Master of Science in Health Education (MS)
The health field is steadily gaining a stronger focus on the prevention of illness and injury, and on the promotion of healthy lifestyles for improving overall health. The MS in Health Education trains health promotion professionals to design, implement, and evaluate interventions promoting healthy behaviors and lifestyles.
The MS in Health Education makes an advanced degree possible for those already working in the field, as well as those students who have recently completed an undergraduate degree in health education or a related field. This program offers instruction in health behavior change theory and practice; program planning; marketing, health communications, and program evaluation; and research techniques.
The MS in Health Education is designed to accommodate both part-time and full-time students and working health professionals by offering evening courses on campus. Full-time students who start the program in the spring semester are able to complete the program within 18 months.
Work Settings
Masters level health educators are employed in a variety of professional settings. These include:
- worksite health promotion programs
- non-profit community health agencies
- university student health centers
- state and local health departments
- for-profit corporations
- governmental agencies
- faith-based settings
- health care systems such as hospitals, clinics, and managed care plans
Examples of specific jobs range from being the director of a corporate wellness program to the health educator for an AIDS Prevention Program, or a researcher on a disease management or prevention program.
Skills and Responsibilities
Some of the necessary skills for health educators include the assessment of community assets and needs, cultural competence to assure effective health intervention strategies for diverse populations, and the ability to interact effectively with the community. Typical responsibilities of a health educator include the preparation and dissemination of health education materials, coordination and management of health education programs, and the planning, implementation, and evaluation of health education programs.
Graduates are well prepared to take the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam.
The Program sponsors a local chapter of the Health Education National Honorary, Eta Sigma Gamma.
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