Community Health, BS

Community Health Educators assess individual and community needs for health education; plan, implement and administer health education strategies, interventions and programs; conduct evaluation and research; serve as a health education resource; and communicate and advocate for health and health education. Effective Health Education is ecological in its approach. When planning the focus of interventions, trained Health Educators consider all factors that contribute to health and disease: individual behavior; group dynamics; environmental conditions; economics; politics, laws and policies; culture, ethnicity, and gender; and the availability, accessibility, and quality of health services.

Students who are accepted into the Community Health major explore the biological, social, environmental and individual determinants of health. The curriculum is based on the skills and competencies to become a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) through the National Commission on Health Education Credentialing, Inc. The program is rigorous and faculty members emphasize diverse classroom projects and community outreach. At the end of the program, a full-time internship (40 hours per week for 10 weeks) in a health education setting is required.

The Community Health major is appropriate for students who want to work in community, public, and global health; health communication; governmental and non-profit agencies and organizations; medical care settings; worksite wellness programs; and college and university student service health education programs. It can also serve as a preparatory program for graduate or post-baccalaureate study in Health Education, Public Health, and related areas.