Our Mission
We will train the next generation of behavioral health care professionals to meet the critical mental health and emotional well-being needs of children and adults in Texas.
Meet the School of Behavioral Health Sciences Leadership Team
Led by Founding Dean, Dr. Jair Soares, the team brings a shared commitment to making a meaningful impact across Texas.
Quick Facts
Apply
UTHealth Houston School of Behavioral Health Sciences hopes to begin enrolling in the fall of 2025, pending approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
Innovation
Novel, solution-focused approaches will guide efforts to recruit, educate, train, and deploy mental health professionals.
School offerings
Quality degrees and programs, plus distinct certifications, postdoctoral fellowships, and clinical internships, will be among the school’s offerings.
The story begins
The University of Texas System Board of Regents approves UTHealth Houston School of Behavioral Health Sciences on Nov. 4, 2022.
The first six
Pending THECB approval, the first programs will include: Master of Science programs in Clinical Psychology, Clinical Social Work, and Cognitive Behavioral Sciences; PhD programs in Clinical Psychology, Cognitive Behavioral Sciences; and a PsyD Clinical Psychology program.
Board approval
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board approves the school on Jan. 9, 2023.
Meeting the critical needs of Texans
Impact
Educational programs, research, and clinical care will all be driven by our quest to improve the mental health and well-being of individuals and the communities.
Join Us
Together, we can build the behavioral health workforce of Texas – for Texans – at UTHealth Houston School of Behavioral Health Sciences.
Unparalleled resources
For more than 50 years, UTHealth Houston’s students, trainees, faculty, and staff have been creating a healthier future for all.
UTHealth Houston School of Behavioral Health Sciences becomes the university’s seventh school to educate the next generation of health care professionals who will rise to meet the needs of our communities.
Students will have a unique opportunity to tap into the university’s unparalleled resources, including:
- Seven schools
- Largest academic behavioral health campus in the nation
- Access to our centers, programs, research and faculty at Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at McGovern Medical School
- Hands-on training in community clinics and hospitals, including UT Physicians, the John S. Dunn Behavioral Sciences Center at UTHealth Houston, and UTHealth Houston Harris County Psychiatric Center
In the News
Seventh school officially launches at UTHealth Houston
August 29, 2025
School of Behavioral Health Sciences welcomes students
August 26, 2025
UTHealth Houston School of Behavioral Health Sciences opens!
August 22, 2025