HPER
Community Health Education
Program Offerings
The Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation at Western Michigan University offers degrees in various health promotion-related programs, one being a Bachelor of Science in Community Health Education. Students can complete either a 45-hour major or a 25-hour minor in CHE. Both academic options prepare students to become a Certified Health Education Specialist, which is a national certification program for the health education profession. The Community Health Education program at WMU is taught primarily by full-time faculty with terminal degrees in health education.
Students enrolled in the Community Health Education program are exposed to courses and experiences that prepare them to work as a health educator in community based settings. Focus is placed on planning, implementing and evaluating programs designed to assist individuals in changing or preventing negative health behaviors such as smoking, obesity, alcohol abuse, unprotected sex, stress, etc. Depending on area of interest, graduates are prepared to work in clinical based organizations, worksite health promotion programs, government agencies, or a variety of community-based organizations such as substance abuse agencies, pregnancy prevention programs, HIV/AIDS prevention programs and heart and cancer associations.
Click one of the following to learn more about specific program requirements: