Public Health Education, B.S. Community Health Education Concentration

Increasing national interest in health and health promotion attracts students to the undergraduate degree program in Community Health Education. The concentration provides field experiences in public and private agencies as part of the professional preparation program. Students are prepared to design and implement health promotion programs in the community.

Graduates have careers in national, state, and local health agencies, health and human services organizations, and business and industry; and many continue on into graduate study. Building upon a strong public health foundation, our professional program prepares students to positively influence the health of individuals and communities.

Students develop skills in planning and implementing community-based strategies to maintain healthy lifestyles and prevent a wide variety of health problems. Students learn from distinguished faculty who are engaged in research projects that add depth to their classroom teaching, and engage in numerous practical experiences with community partners. At the end of the program, students are eligible candidates for national credentialing as Certified Health Education Specialists, which increases competitiveness in the job market.

The mission of the Department of Public Health Education is to promote health by supporting the learning, decision-making and capacity of individuals, groups, and communities. In collaboration with community organizations, the Department prepares professional health educators and advances public health practice and knowledge.

Program Distinctions

• Students learn from expert faculty engaged in research that adds dimension to classroom teaching.
• The Community Health Education Program is ranked one of the top 3 2021 bachelor’s by Best Value Schools.
• The Department of Public Health Education houses the Institute to Promote Athlete Health & Wellness, supported by the National Football League and the NCAA Sport Science Institute.
• UNCG’s Health Coaching Program is under the Department of Public Health Education.
• Community Health Education graduates are eligible for the national credentialing exam as certified health education specialists.

The Student Experience

• Students complete a Community Health Education internship that serves as a culminating experience and provides students with the opportunity to observe a professional health educator in practice, complete a health education project that is mutually beneficial to the student and the organization, and synthesize knowledge and skills into health education practice.
• Students can join Public Health clubs and organizations, including the honor society local chapter of Eta Sigma Gamma, the North Carolina Society for Public Health Education, N.C. Chapter of the American Association for Health Education, the American Public Health Association, and the Health Occupations Student Association.

After Graduation

• Graduates enter careers in administration, education, health sciences, human relations, and public service, and have attended graduate programs at Yale, The Bloomberg School of Health at Johns Hopkins University, UNC Chapel Hill, Indiana University Bloomington, and UNCG.
• Community Health Education Specialists work in:
  • Government
  • Research
  • Universities
  • Hospitals
  • Non-profits
  • Schools
  • Businesses

Apply to Program

Students generally complete their University general education requirements and program prerequisites in their freshman and sophomore years. The program sequence begins in the fall of junior year, and culminates with a practice-based 260-hour internship in the spring semester of the senior year. 

The department seeks high achieving and motivated students that have met the following criteria:

• Cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher
• Received a C or higher in any Health Education Course (designated with the prefix HEA)
• Completed the following 100-200-level Public Health Related courses with a C or higher:
• 1 English Course (ENG 101)
• 1 Communications Course (CST 105)
• 1 Math Course (MAT 115 or STA 108)
• 1 Sociobehavioral Course (PSY 121 or SOC 101)
• 1 Nutrition Course (NTR 213)
• 1 Anatomy and Physiology Course – HEA 213 (or approved equivalent – BIO 271, BIO 277, KIN 291, or KIN 292)