Have questions about enrollment, degree programs, financial aid, or next steps?
ALISO VIEJO, Calif. (February 6, 2026) — The University of Massachusetts Global announced today the creation of the School of Health and Behavioral Sciences, a new academic home that brings together the university’s psychology, counseling, marriage and family therapy, and social work programs. The school is designed to better serve students pursuing careers in high-demand behavioral and mental health fields.
The School of Health and Behavioral Sciences will formally launch in August 2026, with Dr. Isa Ribadu as founding dean, providing focused leadership for these programs and the students they serve.
The new school will prepare students for roles as healing practitioners who promote and advance mental health, well-being, and social justice within diverse communities. By uniting UMass Global’s behavioral health disciplines under one school, students will benefit from expanded opportunities for interdisciplinary learning, collaboration, and community engagement.
Students should expect minimal changes to their program curriculum, structure, and application processes. Programs will continue to offer innovative, practice-driven curricula that include fieldwork, practicum, and supervised practice aligned with licensure requirements and contemporary workforce needs.
“The vision of the School of Health and Behavioral Sciences is to prepare a culturally responsive, ethically grounded, and practice-ready workforce dedicated to advancing the physical, emotional, and social well-being of individuals, families, and communities,” said Dr. Isa Ribadu. “By aligning our psychology, counseling, marriage and family therapy, and social work programs within a dedicated school, we are strengthening support for students as they pursue licensure, certification, and meaningful impact in the field.”
Guided by scholar-practitioners who are actively engaged in professional practice, programs within the school will continue to integrate theory, research, and supervised experience. This approach equips students with the knowledge and skills needed to pursue licensure-eligible graduate education and a wide range of careers in behavioral and mental health services, including but not limited to clinical practice, community-based organizations, healthcare systems, education, and advocacy.
The consolidation of these programs within a single school naturally creates new opportunities for partnership. The School of Health and Behavioral Sciences, and UMass Global more broadly, looks forward to building strong relationships with community partners to help address workforce shortages and respond to evolving community needs.
###
About University of Massachusetts Global
Accredited by WSCUC, University of Massachusetts Global is a private, nonprofit affiliate of the University of Massachusetts system, committed to helping adult learners change their lives through education. We offer over 55 online programs tailored for workplace relevance — associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, along with teaching credentials, stackable certificates, and authorizations. All UMass Global coursework is 100 percent online, which meshes with the busy lives of our non-traditional students. We are known for attentive student support, accommodating transfer policies, high graduation rates, alumni satisfaction, and low student debt loan default rates. For additional information, visit the university's website.
0