Masters of Science in Behavioral and Social Sciences Intervention
Masters of Science in Behavioral and Social Sciences Intervention Program Director
Don Operario, PhD
Associate Professor of Medical Sciences
Don_Operario@Brown.EDU
Research Profile
Overview
The world's greatest public health problems - such as cancer, obesity, heart disease, drug and alcohol addiction, HIV/AIDS, and others - are determined by human behaviors and social conditions. In order to improve the health of societies, it is imperative to understand and change unhealthy behaviors and social conditions that give rise to preventable forms of morbidity and mortality.
The interdisciplinary Masters' program in Behavioral and Social Sciences Intervention (BSSI) in the Brown University Public Health Program trains graduate students who are interested in analyzing the complex behavioral and social determinants of public health, and in developing interventions to change behaviors and improve social contexts related to public health.
The BSSI program seeks to train the next generation of public health intervention specialists in:
- The use of state-of-the-art experimental and non-experimental research methods for the improvement of health in the community, with a focus on the important role of behavior change in health promotion.
- The communication and application of scientific knowledge related to health behavior change.
- Multidisciplinary intervention design and evaluation.
- Leadership skills for the purpose of improving and delivering health promotion/disease prevention services at the organizational, state, national and international levels.
The BSSI program is ideal for students who are interested in working in health program evaluation, program management, community-based organizations and other non-profit services, managed care, treatment intervention research, clinical trials, and many other fields. The BSSI program is also ideal for those interested in pursuing doctoral-level training in public health, psychology (e.g., clinical or counseling psychology; health or social psychology; community psychology), public policy, social welfare.
Our teaching curriculum is designed to build six core competencies in students:
- Behavioral Science and Intervention
- Program Planning and Evaluation
- Cultural Competence
- Ethics and Professionalism
- Communication and Informatics
- Translation and Dissemination
Our internationally respected faculty are experts in the fields of alcohol and addiction, substance use, exercise and physical activity, diet and nutrition, cancer control, HIV/AIDS, among other areas. We conduct research with diverse communities in Providence, Boston, other urban settings in the United States, and in international settings. We value diversity and are committed to addressing health disparities associated with race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and other forms of social inequality.