Purpose

The Public Health major prepares students for careers in health related professions, wellness, injury and disease prevention through either the Health Promotion concentration or the Pre-Clinical concentration. The Health Promotion concentration trains students to serve as health education specialists in the healthcare industry, business, government and nonprofit organizations. It also trains those seeking graduate studies in clinical fields, public health and more. The Pre-Clinical concentration prepares students for entrance into medical, dental, physician assistant, physical therapy or occupational therapy schools or other allied health graduate programs. At the completion of the program, students qualify and are encouraged to take the national Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) examination for certification.

Program Learning Outcomes

The student will be able to:

• Investigate population health status, needs, and resources using appropriate assessment and analytical methods.
• Develop, implement and evaluate public health programs to address identified population determinants of health.
• Demonstrate effective written, oral, and electronic methods of communicating health information with selected audiences.
• Identify principles of public health interventions that address disparities and inequalities in health access and health status in the context of culture, race, gender, and economics.
• Describe principles of community collaboration to enhance community capacity for health.
• Identify the scientific basis for public health problems.
• Identify concepts of public health philosophy and organization, including infrastructure, funding and delivery in the U.S.
• Identify principles of public health leadership, including systems thinking, group process, social justice, and ethics.
• Describe health from the perspective of God’s purposes for humanity in creation, fall, and redemption.

Health Promotion Concentration

• The student will be able to assess community health needs and resources, including determinants of health, across the socio-ecological gradient, and the community capacity for response.

Nutrition Concentration

• The student will be able to examine major nutritional challenges within the contexts of gender, socioeconomic status, culture, and religion.

Pre-Clinical Concentration

• The student will be able to identify social, cultural, and behavior factors that influence health disparities and impact population health.

Fee and Expenses

In addition to university tuition and fees, students may incur additional expenses. These expenses include, but are not limited to: first aid and CPR certifications, professional memberships, transportation costs associated with off-campus internship and related experiences, TB (PPD) skin test, cost of medical examination and background check, if required by internship site.

Program Standards

• GPA in Major: Students must achieve a “C” or better in upper level courses within the major.
• Overall GPA: Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.35 in order to register for HLTH 499 Professional Internship in Health Promotion (1-12 c.h.).
• Upon declaring the major, students must review and abide by the policies and standards of the major.

Internship

Health Promotion students (and Pre-Clinical students who choose and meet the requirements) complete an internship at the end of the curriculum sequence. Students are required to select their internship site and have it approved by the internship coordinator. They may choose from a variety of sites offering health and wellness programming and must work with a qualified site supervisor. The internship experience provides exceptional opportunities for students to apply their knowledge, skills, and abilities acquired through the Public Health program in a professional setting as well as the opportunity to experience various career paths available to them upon graduation.

Prerequisite:

• Senior Status;
• Completion of HLTH 452 Methods and Materials in Community Health Education (3 c.h.) and HLTH 453 Program Planning and Evaluation in Health Education (3 c.h.);
• minimum overall GPA of 2.35 or better;
• current First Aid and Adult, Child, and Infant CPR certified; or
• consent of the Public Health Program Director.

Delivery Format: Residential Only

• Community Health Advocate/Worker
• Community Health Assessment Coordinator
• Environmental Health Inspector
• Food Safety Inspector
• Global Health Worker
• Grant Writer
• Hospital Administrator
• Industrial Hygienist
• Medical Supply/Pharmaceutical Sales Representative
• Public Health Communication and Marketing Specialist
• Substance Abuse Counselor
• Wellness Programmer
• Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) Case Manager