Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences - University of Houston
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College of Education

Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences

Student teacher with a student behind a Third Ward mural

The University of Houston’s Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences department is an interdisciplinary collection of scientists, scholars and educators committed to innovative research and academic excellence. We are dedicated to breaking down the traditional silos that place restrictions on how and what students learn. We are a forward-thinking institution committed to developing forward-thinking leaders who will face down the challenges of our modern world. And we do all this in a multicultural, multilingual campus (and city) that provides students and faculty members numerous opportunities to learn and grow in the classroom and out in the field.

Our Programs

  • students at the conference table

    Counseling Psychology

    Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

    Our counseling psychology program generates new knowledge and trains community-engaged change agents. We provide our students the tools they need to help others navigate the modern world.

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    Measurement, Quantitative Methods, & Learning Sciences

    Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

    We help students develop a broad understanding of psychological and learning theories while also receiving strong quantitative methods training.

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    School Psychology

    Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

    Our program is home to faculty and students committed to impacting the academic, behavioral and social-emotional functioning of children. Our faculty teaches students how to apply the core principles of school psychology inside and outside of schools.

  • A happy family

    Counseling

    Master of Education (M.Ed.)

    We help students develop a deep understanding of counseling theories, skills and techniques. Our students gain an understanding of the role and influence of the counselor in providing services to a diverse population.

  • Nurse with patient

    Health

    Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

    Our program is dedicated to meeting the increased needs for public health educators, health promotion specialists and allied health professionals. We prepare graduates to work in a variety of settings.

  • Generations

    Human Development & Family Studies

    Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) & Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

    We provide a broad study of the intellectual, emotional, social and moral development of individuals and families. We prepare students for such careers as elementary school or special education teacher, human services administrator or day care director.

About PHLS

  • Department Overview

    We welcome you to the Department of Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences. We train the next generation of counseling, school, quantitative and learning science professionals. We prepare undergraduate students for work in the fields of health and human development & family studies.

    Our students and faculty are a vibrant group. We may practice different disciplines, but we're drawn together by a desire to right society's wrongs. We work to ensure people of all backgrounds have the opportunity to live healthy and productive lives. Our diversity — of thought, discipline, and background — unites us. This diversity will solidify our place among the top departments of our kind in the nation. It will also nurture what makes us unique amongst our peers.

  • Mission Statement

    The mission of our department is to advance scientific knowledge, effect real-world change, maximize student potential for global competitiveness and enhance the quality and length of life in all segments of society.

    This mission has three critical goals:

    1. Leverage both innovative research and academic excellence to offer nationally competitive and internationally recognized degree programs — related to psychological, health and learning sciences — that prepare a diverse student body to serve an increasingly diverse society.
    2. Build an interdisciplinary enterprise that advances innovative scientific inquiry and services that have a measurable impact on the elimination of global disparities in health and education.
    3. Lead in the advancement of Houston’s future by establishing and maintaining collaborative relationships with local school districts; medical and mental health service agencies; and community-based organizations, coalitions and stakeholders.

  • Program Values

    EXCELLENCE
    Engaging in innovative research and providing rigorous and pioneering programs of study that have significant social/educational impact and public health relevance.

    STUDENT SUCCESS
    Fostering robust mentoring relationships and providing exceptional undergraduate and graduate programs that prepare future professionals to solve real-world challenges and improve the lives of those they serve.

    COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
    Sustaining strong long-term relationships that enable and enhance our collective impact on local, national and international communities through our research, teaching and service.

    DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
    Valuing diversity and promoting social and academic inclusion to enrich learning, inform scientific inquiry and facilitate the development and delivery of culturally-informed services within a uniquely diverse metropolitan context. Furthermore, this involves challenging structural inequities to reduce disparities and promote social justice locally and globally.

    ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
    Fostering an educational culture that promotes collegiality, honesty, fairness, empowerment, transparency and collective responsibility.

