gain first-hand experience with helping others from day one."
Read Mark's story
BSPH in Community Health, 2019
"I love that community health is such a broad field and you can take different paths in your actual career."
Read Luz's story
BSPH IN COMMUNITY HEALTH, 2017
"Working in the field of public health has allowed me to impact larger amounts of individuals who need support."
Read Kacie's storyAt the Fairbanks School of Public Health, students have numerous opportunities to develop research skills, cultivate team work and leadership skills, and have international health experiences through coursework and practical opportunities.
The Community Solutions Podcast is a joint effort between our students, faculty, and community partners. You'll hear engaging conversations with individuals working to improve the health and wellbeing of communities.
6,600+ downloads | 25+ episodes
52 countries and 47 states with listeners
The research arm of the department is the Community Health Engagement and Equity Research (CHEER) Center. In partnership with communities and organizations, our research allows us to advocate for practices, programming, and policies that address health issues. Learn more about the groundbreaking work we do and how you can get involved.
