The Health Education and Promotion major is intended for students seeking careers that promote wellness in the community and the workplace. The major prepares students to directly work with individuals and communities to improve health and quality of life. Students learn how to assess, plan, implement, evaluate, and oversee programs designed to improve health behaviors, create environments supportive of healthy lifestyles, and effectively communicate health issues to key stakeholders. The major prepares students to take the Certified Health Education Specialist exam from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing. The mix of natural and social sciences in this major also provides a foundation for professional or graduate study in allied health, health management, or public health, including positions in Health Maintenance Organizations, Hospitals, Public and Private Clinics, Voluntary Health Agencies, Health Departments, and/or Health Education.
Degree Outcomes
Students can choose career options in the various healthcare sectors, including working in hospital management as healthcare administrators, in government agencies such as the Department of Health, and in roles such as Health Educators or Community Health Professionals.
Students will be prepared to test for the Certified Health Education Specialist exam, a globally recognized certification.
Students will be prepared to pursue further education in graduate school in areas such as Public Health, Healthcare Administration, Social Work, Epidemiology, and Counseling.
Example Courses
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HLP 1003: Introduction to Health Promotion
This introductory course explores health promotion and the different levels of prevention at individual, community, and population levels. The course explores the historical and philosophical development of health education & promotion and public health in the United States, and specific health-related behavior theories and models that guide practice in the field of public health, specifically in the area of health education and promotion and in human behavior change. The course identifies areas of responsibilities and competencies for an entry level health educator as described by the Competency-Based Framework for Health Educators, (NCHEC). -
HLP 4103: Planning and Evaluating Health Interventions
Evaluation is a core function of health promotion and health system leadership. It provides evidence to improve the design, delivery, reach, and impact of health interventions in the many different contexts of the health system. This course develops student competencies in health intervention evaluation, including stakeholder consultation, evaluation of design and planning, needs assessment, logic modelling, evaluability assessment, and relevant conceptual frameworks relevant to evaluation in public health and health system practice and leadership. This is underpinned by exploration of the different evaluation approaches and designs and the research and evaluation methods used in evaluation practice. This course will integrate students’ knowledge from their previous coursework in preparation for planning a health intervention. Prerequisite: at least C- in all of the following courses: HLP 2003 Health Leadership and PSY 3053 Health Psychology.
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HLP 3003: Health Management and Administration
This course provides an introduction to management and administration principles as they relate to health organizations. This course will explore organization and management topics within public health settings including management theory, healthcare policy, human resources, quality improvement, organization dynamics, strategic planning, technology and information systems, legal and ethical issues, policies, employee relations, budgeting, marketing, and grant writing. Upon completion of the course, students will have insight into the functioning of healthcare organizations and will be prepared to manage healthcare entities. Prerequisite: at least C- in all of the following classes: MTH 1053 Intro to Stats and HLP 2003 Health Leadership.
