Community Health Education, M.P.H.

UNCG’s Master of Public Health in Community Health Education is a professional preparation program for qualified students from a variety of academic and professional backgrounds who are interested in careers that involve the development and management of population-based health promotion and disease prevention activities within communities.
Specific attributes of the program include:

• An emphasis on reflective practice, a theoretical base, network development, leadership development, and cooperation and collaboration with community health organizations;
• A curricular emphasis on the application of health education skills and knowledge with a variety of community populations, as well as the practical application of research findings to health problems and includes preparation in the core areas of public health;
• Special attention given to community involvement and engagement, social justice, the root causes of health within society, effective communication, and uses of technology;
• The use of a socio-ecological perspective for understanding the health of populations and broad determinants of health;
• A commitment by faculty to work in partnership with professionals, agencies, and community members to address the priorities emerging out of public health practice and the experiences of communities.

Our approach to research and teaching/learning in this M.P.H. program should accelerate the translation of new knowledge into practice in other ways as well. For example, findings generated by research teams (students, faculty, community partners) will have immediate implications for improving the undergraduate and master’s curricula that prepare practitioners.

Program Distinctions

• The PHE program is ranked #78 nationally and #3 in NC by the U.S. News & World Report’s 2021 Best Graduate Schools rankings for 2020 and 2021. 
• The M.P.H. program is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) and the professional requirements are based on the CEPH accreditation and the professional responsibility areas and recommendations of the Joint Commission of the Society of Public Health and the American Association for Health Education.
  Graduates of the program are eligible to sit for the national Health Education Specialist credentialing exam for the profession and become a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES), or with a qualifying experience, a Master’s Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES). Students are also eligible to sit for the national exam to become Certified in Public Health (CPH) credential.  
• By the end of the program students will have preparation in the Core Areas of Public Health and in the Seven Areas of Responsibility for Health Education Specialists (assessment, program planning, implementation, evaluation, administration and management, resource, and communication and advocacy).

The Student Experience

• Students work closely with faculty members and community partners to design and implement research studies designed to facilitate the resolution of public health outcomes that are important to the community and the field. 
• The Department of Public Health Education is affiliated with the Center for Athlete Well-being, the Center for Women’s Health and Wellness, Healthy UNCG, and the Health Coaching and Worksite Wellness programs.

After Graduation

The degree program prepares graduates for careers in public health and health care settings at local, state, regional, or national levels.

Apply to Program

• Additional Requirements