Public Health Education, B.S.
The Department of Public Health Education offers the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Public Health Education major with a concentration in Community Health Education or Health Studies (an online degree program). Both concentrations provide a foundation in the core areas of public health including: social and behavioral sciences, epidemiology, public health statistics, and health policy and administration. Only students in the Community Health Education concentration are eligible candidates for national credentialing as a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES.). The Health Studies Online concentration is an online option available for second-degree seeking students looking for a non-professional degree to complement their current professional or career experiences.
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.
Health Studies Online Concentration
The program leading to the Bachelor of Science in Public Health, Health Studies Online concentration, is designed to prepare individuals for positions in health-related fields and provide a base for graduate study. The Health Studies Online concentration will allow time and location bound students to complete an undergraduate degree without relocating to the UNC Greensboro campus. Our graduates, like other graduates in general education programs, are competitive in the job market for careers in administration, education, health sciences, human relations, and public service, and in other governmental, community-based and/or nonprofit settings.
Students requesting admission to the Health Studies Online concentration may apply to the major only after earning a prior degree (A.A., A.S., B.A., B.S., or equivalent; an A.A.S. is not an equivalent option) from an accredited college or university and completion of courses that satisfy General Education Core and General Education Marker requirements.
Criteria for Admission to the Public Health Education Major
Students must be formally admitted to the Public Health Education major through an application process and select a concentration of Community Health Education or Health Studies Online. Students are considered Pre-Public Health (PPHT) until the student is formally accepted into the Public Health (PHTH) major.
Only students who have formal, written acceptance into the PHTH major will be permitted to register in upper level public health education (HEA) courses, typically completed in the junior and senior years. Admission cannot be sought into the major until completion or transfer of 45 credit hours. The application deadline is April 1 of each year. Applications are obtained from the Department of Public Health Education. Transcripts from all post-secondary schools attended must be submitted with the application. Admission to the university does not guarantee acceptance into the PHTH major. Conditional admission may be granted if students are still completing the prerequisite courses, but full admission to the major cannot be granted until all admission criteria for Community Health Education or Health Studies Online concentration have been successfully completed.
Overall Requirements
- 120 credit hours, to include at least 36 credits at or above the 300 course level
- Students must continue to maintain the cumulative GPA requirement of 2.50 to progress and graduate. Students who drop below a 2.50 overall GPA will be dropped from the program.
- No HEA course or health-related area course for which a grade of C or better is required for the major may be taken more than twice (a C- is not acceptable). Students who receive a grade below C twice in the same HEA course or health related area course required for the major will be dropped from the major.
Degree Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| University Requirements | ||
| General Education Core Requirements (GEC) | ||
Major Requirements
Select one of the concentrations as detailed following the major requirements.
- Community Health Education
- Health Studies Online
Electives
Electives sufficient to complete the 120 credit hours required for degree.
Community Health Education Concentration Requirements
Minimum Criteria for Admission to the Concentration
Pre-public health students must meet the following criteria to be accepted into the major and declare the Community Health Education concentration. Students should meet these minimum requirements before submitting an application to the concentration.
- GPA
Overall grade point average of 2.50 or higher. - Prerequisites
A grade of C (2.0) or better in each of the prerequisite health-related courses listed below or their equivalent. Prerequisite courses may be repeated only one time to earn the minimum required grade or better.Course List Code Title Credit Hours Biology Principles of Biology I
and Principles of Biology I LaboratoryCommunication Studies Introduction to Communication Studies or CST 341Communication and Workplace Relationships English College Writing I Math College Algebra or STA 108Elementary Introduction to Probability and Statistics Nutrition Introductory Nutrition Social Science General Psychology or SOC 101Introduction to Sociology - HEA courses
A grade of C (2.0) or higher in any completed HEA courses (including transferred HEA courses).
Recommended
It is recommended, but not required, that students complete the course listed below and/or a HEA elective prior to submitting the application.Course List Code Title Credit Hours Personal Health
Graduation Requirements for the Concentration
- A grade of C (2.0) or better in all required HEA courses and health related courses.
- Overall GPA of 2.50
- Registration for and completion (e.g., sitting for) of the CHES exam offered by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC).
- Completion of all other requirements as described for degree and major (students may still be required to complete free elective credit hours to meet university degree requirements).
