Community Health

The undergraduate program in Community Health is focused on improving health and well-being for all through the promotion of healthful lifestyles, healthy family functioning, community actions for health, and conditions that make it possible to live healthful lives. The program draws on public health, education, anthropology, psychology, sociology, family science, and other social and behavioral sciences.

The Community Health program stresses community involvement because community health emphasizes an interactive process. The undergraduate program culminates in an internship experience that is research and/or service focused. Throughout the program and in the internship, students will learn to: assess individual and community needs; plan, implement, and evaluate effective health promotion programs; coordinate provision of services; act as a resource person; and communicate health needs, concerns and resources.

Graduates of the Community Health undergraduate program are prepared to work in a variety of settings including family planning agencies, nonprofit agencies, state and federal health agencies, schools, and community health centers. Our students are employed in entry-level positions focused on planning, administration, evaluation, research, and teaching in community health settings. Students are well prepared for and highly encouraged to pursue a graduate degree in public health or other related area upon completion of the undergraduate program.

Completion of the Community Health undergraduate degree establishes eligibility to sit for the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) examination during students' final semester of their senior year. The CHES exam measures the possession, application, and interpretation of knowledge essential to the practice of community health/health education. The CHES certification is a national standard for health education practice and assists employers in identifying qualified health education practitioners.

Students must receive a grade of "C" or higher in all required courses.

Freshman YearCredits
FallSpring
COMX 111US - Introduction to Public Speaking3  
HDFS 101IS - Indiv and Fam Dev: Lifespan3  
M 105Q - Contemporary Mathematics 3  
SOCI 101IS - Introduction to Sociology3  
WRIT 101W - College Writing I3  
CHTH 205 - Drugs and Society  3
PSYX 100IS - Intro to Psychology  4
University Core  9
Year Total: 15 16
Sophomore YearCredits
FallSpring
CHTH 210 - Foundations in Community Health3  
NUTR 221CS - Basic Human Nutrition3  
Take one of the following:3  
WRIT 221 - Intermediate Tech Writing
or WRIT 201 - College Writing II
Directed Electives6  
HDFS 263 - Relationships and Fam Systems  3
HDFS 271 - Statistical Measures of Well-Being  3
HTH 220 - Human Sexuality  3
KIN 221 - Health Anatomy & Physiology  3
University Core  3
Year Total: 15 15
Junior YearCredits
FallSpring
HDFS 359 - Theories and Skills for the Human Services3  
HDFS 371 - Research Methods in HHD3  
Directed Electives6  
Upper Division Directed Electives3  
CHTH 317 - Health Behavior Theories  3
CHTH 435 - Human Response To Stress  3
CHTH 494 - Seminar  1
HADM 445 - Managing Healthcare Organizations  3
HTH 455 - The Ethic of Care  3
Directed Electives  3
Year Total: 15 16
Senior YearCredits
FallSpring
CHTH 428 - Health Disparities3  
CHTH 498 - Internship3  
HDFS 465R - Family Law & Public Policy3  
Directed Electives6  
CHTH 443 - Program Evaluation for Community Health  3
CHTH 445 - Program Planning for CH  3
CHTH 498 - Internship  2
Directed Electives  6
Year Total: 15 14
Total Program Credits: 120


Directed Electives (21-35 credits)

Select directed elective courses from the list below.  Select courses that will best compliment your professional goals in community health.  Courses may be counted only once on your program of study.  Check prerequisites to all courses.

Health and Human Development
CHTH 245Physical Activity, Nutrition and Health in Aging3
CHTH 325Leadership & Public Policies in Aging3
CHTH 405Caregiving & Aging Families3
CHTH 414Health and Culture: A Global Perspective3
CHTH 430Mental Health & Social Issues in Aging3
CHTH 440Principles of Epidemiology3
CHTH 490RUndergraduate Research1-6
HDFS 138Survey of Family Finance and Consumer Issues3
HDFS 260Middle Childhood and Adolescent Development3
HDFS 261Adult Development and Aging3
HDFS 337Personal and Family Finance I3
HDFS 338Personal and Family Finance II3
HDFS 461Principles Wellbeing in Aging3
HDFS 464Gender, Race, Class, and Family Diversity3
NUTR 321Nutrition in the Life Cycle3
NUTR 351Nutrition and Society3
General Directed Electives
AGSC 465Cultures' Role in Agriculture, Poverty, Health3
BMGT 205Prof Business Communication3
BMGT 469Community Entrepreneurship & Nonprofit Management3
CHMY 121INIntroduction to General Chemistry3
CHMY 122INIntroduction to General Chemistry Lab1
CHMY 123Introduction to Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry3
CHMY 124Introduction to Organic and Biochemistry Lab1
COMX 222Professional Communication3
HDFS 359Theories and Skills for the Human Services3
HDFS 451Trauma and Recovery: A Lifespan Perspective3
PSCI 210ISIntroduction to American Government3
PSCI 230DIntroduction to International Relations3
PSCI 240Introduction to Public Administration3
PSCI 439International Human Rights3
PSCI 465Public Administration and Policy3
PSYX 230Developmental Psychology3
PSYX 333Psychology of Aging3
PSYX 335Psychology of Gender3
PSYX 340Abnormal Psychology3
PSYX 360Social Psychology3
PSYX 385Psychology of Personality3
PSYX 462Psychology of Prejudice3
SOCI 150DSocial Difference3
SOCI 320Sociology of Religion3
SOCI 325Social Stratification3
SOCI 326Sociology of Gender3
SOCI 344Sociology of Race & Ethnicity3
SOCI 355Population and Society3
SOCI 370Sociology of Globalization3
STAT 216QIntroduction to Statistics3
STAT 337Intermediate Statistics with Introduction to Statistical Computing3
WRIT 221Intermediate Tech Writing3
WRIT 326Advanced Writing3

Community Health students may also consider the following minors as partial or complete fulfillment of supporting course credits.  Approved minors include Business Administration, Global Health, Human Development, Psychology, Sociology, and Spanish.