Park rangers participating in naloxone training.

welcome to the Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences

Our faculty are dedicated to creating broad, systematic health changes across entire communities. The faculty is committed to providing competency-based education coupled with hands-on experience and the development of critical thinking skills.

Learn About Our Mission

Improving the health and well being of communities

Health disparities are shaped by behavioral and sociocultural factors. The study of Social and Behavioral Sciences in public health focuses on psychosocial, behavioral, community and societal influences on health and the development of interventions that eliminate barriers to health and healthcare access.

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As the first ABM public health graduate, Shreve sets her sights on changing state’s health outcomes

Payton Shreve spent the last four years immersed in studies and practical experiences to further her passion for improving community health, especially for youth. Now, she’s leaving a mark on West Virginia University School of Public Health history as a member of the first cohort to graduate from the Accelerated Bachelor’s to Master’s (ABM) program and the first to earn that degree in public health.

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