PHLS NEWS & FEATURES

  • Raymond "Marshall" Miller

    Academic Advisor Guides Students Toward Success

    Raymond “Marshall” Miller prepares students pursuing a B.S. or minor in health for the next stage in their education and career. “I like being able to foster their growth,” he said. “Seeing students I met apply to graduate — seeing them reach their end goal — has been really fulfilling.”

  • Lauren Harris

    UH Health Graduate Empowers Underserved Youths

    Alumna Lauren Harris works to create lasting change in high-risk communities as a program coordinator for the Third Ward nonprofit Change Happens!. For her dedication to improving lives through collective action, Harris earned the College’s 2020 Rising Star Award.

  • Paula Hernandez

    Class of 2020 Graduates Display ‘Unparalleled Resilience’

    This year’s graduates faced unprecedented challenges. “Nothing worth having is easy,” said Paula Hernandez, who graduates with her teaching degree and a 4.0 GPA. Hernandez and three other top graduates share their stories.

  • Nathan Grant Smith

    UH Researcher Aims to Improve Lives of Young Gay Men

    Associate Professor Nathan Smith is recruiting participants for Project PRIDE, a federally funded program he developed to help lower stress among gay, bisexual and queer men by providing coping strategies.

  • Julie Dunsmore

    Professor Earns Grant to Study Parenting, Children’s Emotions

    Professor Julie Dunsmore has received a federal grant for nearly $897,400 to research a parenting strategy known as “emotion coaching,” which involves empathy before discipline. The project could help shape parent education.

  • Ezemenari Obasi

    Associate Dean Leads New National Research Center

    Ezemenari Obasi, associate dean for research and professor of counseling psychology, has received an $11.8 million federal grant to establish the HEALTH Center for Addictions Research and Cancer Prevention.

Short Takes

Rosenda Murillo, an associate professor in the health program, earned a UH Undergraduate Research Mentor Award for 2020-21. The award is part of the Provost’s Teaching Excellence Awards.

Associate Dean Ezemenari Obasi, a professor of counseling psychology who directs the UH HEALTH Research Institute, won a UH Excellence in Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity Award for 2020-21.

Professor Norma Olvera won a 2021 Hispanic Health Professionals Leadership Network Award from the National Hispanic Medical Association for her work to improve health in traditionally underserved communities. The award was presented at the association conference in March.

Danielle Llaneza, a doctoral student in the counseling psychology program, has been awarded a Research Pilot Award from the Geographic Management of Cancer Health Disparities Program for her work with adult cancer patients and survivors of color during COVID-19.

Research

Our faculty members’ research programs have received funding from federal and state organizations such as the Institute of Education Sciences, National Institute on Drug Abuse and Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas. It is our mission to advance scientific knowledge, effect real-world change and enhance the quality and length of life in all segments of society. Our department is uniquely positioned to have a measurable impact on the elimination of global disparities in health and education.

Learning, Instruction, & Student Success

Innovative Measurement & Research Methods

Development of Risk & Resilience

Behavioral Health & Health Disparities

Multiculturalism & Social Justice

Program and Research Videos

The following is a collection of brief video overviews of some of our most recent research findings. If you would like to learn more about our research, please visit our degree program pages.

UPCOMING EVENTS

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COLLEGE SNAPSHOT

Learn more about the College of Education’s programs, research, community engagement and more in our new magazine. Prospective students won’t want to miss this useful guide! Read on.
Farish Hall

Contact Us

Department of Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences at the University of Houston

Department Chair: Dr. Nathan Grant Smith

UH College of Education
Stephen Power Farish Hall
3657 Cullen Blvd., Room 491
Houston, TX 77204-5023

Department: 713-743-7397

Undergraduate: coeug@uh.edu or 713-743-5000
Graduate: coegrad@central.uh.edu or 713-743-7676
General: coecomm@uh.edu or 713-743-5010

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