Department of Health Promotion
Department Chair: Prof. Yftach Gepner (gepner@tauex.tau.ac.il)
Department Advisor: Ms. Merav Farkash-Saad (meravf@tauex.tau.ac.il)
Secretary: Ms. Libby Manor (libby10@tauex.tau.ac.il / mazkirutmph@tauex.tau.ac.il)
Health promotion is the art and science of empowering people and societies to make healthy choices and improve health. The objective of the Master of Public Health - Health Promotion Track is to train Israel's next generation of active health promoters and health promotion researchers. The program incorporates education in health promotion theories and practice with the basic scientific disciplines of epidemiology, biostatistics, and qualitative methods. The knowledge produced through the Department's research is used to communicate to the public, policy makers, and practitioners to advance the health of populations.
The awareness of health promotion’s potential to mitigate the current epidemic of preventable chronic and infectious diseases has led to an increase in resources for health promotion in the Western world. Yet, there is a shortage of trained professionals within Israel to maintain the latest developments in the field.
The Department of Health Promotion aims to:
- Provide students with the essential tools to develop, adapt, and implement health promotion programs and strategies
- Integrate health promotion into a variety of disciplines and professions
- Contribute to the development of the field through research and training
The Department of Health Promotion offers three programs: MPH in Health Promotion, PhD, and Postdoctoral Fellowship. The programs are designed for healthcare professionals (physicians, nurses, physical therapists, and dieticians), academics, as well as individuals with various backgrounds (journalists, statisticians, psychologists, sociologists, and social workers). We particularly seek candidates who will contribute to the field and be at the forefront of efforts to benefit the health of populations in Israel and worldwide.
The MPH in Health Promotion program curriculum incorporates the fundamental concepts of health promotion and relevant research methods. The PhD and post-doctoral programs seek to develop scholars who can contribute to health promotion and health promotion research in Israel and abroad, with emphasis on the special challenges faced by health promotion researchers, and the need for a mixed methods approach including both quantitative and qualitative tools. Students from other disciplines and programs have the opportunity to enhance their education by taking courses within the Department of Health Promotion.
All courses are taught in Hebrew unless specified otherwise.
