What's In It For You to Come to SIU?

Greetings.  Thanks for your interest in our graduate program in health education.  There is a strong Saluki Tradition with our program. We have had nearly 400 PhD graduates and hundreds of MS/MPH students.  We're excited that you might become part of our family.
 
Historically, the SIUC’s Health Education program has had national prominence including high rankings in health education doctoral programs.  Southern is home to the nationally recognized HEDIR…has faculty who have all received national awards, fellowships, and other honors.  The faculty are among the most productive in the university in publications, presentations, and teaching honors. 
 
We offer a PhD in Health Education, and an MPH in Community Health Education.  Most of our graduate level courses are offered in late afternoon or after 5:00 pm.  In addition, we have a wide variety of alternative course offerings such as two-week concentrated courses and on-line courses.
 
Southern has very economical costs when compared to other institutions our size.  You can get specific information about tuition and fees by going to http://www.siu.edu/gradschl/tuition&fees.htm .  Our fees include a variety of services including full health care coverage and access to some of the state of the art facilities on campus (e.g., Student Recreation Center).
 
If you like fresh air, outdoor recreation and a small, homey community, you’ll love Carbondale.  Ranked as one of the best small towns in the country, the community has embraced the university and the many rich traditions and diversity that a large university brings.  Carbondale has some of the best public schools in the state and the surrounding areas offer a wide variety of entertainment including minor league baseball, concerts, and festivals.  Carbondale is also only two hours from St. Louis for those who like to escape to the big city.
 
Graduates of our program work in a variety of settings.  For those considering the MPH program (which started in 2004) we have graduates at various local, state, and private settings including the state government, hospitals and social agencies.  Almost all of our PhD alums are teaching at the university level.  They are often the leaders in hiring faculty, serving on national committees and setting the tone for the future of health education.  There is a rich 'Saluki Network" for PhD graduates looking for faculty positions.

You'll have opportunities to work with a variety of campus and community groups, including the award-winning local health department, the area's largest hospital corporation, the campus Wellness Center, and various other centers on campus including the Center for Rural Health and the Safety Center (the campus' oldest center).  You'll have a chance to work side by side with faculty and staff in a variety of tasks including the assessing of needs, planning and delivery of programs, and evaluating the success of such programs.
 
Although Carbondale is a city of only 24,000, the university brings over 20,000 students.  The campus is entirely wireless (both indoors and outdoors), has state of the art buildings, and is finishing innovations on  Morris Library—one of the top ranked academic libraries in the country. Pulliam Hall (the iconic figure of SIU with its clocktower) is the home of the Health Education program.
 
Faculty love working with students;  students enjoy the camaraderie that occurs with our programs, and our alums frequently come ‘home’ to visit.  We think you’ll find Carbondale to be a great place to do your graduate studies.
 
For more information about our program we encourage you to visit our website at www.hedir.org/siu/hed.   Click on the appropriate Health Education program…there you’ll find all pertinent information about the program, as well as all forms needed to make an application.  Be sure to visit the alum page where you can view and read comments from our alums. 
 
If you should have any questions, feel free to contact me.

Mark J. Kittleson, PhD, FAAHB
Graduate Director