This major prepares students for careers in public health and community health education. Students complete required courses that establish eligibility to sit for the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) examination, aligned with standards set by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC) and the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).

The Public Health and Community Health Education program is an interdisciplinary major that provides a foundation in principles of community health, an understanding of the biological basis of disease, social and psychological aspects of health and disease, distribution and determinants of health and disease and practical strategies for implementing health promotion programs. Evidence-based practice is emphasized throughout the curriculum, and students will design and implement health interventions. Through coursework and field experiences, this program will prepare students for successful completion of the Certified Health Education Specialist examination and for a career in community health education.

Program Goals and Objectives:

• Goal 1: Knowledge Acquisition and Application — Ensure students acquire a comprehensive understanding of core concepts, theories, and principles of public health and community health education, and foster the ability to apply that knowledge to analyze and address public health challenges in diverse community settings.
• Goal 2: Communication Skills — Develop effective written and oral communication skills to convey public health information to diverse audiences, including proficiency in modern communication technologies for public health advocacy and education.
• Goal 3: Community Engagement and Collaboration — Cultivate an appreciation for community dynamics and diversity and promote collaborative skills for effective teamwork with community members, organizations, and other stakeholders in addressing public health issues.
• Goal 4: Ethical Practice — Instill a strong sense of ethical responsibility and integrity in public health decision-making and develop critical thinking skills to navigate ethical dilemmas inherent in public health work.
• Goal 5: Research and Analytical Skills — Equip students with foundational research skills to critically evaluate and apply research findings, and foster analytical skills for evidence-based decision-making in community health education and interventions.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the determinants of health and the ecological model of health;
• Apply quantitative and qualitative research methods to investigate public health issues;
• Communicate public health information effectively through written reports, oral presentations, and multimedia tools to diverse audiences;
• Design and implement health communication campaigns tailored to diverse populations;
• Engage with communities in a culturally competent manner, recognizing and respecting diverse perspectives and needs;
• Collaborate with community partners to develop, implement, and assess community health interventions;
• Demonstrate ethical decision-making in public health, considering the implications of policies and interventions on diverse populations;
• Analyze and propose solutions to ethical challenges in the field of public health;
• Apply research findings to inform public health practice and policy;
• Utilize data analysis tools to assess and monitor community health needs and outcomes.

The Public Health and Community Health Education program’s Student Learning Outcomes are aligned with the NCHEC Areas of Responsibility for Health Education Specialists and CEPH foundational competencies for undergraduate public health programs.

Internship Requirement

Students are required to complete PHCH 540: Community Health Education Internship. This supervised field experience places students in a community health setting where they apply program knowledge and skills in a real-world environment. Students should plan accordingly, as this requirement must be arranged in advance with a faculty sponsor and an approved community site.

Admission Requirements

Students declare the Public Health and Community Health Education major upon admission or by completing a Change of Major form. The following prerequisite courses are recommended prior to enrolling in upper-level PHCH coursework:

• PHCH 150 or PHCH 150H: Introduction to Community and Public Health
• PHCH 200: Health Promotion and Planning
• MATH 232: Introduction to Statistics Additional details are provided at https://mcla.edu/academics/academic-departments/phch/

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
BIOL 101	Entering Students Seminar	1
Select one of the following:		3-8
BIOL 105	Human Biology
BIOL 342 & BIOL 343	Anatomy and Physiology I and Anatomy and Physiology II
BIOL 150	Introduction to Biology I: Cells	4
BIOL 250	Nutrition	3
BIOL 312	Epidemiology	3
or PHCH 312	Epidemiology
BIOL 412	Research Methods in Epidemiology	3
or PHCH 412	Research Methods in Epidemiology
HLTH 150	Introduction to Public and Community Health (or HLTH 150H or PHCH 150H)	3
or PHCH 150	Introduction to Public and Community Health
HLTH 200	Health Promotion and Planning	3
or PHCH 200	Health Promotion and Planning
HLTH 310	Environmental Health	3
or PHCH 310	Environmental Health
HLTH 350	Health Communication	3
or PHCH 350	Health Communication
HLTH 540	Internship in Community Health Education	3
or PHCH 540	Internship in Community Health Education
MATH 232	Introduction to Statistics	3
or MATH 232H	Honors: Introduction to Statistics
SOCI 100	Introduction to Sociology	3
Select three Health & Society electives of the following:		9
ANTH 310	Global Health
ANTH 315	Community Health
ANTH 345	Culture, Health and Illness
ANTH 380	Gender and Health
ANTH 395	Special Topics in Anthropology (Culture and the Brain)
BIOL 403	Advanced Nutrition
HLTH 300	Ethical Issues in Health Care
SOCI 201	Social Problems
or SOCI 201H	Honors: Social Problems
SOCI 210	Families
SOCI 321	Race and Ethnic Relations
SOWK 340	Inequality and Social Policy
SOWK 405	Poverty and Place
Select two Psychology electives of the following:		6
HLTH 210	Human Growth and Development
or HLTH 210H	Honors: Human Growth and Development
PSYC 208	Applied Developmental Psychology
or PSYC 208H	Honors: Applied Developmental Psychology
or PSYC 210	Development Across the Lifespan
PSYC 230	Social Psychology
PSYC 316	Behavior Analysis
PSYC 331	Biological Psychology
PSYC 332	Drugs and Human Behavior
PSYC 355	Human Sexuality
PSYC 356	Psychology of Gender
PSYC 357	Psychology of Women
Total Hours		53-58