Ed.D. Degree with Specialization in Health Promotion

Welcome to the KHP Department’s Health Promotion Graduate Program homepage. We believe that health promotion is a process that enables individuals, groups, and communities to become empowered and enabled to take control of their health. This process involves health education as well as the many ecological supports of health.

The Ed.D. degree with a specialization in Health Promotion is directed at familiarizing students with the area of worksite health promotion. However, doctoral students have the opportunity to design a program that will prepare them to be employed as faculty members at the college and university level. For students interested in the Ph.D., the College of Education has developed an Interdisciplinary Ph.D. degree in Education Sciences with a Strand in Health Education. The purpose of this program is to prepare students to meet the growing need for educators who are well trained in methodological issues in education research. For more information about this Ph.D. option, please contact the KHP Director of Graduate Studies. For those students interested in school health education, the program is NCATE-approved and designed to enable students to demonstrate the areas of responsibility and competencies based on A Competency-Based Framework for Health Educators - -2006. Students who have a Rank II can pursue Rank I advanced teacher certification.

Our Health Promotion specialization requires students to complete a minimum of 42 hours of course work. Following completion of course work and passing the Qualifying Examination, students embark on completing a dissertation. The dissertation usually takes most students at least one full year to complete. The doctoral degree requires students to complete a core of 9-12 hours of health promotion courses, 9 hours of research/statistics/design courses plus supporting electives for a total of at least 42 hours. Students, with the approval of their advisory committee, select elective course work that will enhance their health promotion knowledge and skills as well as their research skills. Electives may be selected from within the KHP Department; other departments in the College of Education; College of Medicine; College of Health Sciences; College of Public Health; College of Nursing; College of Social Work; College of Communications and Information Studies; plus many more. While working on a doctoral degree in health promotion, students may choose to complete a certificate in College Teaching and Learning, Gerontology, Medical Behavioral Science, Health Communication in addition to other areas.

The University of Kentucky has several specialized research centers on campus providing students the opportunity to collaborate with professionals in many other disciplines. These Centers include: the Sanders-Brown Center for Aging Research, the Center for Tobacco and Health Research, Center of Drug and Alcohol Research, Prevention Research Center, Barnstable Brown Kentucky Diabetes and Obesity Center, plus additional Centers. In addition, the health promotion program has close ties to the University of Kentucky’s Health and Wellness Program for faculty and staff, offering unique employment and internship opportunities.

We believe that health promotion is a dynamic and growing field with untold opportunities for personal and professional growth and employment. Come join us for the opportunity to become part of a team that seeks to enable and empower individuals and communities to gain control of their health.