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required | ||
| Introduction to Public Health | ||
| Public Health and Healthcare Systems in the US | ||
| Public Health Diseases | ||
| Epidemiology | ||
| Environmental Health | ||
| Public Health Data Analysis | ||
| Introduction to Public Health Education Practice | ||
| Community Observation and Assessment | ||
| Community Health Interventions I | ||
| Program Planning and Evaluation | ||
| Internship Planning | ||
| Health Education Internship (Fieldwork IV and Seminar) (Fieldwork IV and Seminar) | ||
| Community Health Interventions II | ||
Select 12 credits of the following: | ||
| Medical Terminology for Public Health Professionals | ||
| Personal Health † | ||
| Introduction to Peer Health Education | ||
| Peer Health Education: Selected Topics | ||
| Athlete Health and Sport Performance | ||
| Human Sexuality | ||
| Global Health | ||
| Mental Health and Well-Being | ||
| Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs | ||
| Community Health | ||
| Race, Ethnicity, and Health | ||
| Gender and Health | ||
| Income, Social Status, and Health | ||
| Current Health Problems | ||
| Immigrant and Refugee Health | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Related Area Requirements | ||
Biology | ||
Select one option of the following: | ||
| Option A: | ||
| Principles of Biology I and Principles of Biology I Laboratory †† | ||
| Option B: | ||
| Human Anatomy and Human Anatomy Laboratory | ||
| Option C: | ||
| Human Physiology and Human Physiology Laboratory | ||
Communication Studies | ||
| Introduction to Communication Studies | ||
or CST 341 | Communication and Workplace Relationships | |
English | ||
| College Writing I ††† | ||
Math | ||
| College Algebra * †††† | ||
or STA 108 | Elementary Introduction to Probability and Statistics | |
Nutrition | ||
| Introductory Nutrition †† | ||
Social Science | ||
| General Psychology † | ||
or SOC 101 | Introduction to Sociology | |
| * | Or a higher level mathematics course. |
| † | Counts toward GEC GSB requirement. |
| †† | Counts toward GEC GNS requirement. |
| ††† | Counts toward GEC GRD requirement. |
| †††† | Counts toward GEC GMT requirement. |
Health Studies Online Concentration Requirements
Minimum Criteria for Admission to the Concentration
Pre-public health students must meet the following criteria to be accepted into the major and declare the Health Studies Online concentration. Students should meet these minimum requirements before submitting an application to the concentration.
- Prior degree
Students requesting admission to the Health Studies Online concentration may apply to the major only after earning a prior degree (A.A., A.S., B.A., B.S., or equivalent; A.A.S. does not count as an equivalent) from an accredited college or university and completion of courses that satisfy General Education Core and General Education Marker requirements. - GPA
Overall grade point average of 2.50 or higher. - Prerequisites
A grade of C (2.0) or better in each of the courses listed below or their equivalent. Prerequisite courses may be repeated only one time to earn the minimum required grade or better.Course List Code Title Credit Hours Biology Select one option from the following:Option A: Principles of Biology I
and Principles of Biology I LaboratoryOption B: Human Anatomy
and Human Anatomy LaboratoryOption C: Human Physiology
and Human Physiology LaboratoryCommunication Studies Introduction to Communication Studies or CST 341Communication and Workplace Relationships English College Writing I Math College Algebra * or STA 108Elementary Introduction to Probability and Statistics Social Science General Psychology or SOC 101Introduction to Sociology Information Systems Business Computing I * Or a higher level mathematics course.
- HEA courses
A grade of C (2.0) or higher in any completed HEA courses (including transferred HEA course).
Graduation Requirements for the Concentration
- A grade of C (2.0) or better in all required HEA courses and health related courses.
- Overall GPA of 2.50
- Registration for and completion (e.g., sitting for) of the CHES exam offered by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC).
- Completion of all other requirements as described for degree and major (students may still be required to complete free elective credit hours to meet university degree requirements).
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required | ||
| Introduction to Public Health | ||
| Public Health and Healthcare Systems in the US | ||
| Public Health Diseases | ||
| Epidemiology | ||
| Environmental Health | ||
| Public Health Data Analysis | ||
| Race, Ethnicity, and Health | ||
| Gender and Health | ||
| Income, Social Status, and Health | ||
| Capstone Experience | ||
Select 18 credits of the following: * | ||
| Medical Terminology for Public Health Professionals | ||
| Personal Health † | ||
| Human Sexuality | ||
| Global Health | ||
| Mental Health and Well-Being | ||
| Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs | ||
| Community Health | ||
| Community Health Organizations | ||
| Current Health Problems | ||
| Adolescent Health | ||
| Immigrant and Refugee Health | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Families and Close Relationships ** | ||
| Infant and Child Development ** | ||
| Lifetime Wellness ** | ||
| Management of Organizations ** | ||
| Organizational Behavior ** | ||
| Culture and Health Care ** | ||
| Introductory Nutrition ** †† | ||
| Managing Conflict in Professional Contexts ** | ||
| Medical Ethics ** | ||
| Race and Ethnic Relations ** | ||
| An Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies ** | ||
| Related Area Requirements | ||
Biology | ||
Select one option of the following: | ||
| Option A: | ||
| Principles of Biology I and Principles of Biology I Laboratory †† | ||
| Option B: | ||
| Human Anatomy and Human Anatomy Laboratory | ||
| Option C: | ||
| Human Physiology and Human Physiology Laboratory | ||
Communication Studies | ||
| Introduction to Communication Studies | ||
or CST 341 | Communication and Workplace Relationships | |
English | ||
| College Writing I ††† | ||
Information Systems | ||
| Business Computing I | ||
Math | ||
| College Algebra 1 †††† | ||
or STA 108 | Elementary Introduction to Probability and Statistics | |
Social Science | ||
| General Psychology † | ||
or SOC 101 | Introduction to Sociology | |
| * | A minimum of 12 credits must have an HEA prefix. |
| ** | A maximum of 6 credits may be selected from these courses. |
| 1 | Or a higher level mathematics course. |
| † | Counts toward GSB requirement. |
| †† | Counts toward GEC GNS requirement. |
| ††† | Counts toward GEC GRD requirement. |
| †††† | Counts toward GEC GMT requirement. |