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Positive Health Psychology integrates your core professional education in psychology with a focus on this dynamic and growing field, which explores human well-being and the factors that contribute to it.

Positive Health Psychology investigates people who are physically and mentally healthy despite the presence of otherwise harmful physical, social, or environmental conditions. Offered jointly by the School of Community & Global Health and the Division of Behavioral & Organizational Sciences, this unique master’s program in positive health psychology explores the relationship of optimism and physical health, positive health behaviors, and the role social support and relationships play in maximizing health and well-being. You’ll gain a unique combination of insights applicable to a wide range of professional options, including managed care, mental health, and such federal agencies as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Program Highlights

Program at a Glance

UNITS
48 units

ESTIMATED COMPLETION TIME*
2 years

*Program completion times may vary depending on course registration, units transferred, and time to complete other degree requirements.

COURSES BEGIN
Fall | Spring

DIVISION
Division of Behavioral & Organizational Sciences

DEGREE AWARDED
MA in Positive Health Psychology

Featured Courses

PSYCH 329
Foundations of Positive Psychology

Introduces the history, intellectual sources, and main topics of research and application in the burgeoning field of positive psychology.

CGH 300
Theoretical Foundations in Health Promotion & Education

Explores and critiques theoretical foundations of health promotion programs and provides information about applications in varied health promotion settings.

CGH 302
Epidemiology

Provides an overview of the causes, distribution, and control of disease in populations and the skills and knowledge to investigate the epidemiology of a specific disease or other health-related phenomenon.

PSYCH 308C
Applied Multiple Regression

Explores bivariate and multivariate correlation and regression with an emphasis on applications of multiple regression to data analysis.

CGH 313
Research Methods in Public Health

Examines the principles and skills of conducting behavioral research and using qualitative and quantitative approaches commonly relied upon in public health settings.

PSYCH 330
Advanced Topics in Positive Psychology

Introduces major topics of research in this field—students choose a specific topic, prepare a thorough critical review of the literature, and present it to the class for discussion.

Curriculum

Health Core Courses (24 units)
Epidemiology (4 units)
Grant Writing & Proposal Development (4 units)
Foundations in Program Planning (4 units)
Foundations in Global Health (4 units)
Research Methods (4 units)
Theoretical Foundations of Health Promotion & Education (4 units)

Positive Psychology Core Courses (12 units)
Foundations of Positive Psychology (4 units)
Advanced Topics in Positive Psychology (4 units)
Positive Health Psychology (4 units)

Applied Research Methodology Courses (12 units)
Foundations of Evaluation (4 units)
Intermediate Statistics (2 units)
Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) (2 units)
Applied Multiple Regression (2 units)
Categorical Data Analysis (2 units)

In the Field Opportunities

Under the supervision of professionals with expertise in your particular areas of interest, you can participate in fieldwork, research, and paid internships at a range of corporations and organizations, including:

  • Southern California Edison Company
  • Kaiser Permanente
  • Orange County Rapid Transit District
  • Riverside County Department of Mental Health
  • Claremont Evaluation Center
  • Institute for Research on Social Issues

Faculty & Research

Where You Can Find Our Alumni

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Regina Burch

Assistant Director of Admissions
T: 909-607-9421
E: regina.burch@cgu.edu

Regina Wang Lee

Director of Recruitment for the School of Community & Global Health
T: 909-607-9417
E: regina.wang.lee@cgu.edu