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Behavioral Aspects of Health

A program that focuses on the biological, behavioral, and socio-cultural determinants of health and health behavior, and the interventions and policies aimed at improving community and population health. Includes instruction in behavioral sciences, public health practice and policy, human services, and research methods. Examples: [Behavioral Health], [Biobehavioral Health], [Health and Social Behavior], [Health Behavior]

Types of Degrees Behavioral Aspects of Health Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Behavioral Aspects of Health may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	16
Associate’s Degree	43
Bachelor’s Degree	343
Master’s Degree	179
Doctor’s Degree	41

What Behavioral Aspects of Health Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Behavioral Aspects of Health develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Behavioral Aspects of Health graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Behavioral Aspects of Health emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a Behavioral Aspects of Health program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Behavioral Aspects of Health careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Behavioral Aspects of Health graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.6 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.4 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Behavioral Aspects of Health professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Electronic health record EHR software	Medical software	—
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	—
Turning Technologies TurningPoint	Multi-media educational software	—
Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS	Medical software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Behavioral Aspects of Health graduates include:

• Nutrition Educator
• Clinical Instructor
• Instructor
• Activity Therapy Teacher
• Veterinary Science Teacher
• Hearing Therapy Teacher
• Lecturer
• Neurological Surgery Teacher
• Health Diagnostics Teacher
• Chiropractic Teacher
• Neurology Professor
• Toxicology Teacher
• Physical Therapy Professor
• Psychiatry Teacher
• Dental Laboratory Technology Teacher

What Can You Do With a Behavioral Aspects of Health Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Behavioral Aspects of Health commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary	10.7%	$46,663	$40,304–$53,022

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Behavioral Aspects of Health graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	29.4%
Bachelor’s degree	20.7%
Doctoral degree	18.5%
Post-doctoral training	14.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	13.3%
Postsecondary certificate	2.1%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.5%
Some college courses	0.4%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Behavioral Aspects of Health?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 79.9% of Behavioral Aspects of Health degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	498	79.9%
Men	125	20.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Behavioral Aspects of Health graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	243	39.0%
Asian	88	14.1%
Hispanic or Latino	121	19.4%
Black or African American	87	14.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native	21	3.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.2%
Two or More Races	21	3.4%
Race Unknown	13	2.1%
International Students	28	4.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Behavioral Aspects of Health Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Behavioral Aspects of Health graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$50,939
4 years	$60,432
5 years	$70,561

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $70,561 — roughly 39% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Behavioral Aspects of Health Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Behavioral Aspects of Health. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	1	0
Bachelor’s	2	1
Master’s	3	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Behavioral Aspects of Health Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Behavioral Aspects of Health graduates earn a median of $60,432 four years after completion — roughly 59% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Public Health	41,086
Public Health, General	25,004
Health and Wellness, General	5,611
Public Health Education and Promotion	3,785
Public Health, Other	2,803
Health Services Administration	2,629
Community Health and Preventive Medicine	2,571
Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling	2,298
Environmental Health	1,269
Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene	313
Health/Medical Physics	288
Advanced General Dentistry	238

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.