Community health, or community health
education, is a subfield of the public health profession that focuses on
health promotion and education within specific geographical locations.
Online Master of Public Health degree programs are offered in community
health education at a number of colleges and universities.
An online Master of Public Health (MPH) in community health education
program is designed to provide the knowledge and skills necessary to
offer educational resources and promote public health within
communities, groups, and organizations. Students examine the theories
and processes involved in planning and implementing health education
programs, prevention initiatives and health policy advocacy. MPH
programs usually require a field experience or capstone project
component that requires students to volunteer or intern with a local
health agency. Thesis and non-thesis options are available.
An online graduate degree in community health education is designed
to be completed in 2 years and typically requires 42-45 credit hours of
health education and public health coursework. In many programs, all
courses can be completed entirely online. The MPH curriculum is usually
designed to be taken in a particular sequence, as most courses build
upon the knowledge and skills developed in previous ones. Students
enrolled in an online MPH program must have good computer schools and
reliable access to a high speed Internet connection. Course materials
and assignments are usually accessed through an online course management
portal, such as WebCT or Blackboard.
Common Online Coursework for an Online Master's Degree in Public Health
Online courses for this type of degree program emphasize the
philosophy and methods of community health promotion and education. In
addition to core public health courses in biostatistics, epidemiology
and public health issues, the curriculum focuses on a variety of
community health education courses similar to those listed below.
This course covers the central principles of community health
assessment and improvement. Students gain an in-depth understanding of
the public health system, the health improvement process and community
health assessment procedures.
Health Education
Instruction focuses on a wide array of communication and education
theories and methods. Students learn to apply principles and theories of
community health education and explore topics such as program planning
and evaluation in public health programming.
Students examine a variety of strategies for identifying and engaging
community leaders in the community health education process. The
importance of involvement in community needs assessment, small area
analysis, community-level development strategies and planning is
emphasized.
Graduates of an MPH program in community health education often
assume leadership roles as department heads or wellness directors within
the field of community health education. Health educators work with
community agencies to encourage healthy lifestyles and wellness by
educating populations about healthy behaviors that can prevent injuries,
diseases and other health issues. Community health educators can find
employment opportunities with community agencies, government
organizations, schools, corporate wellness departments and health care
facilities. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS),
employment of health educators was projected to increase by 18% during
the 2008-2018 decade (
www.bls.gov). The BLS reported that as of May 2009, health educators in the U.S. earned a median annual salary of $44,340.
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