Graduate Programs in Prevention Science (December 2018)
The links below provide information about Prevention Science graduate programs. The Society for Prevention Research does not endorse any individual programs, and prevention scientists come from many different types of degree programs, including Community Psychology, Public Health, Community Health, Implementation Science, Human Development, Education, and more. We encourage those interested to explore not just the links to Prevention Science programs that we have provided here, but also other, similar graduate programs.
PhD Programs
We have included in this list programs that clearly identify themselves as Prevention Science programs and/or that have all or most of the elements of a Prevention Science curriculum, including:
- Prevention Science Fundamentals: Prevention paradigms, school-, family, and community- based programs, Type II translational research, community systems and frameworks for prevention; program planning, implementation, development, and evaluation; risk and resilience frameworks
- Developmental Theory: Individual development in context, lifespan development, family development
- Developmental Methods: Methods and design, multivariate statistics, longitudinal methods
Some programs also include courses in Implementation Science, Prevention Policy, Community-Based Participatory Research, Diversity, Health Equity, and Health Disparities, Global Prevention Science, Ethical Considerations in Prevention Science, and Grant Writing.
All these programs are focused on the generation of research-based knowledge.
Colorado State University
Kent State University
The Pennsylvania State University
University of Illinois, Chicago
University of Miami
University of Oregon
Washington State University
MS, Certificate, and Minor Programs
We have included in this list programs that clearly identify themselves as Prevention Science programs and/or that have some of the elements of a Prevention Science curriculum that are listed above, under PhD programs.
Some of these programs are focused on the generation of research-based knowledge, while others are focused on evidence-based practice; some combine both. Because the programs are shorter, none of them address all topics present in the PhD programs, but all identify as Prevention Science programs or clearly emphasize prevention as a core aspect of their program.
Colorado State University
Harvard University
Stanford University
University of Miami
University of Minnesota
University of Oregon
University of Wisconsin-Madison
University of Zagreb
In 2013, the Society for Prevention Research (SPR) Board of Directors convened a task force to update and extend the “SPR Standards of Evidence: Criteria for Efficacy, Effectiveness, and Dissemination” published in 2004. The “Standards of Evidence for Efficacy, Effectiveness, and Scale-up Research in Prevention Science: Next Generation” published online: 07 April 2015 in Prevention Science (click here) represents the work of this task force. The revised and updated standards include special attention to standards for replication studies and scaling up of effective interventions. New standards have been added for testing theory, describing interventions, measuring the quality of implementation, documenting adaptations in the field, reporting study results, and evaluating outcomes of scale-up efforts. Guidance is also provided on determining effectiveness in face of multiple outcomes/multiple studies. The article will be published in a forthcoming print issue of Prevention Science, which will also include commentaries from several prevention scientists.
The SPR Board of Directors endorses the “next generation” standards produced through this effort and anticipates that these revised standards will help to encourage research that will strengthen the impact of prevention science to improve the public health and well-being. We encourage you to disseminate it broadly.
SPR Standards of Evidence
In 2013, the Society for Prevention Research (SPR) Board of Directors convened a task force to update and extend the “SPR Standards of Evidence: Criteria for Efficacy, Effectiveness, and Dissemination” published in 2004. The “Standards of Evidence for Efficacy, Effectiveness, and Scale-up Research in Prevention Science: Next Generation” published online: 07 April 2015 in Prevention Science (click here) represents the work of this task force. The revised and updated standards include special attention to standards for replication studies and scaling up of effective interventions. New standards have been added for testing theory, describing interventions, measuring the quality of implementation, documenting adaptations in the field, reporting study results, and evaluating outcomes of scale-up efforts. Guidance is also provided on determining effectiveness in face of multiple outcomes/multiple studies. The article will be published in a forthcoming print issue of Prevention Science, which will also include commentaries from several prevention scientists.
The SPR Board of Directors endorses the “next generation” standards produced through this effort and anticipates that these revised standards will help to encourage research that will strengthen the impact of prevention science to improve the public health and well-being. We encourage you to disseminate it broadly.