Master of Science in Community Health

Program Requirements

A. Health Department Core: Nine credit hours

• EDU 632 - Seminar in Health Education
• HLH 601 - Research Methods in Health Education
• HLH 694 - Assessment and Evaluation in Health Education and Health Promotion

B. Community Health Education Practice Core: 12 credit hours

• HLH 592 - Current Issues in Community Health
• HLH 593 - Methods and Practices in Community Health Education
• HLH 598 - Applied Epidemiology
• HLH 693 - Advanced Methods and Practices in Community Health Education

C. Health-Related Electives: Six credit hours

Select six credit hours of advisor-approved courses (HLH, PSY, or SOC) at the 500 and 600 level.

D. Culminating Activity: Three credit hours

• HLH 650 - Community Health Culminating Project
• HLH 697 - Extension of Graduate Culminating Activity

Students who do not successfully complete HLH 650 must register for HLH 697 Extension of Graduate Culminating Activity (1 credit hour).

Note: In order to have a sufficient foundation in health content, the Health Department requires that students have completed a minimum of 36 credit hours of health content course work, at the graduate or undergraduate level, prior to the completion of the culminating activity. The 36 credit hours include 27 health credit hours that are part of the M.S. in Community Health. Depending on the academic background of the applicant, there may be additional requirements for the award of the degree. Any additional requirements are determined on an individual basis after a review of the student’s previous course work. This information must be ascertained by the student in consultation with the Health Department’s coordinator of graduate studies.

Culminating Experience

Your culminating project in community health will provide you with an opportunity for hands-on experiences with a community agency where you will work on a special project that affords you the resources to address a health issue in depth. You might undertake a needs assessment regarding services of the local American Cancer Society office, generate an educational program about smoking avoidance for teenagers through the local American Lung Association or create a program to help residents at a local senior center learn about exercise and nutrition.

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

• Assess needs, resources, and/or capacity for community health education/promotion.
• Plan community health education/promotion.
• Implement community health education/promotion.
• Plan evaluation of community health education/promotion.
• Apply models, theories, and frameworks appropriately in community health education/promotion.
• Manage community health education/promotion.
• Advocate for health, community health education/promotion, and the profession.
• Communicate and promote health using a variety of communication strategies, methods, and techniques.
• Train staff members, volunteers and others in community health education/promotion.

You can work in a wide range of settings, including community health departments, voluntary health agencies, healthcare facilities, or human service agencies. Whether you pursue a health-related major at the undergraduate level or you're looking to make a move into a new profession, you'll gain the skills that make you more marketable as a community health professional.