Promoting health at the community level focuses on prevention, collaboration, addressing health inequities, and providing knowledge and tools in engaging ways to help groups of people achieve their highest level of well-being.
Beginning with the 2023-24 Catalog, the Community Health Promotion minor requires 25 credits and provides the knowledge and skills needed to become a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) through the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC). The minor is open to all majors. Students must earn a GPA of 2.0 or higher in their minor courses.
Note: HLTH 410 Health Educator Certification Exam Preparation is a 1-credit course
offered the first 7 weeks of the semester in the fall and spring. It is designed to
prepare students for the CHES exam. HLTH 410 should be taken the semester of graduation,
but it can be taken earlier if all other Community Health Promotion minor requirements
will be completed that semester. Students should email the Community Health Promotion
Minor Coordinator for permission to enroll in HLTH 410.
The CHES exam can be taken up to 90 days before graduation; one benefit of taking
the exam before graduating is a lower fee for current students. You can see current CHES pricing here.
In addition to the four required courses, you must take three additional upper-level electives; two must be from HLTH and one course can be from another discipline. Select your courses in consultation with your minor and major advisors.
For students on the 2022-2023 catalog (or an earlier catalog), the Community Health Promotion Minor is not open to Public Health majors.
Upon declaring your minor, you will receive an email assigning you a Community Health Promotion minor advisor. You should contact them with any questions you have.
A minor course of study allows you to complement your major with a broader body of knowledge. You can pursue your personal passion and academic interests while still fulfilling the requirements of your major discipline. Enhance your resume and transcript and make yourself a more marketable job candidate by building your knowledge base and broadening your educational experience.