Health Psychology Concentration | University of Kentucky College of Arts & Sciences

The health psychology concentration is available to UK Psychology doctoral students in any lab in any of the three psychology areas (Clinical; Cognitive Neuroscience; and Developmental, Social, and Health). Note: Students in the DSH area are not required to complete the health psychology concentration, nor are students pursuing the concentration required to be in the DSH area.

The discipline of health psychology focuses on the interactions among psychology, behavior, and physical health. Topics in health psychology include, but are not limited to: health behavior performance and change; psychophysiology, psychoneuroendocrinology, and psychoneuroimmunology; treatment interventions in multidisciplinary or interprofessional healthcare settings; and psychological adjustment to chronic disease and other health conditions. Health psychologists often engage in clinical and academic research and are important clinical team members in medical and other healthcare settings (e.g., rehabilitation hospitals, VA medical centers).

The goal of the UK health psychology concentration is to provide a training emphasis in health psychology that, along with the core training provided by the student’s major area of study, leads to the knowledge and applied competencies associated with being a health psychologist.

Academic requirements: 3 courses (9 credit hours), which include 2 core courses and 1 allied discipline course.

Core Courses:

PSY 626/BSC 626: Survey of Health Psychology

PSY 627/PGY 627: Proseminar in Physiological Psychology

Allied Discipline Courses: Exposure to an allied discipline can be met through courses offered in the College of Public Health (Epidemiology; Health, Behavior, and Society) and the Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion. Students with the appropriate preparation may also meet this requirement through courses offered in the Departments of Physiology and Microbiology and Immunology. Examples of Allied Discipline courses include, but are not limited to:

CPH 600: Health Services and Systems Organization

CPH 601: Environmental Health

CPH 604: Foundations of Health Behavior

CPH 605: Epidemiology

CPH 612: Infectious Disease Epidemiology

CPH 620: Occupational Health

CPH 644: Rural Health Disparities

CPH 648: Eliminating Health Disparities

CPH 660: Disease Mapping & Data Visualization

CPH 674 Foundations of Health Behavior II

CPH 711: Chronic Disease Epidemiology

CPH 740: Introduction to Maternal and Child Health

KHP 510: Community Organizing in Health Promotion

KHP 547: Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity

KHP 576: LGBTQ* Health Promotion

KHP 602: Promoting Physical Activity for Youth

KHP 609: Health Coaching

KHP 673: Health Promotion and Behavior Change

KHP 674: Foundations of Health Promotion

KHP 678: Sexual Health Promotion

BSC 755: Race, Racism & Health Disparities Among Blacks in the US

Research requirements: At least one research project in health psychology must be completed for the concentration. Thesis and dissertation research or an independent research project may be used to fulfill this requirement. A proposal for a project to meet this requirement should be submitted to and approved by one of the Health Psychology Core Faculty before undertaking the project. A final copy of the project should be provided to the coordinator. If the project is a thesis or dissertation, a member of the core faculty should be on the student’s committee.

Clinical requirements: Clinical students must complete a minimum of 500 hours of relevant practicum experience (i.e., address health-related issues and/or work as part of an inter-professional care team). This hours requirement is equivalent to one year of a 10-hour per week placement, though ideally a student pursuing this specialization would complete two relevant practicum.

Examples of relevant clinical practicum include:

UK Orofacial Pain Clinic

UK Adolescent Medicine Clinic

UK Clinic for Emotional Health - Sleep Focused Practicum

Bluegrass Health Psychology

Core Health Psychology faculty:

Jessica Burris

Kate Leger (Coordinator)

Affiliated faculty:

Christal Badour (PSY)

Josh Beckmann (PSY)

Peggy Keller (PSY)