Public Health Major

The Public Health major is designed for students interested in disease prevention and treatment, health of the general population, and data-driven approaches to solving public health issues. In this major, students have the option of following one of two concentrations—community health or health communication. The community health concentration focuses on biological and social approaches to human health populations, while the health communication concentration emphasizes a communications and public policy approach to advocating for human health.

The Public Health major prepares students to work in a variety of settings such as government agencies, hospitals and clinics, business, and educational settings that emphasize health. The major also prepares students for advanced training in health careers, including medicine, nursing, epidemiology, health policy and management.

Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES)

A Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) is an individual who is credentialed by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. (NCHEC) after passing a competency-based credentialing examination. Students majoring in Public Health are eligible to take the credentialing examination to become a Certified Health Education Specialists after completing coursework to meet the required academic preparation qualifications set by NCHEC.  Once certified, each individual will need to maintain certification by obtaining 75 continuing education credits every five years. For more information about the exam and eligibility requirements, please visit the Certified Health Education Specialist website.

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