Health Education: Community Health Education (BS.HED.CED)

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The Physical Education Department offers the Bachelor of Science degree in Health Education (BS.HED). Health educators assist individuals and communities in promoting positive health behaviors. They have specialized skills in planning, implementing and evaluating community programs that focus on a variety of negative health issues.

Students majoring in Health Education are encouraged to further their professional skills and knowledge by pursuing either the Concentration in School Health Education or the Concentration in Community Health Education.

BS in Health Education with a Concentration in Community Health Education

The Community Health Education concentration emphasizes the Seven Areas of Responsibility for a Community Health Educator. The concentration prepares students for careers in public or private health agencies, hospitals, health clinics, non-governmental health agencies, and in business and industry.

Courses emphaseize administrative issues; health promotion skill-building; program planning, implementation and evaluation; and marketing strategies. Students learn how to prepare written materials as well as electronic media presentations for mass audiences.

Upon graduation, students may take the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) examination (see more about CHES below).

Complete these courses required of all Health Ed majors (44 cr):

AHS 1010 - Contemporary Health Issues 3 cr
AHS 2030 - Drug and Alcohol Curriculum 3 cr
AHS 2150 - Designs for Fitness 3 cr
BIO 2011 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I 4 cr
BIO 2012 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II 4 cr
HED 3030 - Health Behavior Theory 3 cr
PED 1015 - Introduction to Health and Physical Education 3 cr
PED 2160 - Emergency Care and Personal Safety 3 cr
PED 2370 - Community Health 3 cr
PED 4020 - Applied Nutrition and Weight Control 3 cr
SWK 2020 - Family Violence 3 cr
SWK 2030 - Human Sexuality 3 cr
And take one of the following:
PED 2120 - Psycho-Social Aspects of Physical Activity 3 cr
PED 3040 - Psychological Aspects of Exercise 3 cr
And take one of the following:
PSY 1050 - Human Growth and Development 3 cr
PSY 3265 - Child and Adolescent Development 3 cr

and complete these courses for the Community Health Education concentration (18-27 cr):

HED 2310 - Health Education Methods 3 cr
HED 3051 - Community Health Education I 3 cr
HED 4052 - Community Health Education II 3 cr
HED 4810 - Internship in Community Health Education 3-12 cr
MAT 2021 - Statistics I 3 cr
And take one of the following:
HED 3010 - Elementary Health Education Curriculum & Assessment 3 cr
HED 3020 - Secondary Health Education Curriculum & Assessment 3 cr

(Total health education credits required for BS.HED.CED: 62-71 cr)

And complete the university's Gen Ed requirements

Click here to review the Gen Ed requirements

CHES

The field of health education has established a national credentialing certificate called the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES). It is a voluntary credentialing process that is generally not required as a condition of employment. However, we recommend that community health educators and students obtain certification, as the CHES certificate conveys additional standards of accomplishment that may contribute to one's prospects for getting hired. To obtain such a certificate, the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. (NCHEC) administers a written exam several times a year at various locations throughout the country. Once certified, CHES-health educators are required to obtain continuing education credits to maintain the certification. For further information about the CHES process, visit the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. website.