HE Concentration in Community Health Education
Undergraduate Program
in
Health Education with a concentration in
Community Health Education
What is Community Health Education?
Community Health Education is an interdisciplinary social science designed to promote health and prevent disease, disability and premature death by educating individuals and communities to voluntarily change their behaviors, policies and practices. Community Health Education Specialists design, implement and evaluate health education and promotion programs at the individual, group, institutional, community and system-level to improve health knowledge, attitudes, skills and behavior. Employment of Community Health Educators is expected to grow by 18 percent, which is faster than the average for all occupations through 2018. Growth will result from the rising cost of healthcare and the subsequent need for health promotion and disease prevention programs. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, Health Educators, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos063.htm).
What careers might I choose?
The program curriculum provides practical field experiences and experiential coursework to prepare students for careers in public or private agencies; local health departments; volunteer organizations; hospitals; health insurance companies; worksite/corporate health promotion and wellness programs; and a variety of community-based organizations and projects (such as smoking cessation programs, health and cancer associations, substance abuse agencies, nutrition interventions, HIV/AIDS prevention programs, and injury prevention initiatives). Some examples from area employers include:
- Patient and family educator (hospital)
- Community program planning specialist (local health department)
- Health and wellness coordinator (large corporation)
- Grant writer/administrator (non-profit organization)
- Health curriculum developer (health insurance company)
The program will prepare you to take the Certified Health Education Specialist exam, which is given by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. and ensures that you are trained and qualified to plan and coordinate health education programs.
Community Health Education Core Courses
Level 1 WSU Courses:
HE 1010: Foundations of Health and Health Promotion
HE 2310: Dynamics of Personal Health
HE 2320: Environmental/Community Health
HE 2330: First Aid/CPR
HE 3440: Nutrition and Health Education
HE 3500: Human Disease
HE 4340: Family and Reproductive Health
HE 5220: Health Behavior Change
HE 5440: Mental Health/Substance Abuse
Level 2 WSU Courses:
HE 3344: Methods and Materials in Community Health Education
HE 4901: Internship I
HE 4902: Internship II
KHS 5522: Health Psychology
HE 6420: Introduction to Health Promotion Program Design
HE 6501: Evaluation and Measurement in Community Health Education
For more information contact:
Wayne State University
College of Education – Undergraduate Advising
5425 Gullen Mall
Education Building, Room 469
Detroit, MI 48202
(313) 577-1601
coe.wayne.edu
or
Noel Kulik, Ph.D.
Community Health Education
ab7564@wayne.edu