Community Health Education

Community Health Education is a branch of public health that focuses on the study and improvement of health characteristics among specific populations, with the goals of promoting, protecting, and improving the health of individuals and communities. Working at the community level promotes healthy living, helps prevent chronic disease, and reduce health gaps caused by differences in race and ethnicity, location, social status, income and other factors that can affect health. Community health covers a wide range of interventions, including health promotion, disease prevention, and treatment.  It also involves management and administration of care.

The curriculum for this specialization is based upon the core competencies for health education specialists established by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing Inc. (NCHEC). Health education specialists are professionals who design, conduct and evaluate activities that help improve the health of all people. These activities can take place in a variety of settings that include schools, communities, health care facilities, businesses, universities and government agencies.  Health education specialists are employed under a range of job titles such as patient educators, health education teachers, health coaches, community organizers, public health educators, and health program managers.

Students who complete the Community Health Education Specialist emphasis are eligible to take a certification exam and earn the designation of Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES®).