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Public Health Education

As a public health education major, you prepare to be an active advocate for healthy individuals and communities. You're equipped to work in community and public health agencies, schools or universities, and corporate wellness settings.

Preparing You For Success

You’ll develop your health promotion skills through multiple community experiences and leave Bradley with internships and a portfolio of hands-on projects. You're also prepared for the Certified Health Education Specialist national exam.

By the time you graduate, your experiences include:

  • At least one internship in a public health setting. Students have interned for organizations such as the YMCA, Hult Center for Healthy Living, OSF Health Care and the Children’s Home Association of Illinois.
  • Class projects in community, school, university and worksite wellness settings
  • Professional development and networking through national honor societies Eta Sigma Gamma and Kappa Omicron Nu

Additionally, you minor in health to strengthen your understanding of wellness concerns across the lifespan and among diverse populations.

Making Your Mark

Community and public health programs are growing both at the local level and in corporate settings. Your degree prepares you to enter the workforce or to pursue a graduate degree in public health or health education.

Recent Bradley graduates are working as health education specialists, prevention specialists, community outreach coordinators, youth service specialists and wellness coordinators.

Sample Program Plan
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Major Requirements

Family and Consumer Sciences Core - 15 hrs

  • FCS 100: Family Dynamics - 3 hrs
  • FCS 220: Consumer Issues in Health Care - 3 hrs
  • FCS 310 and 311: Community Program Planning and Evaluation - 6 hrs
  • FCS 442: Foundations of FCS - 3 hrs

Required Professional Work Experience - 3 hrs

  • FCS 462: Public Health Education Practicum I - 3 hrs

Additional Required FCS Courses - 22 hrs.

  • FCS 120: Foundations in Public Health Education - 1 hr
  • FCS 203: School Health Promotion- 3 hrs.
  • FCS 220: Consumer Issues in Healthcare - (FCS core)
  • FCS 221: Introduction to Community and Public Health - 3 hrs.
  • FCS 303: Nutrition - 3 hrs
  • FCS 310: Community Program Planning - (FCS core)
  • FCS 311: Evaluation and Research Methods - (FCS core)
  • FCS 320: Public Health Intervention Strategies - 3 hrs
  • FCS 341: Human Development through the Lifespan - 3 hrs
  • FCS 420: Public Health Policy - 2 hrs
  • FCS 421: Public Health Education Seminar - 1 hr
  • FCS 464: Leadership in Public Health Education - 3 hrs

Required Supporting Courses - 36 hrs.

  • BIO 111: Introduction to Cell Biology - 3 hrs.
  • BIO 230: Human Anatomy and Physiology I - 3 hrs.
  • BIO 232: Human Anatomy and Physiology II - 3 hrs.
  • BIO 300: Population, Resources, and Environment - 3 hrs
  • CHM 100: Fundamentals of General Chemistry - 3 hrs
  • CHM 101: Fundamentals of General Chemistry Lab - 1 hr
  • CHM 162: Fundamentals of Organic and Biochemistry - 4 hrs
  • CHM 302 or NUR 391: Medical Terminology - 1 hr
  • MTH 111: Elementary Statistics - 3 hrs
  • NUR 263: Introduction to Personal and Community Health - 3 hrs
  • PSY 101: Principles of Psychology - 3 hrs
  • SOC 100: The Sociological Perspective - 3 hrs
  • 6 hrs of electives (choose from PSY 201, 309, 313, SOC 313, 333, 341, 343) - 6 hrs

Required Health Minor - 18 hrs

  • Open Electives for Student Personalization - 16 hrs
    • Selected in consultation with advisor.

Contact Information

Jackie Hogan

Department Chair and Associate Professor Teresa Drake

Public Health Education Program Director

    Bradley Hall 17
    (309) 677-3879
   tdrake@bradley.edu