Prevention Science (MEd)
The Prevention Science program provides training in the design, evaluation, and delivery of interventions aimed at reducing risk and enhancing protective factors in children, youth, and families, and building resilient communities.
Our strengths-based program is designed to produce prevention scientists capable of advancing healthy outcomes across a range of individuals, populations, and settings.
The one-year master of education (MEd) degree in prevention science is primarily intended for students who have completed a bachelor’s degree in a prevention science–related discipline or have human development, psychology, education, or prevention science experience, are currently working in the profession, and wish to enhance their education to improve their career opportunities in the field. It is also intended for students who wish to refocus their education from a non-science or non-education bachelor’s background, such as a humanities undergraduate degree, to gain training and skill development relevant to prevention science, program evaluation, and research in the human services professions for future career or academic study interests. This program is also ideal for students who are considering pursuing doctoral study or additional applied master’s training and wish to improve their content knowledge and research skills to make themselves more competitive for other, more advanced graduate programs.
Program Goals and Competencies
Goals
- Graduates describe theoretical models, risk and protective factors, preventive interventions (especially evidence-based ones), and implementation practices related to prevention programs and policies
- Graduates understand and adhere to the standards of knowledge for prevention science, including best practices in research design and methods, data analysis, interpretation, dissemination and rigorous ethical practice
- Graduates commit to multicultural competence and enhancing human welfare in their scholarly work related to prevention science
- Graduates display professionalism in their relationships with faculty and staff members, peers, and community partners across settings
Competencies
Learning objectives for the prevention science graduate programs focus on preparing students to achieve the following set of minimum competencies that accompany the stated program goals:
- Students describe the origins, foundations, and standards of prevention science (Goal 2)
- Students design and carry out theoretically grounded research studies that contribute to the literature on risk and protective factors, and identify their mechanisms of influence associated with behavioral health outcomes across the lifespan (Goal 1, 2, 3)
- Students demonstrate knowledge of evidence-based preventive interventions and policies and understand how to apply prevention science theories to the design, implementation, and evaluation of preventive interventions (Goal 1, 2, 3, 4)
- Students integrate knowledge of research design, quantitative methods, data analysis, and multimethod, multiagent assessment methods commonly used in prevention science into their research activities (Goal 2)
- Students demonstrate skill in disseminating their work to a variety of audiences via formal academic presentations, instructional activities, and professional or academic writing (Goal 1, 2, 3, 4)
- Students demonstrate awareness and understanding of contextual issues such as culture, identity, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, marginalization, poverty, inequality, and religion in their research, applied activities, and professional behavior (Goal 1, 3, 4)
- Students indicate a commitment to continuous learning and professional development by establishing and maintaining effective professional relationships with faculty members, research and teaching supervisors, collaborators, participants, agency personnel, peers, and staff, and being responsive to constructive feedback (Goal 4)
- Students demonstrate honesty, personal responsibility, and knowledge and appropriate application of relevant ethical and legal codes related to prevention science (e.g., American Psychological Association ethical standards) (Goal 4)
Program Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Design, carry out, and evaluate research studies that contribute to the prevention science literature.
- Demonstrate skill in disseminating their work to diverse audiences via formal academic presentations, instructional activities, and professional/academic writing.
- Demonstrate awareness and understanding of diversity and contextual issues such as culture, identity, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, marginalization, poverty, inequality, and religion in their research, applied activities, and professional behavior.
- Demonstrate honesty, personal responsibility, and knowledge and appropriate application of relevant ethical and legal codes related to prevention science (e.g., APA Ethical Standards).
Prevention Science Major Requirements
Prevention Science Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Psychological Foundations (12 Credits) | ||
| PREV 631 | Introduction to Prevention Science | 3 |
| PREV 633 | Contemporary Issues in Public Health | 3 |
| CPSY 621 | Lifespan Developmental Psychology | 3 |
| CPSY 645 | Health Promotion and Equity | 3 |
| Research Methods (9 Credits) | ||
| EDUC 612 | Social Science and Education Research Design | 3 |
| EDUC 614 | Introductory Statistics for Practitioners I | 3 |
| EDUC 640 | Introductory Statistics for Practitioners II | 3 |
| or EDUC 615 | Qualitative Data and Coding Methods | |
| Research (2 Credits) | ||
| PREV 601 | Research: [Topic] | 2 |
| Professional Foundations (7 Credits) | ||
| PREV 611 | Capstone Seminar I | 3 |
| PREV 612 | Capstone Seminar II | 2 |
| PREV 613 | Capstone Seminar III | 2 |
| Electives 1 | 15 | |
| Reading and Conference: [Topic] | ||
| Experimental Course: [Topic] (PREV 635 Prevention & Policy) | ||
| Implementation Science | ||
| Prevention and Policy | ||
| Experimental Course: [Topic] | ||
| Theories of Counseling | ||
| Theories of Career Development | ||
| Social Aspects of Behavior | ||
| Experimental Course: [Topic] | ||
| Academic and Behavioral Interventions | ||
| Foundations of Disability I | ||
| Capstone Project | ||
| Total Credits | 45 | |
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Partial listing of elective options. Please contact the department for a complete list.