Students may earn a PhD Minor and/or Certificate as follows: PhD Minor The Option A Minor in Prevention Science requires 10 credits in approved courses. The Option A Minor is approved by the UW Graduate School. It is a named minor that is listed on student transcripts. Courses taken for the Minor can be applied to the Certificate. Certificate Program graduate students in the participating departments and special students earn a certificate in Prevention Science by completing a total of 16 credits in approved courses. One course must be in methodology. Students can also use a research practicum of 3 credits toward the certificate requirement.
Research training in the social and behavioral sciences usually includes intensive study within a single discipline for the purpose of contributing to a specific area of inquiry. Training in Prevention Science, however, requires expertise in a variety of theoretical and substantive perspectives for the purpose of conducting mission-oriented research within the human capital systems of the family, health and education, workplace, community, and social welfare. It also involves the application of this knowledge to real world problems and issues affecting people and the institutions and settings in which they live their lives. Such an interdisciplinary framework is consistent with emerging trends in the human-service professions. The training program has three special features:
- Training emphasizes programmatic efforts that seek to prevent the development of problematic outcomes and to promote optimal functioning in individuals or groups across the life course.
- Training emphasizes how preventive interventions are implemented and evaluated in family, school, and community contexts—and the interaction across these contexts.
- Training emphasizes methodological and statistical techniques and application of them in prevention and intervention research.
This cross-school effort creates links that establish programmatic approaches for addressing social issues and problems in society.