Community Health Education - B.S. Download to print

The Bachelor of Science in Community Health Education gives students the necessary tools to plan, implement and evaluate health education programs for individuals, communities and groups. Recognizing the importance of promoting good health and preventing disease, the major features a 12-credit capstone internship experience during which the student works with a health educator in a community setting. Courses qualify students to take the Certified Health Education Specialist Exam administered by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing.

Note: State/Federal background checks may be required for practicum/internship experiences. See Program Coordinator for more information.

For admissions, the College of Education, Health and Human Services considers a student to have established a Kent State University GPA after the student has successfully completed a minimum of 12 Kent State University credit hours. Undergraduate students who have not completed a minimum of 12 Kent State University credit hours will be evaluated for admission into programs, Advanced Study, and the Professional Phase based on their high school GPA for new freshmen, or transfer GPA for transfer students. Once a student has successfully completed a minimum of 12 Kent State University credit hours, only the student’s Kent State overall GPA will be considered for admission into a program, Advanced Study, and Professional Phase.

Admission to the college does not guarantee admission to a major and/or admission to professional coursework for a selective admission program. To be admitted directly into Community Health Education, it is required that new freshmen have a 2.750 high school GPA. Students who do not meet the GPA requirements of their intended major may enroll into EHHS General until which time they have the required 2.750 GPA.

For more information on admissions, visit the admissions website for new freshmen.

Transfer, Transitioning and Former Students:

Students are accepted into the major by transfer if they have achieved a minimum 2.750 GPA in previous college coursework.

For more information about admission criteria for transfer, transitioning and former students, please visit the admissions website.

Minimum 120 credit hours, minimum 39 upper-division hours. Minimum 2.750 overall and major GPA.

Graduates of the program will be able to:

1. Conduct strategic planning, analyze the organization`s culture in relationship to program goals, facilitate cooperation between and among levels of program personnel, formulate practical modes of collaboration among health agencies and organizations, and develop volunteer opportunities.
2. Exhibit competence in carrying out planned educational programs; employ a wide range of educational methods and techniques, apply individual and group process methods as appropriate to given learning situations, and select methods that best facilitate the practice of program objectives; infer enabling objectives as needed to implement instructional programs in specified settings, select methods and media best suited to implement program plans for specific learners, and determine the availability of information, personnel, time and equipment needed to implement the program for a given audience; monitor educational programs, adjusting objectives and activities as necessary; and use the code of ethics in professional practice.
3. Analyze factors the influence decision-makers, assess the appropriateness of language in health education messages, and select a variety of communication methods and techniques in providing health information; demonstrate proficiency in communicating health information and health education needs and respond to public input regarding health education information; identify the significance and implications of health care providers` messages to consumers; and develop a personal plan for professional growth.
4. Utilize computerized health information retrieval system effectively and match an information need with the appropriate retrieval system;  access online and other health information resources and interpret and select effective educational resource materials for dissemination; assemble educational material of value to the health of individuals and community groups, evaluate the worth and applicability of resource materials for given audiences, and refer requesters to valid sources of information; and apply various processes in the acquisition of resource materials, compare different methods for distributing educational materials, and analyze parameters of effective consultative relationships.
5. Obtain health-related data about social and cultural environments, growth and development factors, needs and interests, select valid sources of information about health needs and interests, and utilize computerized sources of health-related information; employ or develop appropriate data-gathering instruments; distinguish between behaviors that foster and those that hinder well-being, and investigate physical, social, emotional, and intellectual factors that influence health behaviors; and analyze needs assessments.
6. Synthesize information presented in the literature, develop plans to assess achievement of program objectives, determine standards of performance to be applied as criteria of effectiveness, and select appropriate methods for evaluating program effectiveness; carry out evaluation plans, utilize data collecting methods appropriate to the objectives, and analyze resulting evaluation data; and interpret results of program evaluation, and infer implications from findings for future program planning.
7. Communicate need for the program to those who will be involved; develop a logical scope and sequence plan for a HED program; organize the subject areas comprising the scope of a program in logical sequence; formulate appropriate and measurable program objectives, design educational programs consistent with specified program objectives; match proposed learning activities with those implicit in the stated objectives; select strategies best suited to implementation of educational objectives in a given setting; and plan a sequence of learning opportunities building upon, and reinforcing mastery of preceding objectives.