Public Health Education

Return to: College of Behavioral and Social Sciences

The Department of Public Health Public Education offers a professional preparation program leading to the Bachelor of Science in Public Health Education. Students take a common core of courses and complete further study in the behavioral, social, and biological sciences, education, communication, and public health.

The mission of the Department of Public Health Education is to prepare students, academically and professionally to assume leadership positions in public health. The Department provides students with opportunities to develop proficiency in the application of theory, content, and skills to promote, support, and enable healthy communities. The public health education program is designed to prepare students as entry-level health educators for practice in a variety of settings such as public health departments, voluntary health agencies, healthcare organizations, corporate worksites, and community-based organizations.

A secondary mission is to promote the health and well-being of communities through a combination of departmental course offerings, faculty research, and academic service learning. Students gain knowledge and skills to promote self-directed behaviors and lifestyles conducive to health.  They assist communities in identifying and defining health issues, designing and implementing effective strategies to address those issues, and securing resources to successfully implement those strategies.  They also advocate for policies supportive of health and a more equitable distribution of the resources necessary for health.

The Department of Public Health Education curriculum will provide students with:

1. Basic preparation for entry-level practice of health education;
2. Sound preparation for graduate study in public health education and related disciplines; and
3. Approved course work and experiences leading to eligibility to take a national exam to become a Certified Health Education Specialist.

Advisors in the Department will counsel the student in planning his/her program of study.

Students who plan to major in Public Health Education must meet the following requirements before admittance into the department:

1. Completion of the lower division major courses (HEDU 2000 , HEDU 2100 , HEDU 2200 , and HEDU 2400 ) with a grade point average of 2.5 or better in these courses.
2. Have an overall grade point average of 2.25 or higher.

Return to: College of Behavioral and Social Sciences