Health Education (HED)

HED-201 Role of the Health Educator (4 credits)

Health educators work to encourage healthy lifestyles and wellness through educating individuals and communities about behaviors that promote healthy living and prevent diseases and other health problems. They also work in organizational, community-based, and political environments to create sustainable systems that promote health. In this course, you will learn about the Seven Areas of Responsibility, identified and credentialed by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. (NCHEC), explore the Code of Ethics required by the profession, and imagine and experience yourself in the health educator role.

HED-210 Foundations Health Ed & Health Behavior (4 credits)

Health Education Specialists educate and motivate people in their pursuit of healthful behaviors. In this course, you will explore the various meanings of health, healthy behavior, and health promotion. You will also explore factors that influence health behavior, including individual, social, cultural, and environmental/community influences. Using educational, motivational, and health behavior theories, you will apply strategies to assist individuals, groups, priority populations, and communities to develop and adopt positive health behaviors. Concepts of health literacy and health disparities will be addressed as well as the 7 Areas of Responsibility of Health Educators, particularly Areas 1 (Assessment), 2 (Planning Health Education), 3 (Implement Health Education) and 7 (Communicate and Advocate for Health Education).

Prerequisite(s): PSY-110, CM-225, HED-201

HED-310 Health Policy and Advocacy (2 credits)

Health educators communicate with individuals, small groups, and through mass communication strategies to provide health-related information in a variety of settings. Their communication is the foundation for Health Educators to advocate for health and health/education promotion. As advocates, health educators create, implement, and evaluate plans that influence both policy and systems (NCHEC, 2015). This course teaches students how to analyze factors affecting development, implementation, and evaluation of health and health education policies. Students will select an area of personal concern and develop and deliver a health advocacy message to a local, state, federal legislative, or international body.

Prerequisite(s): HED-210

HED-320 Assessment of Population Health (3 credits)

HED-320 is a required upper-level course for Health Education majors. In the course, students will practice assessment of the health needs and capacities of populations. They will identify rationale for such assessments (for example, as part of the argument for advocacy of particular health education programs), characterize specific populations, identify existing data and create instruments for collecting primary data about population health. In individual project work students will conduct an assessment and create a report detailing the health characteristics of a particular population. For clarity, note that the course is about public health issues, not about individuals' medical conditions. Public health issues include nutrition and access to appropriate food, substance use, sanitation, adherence to immunization schedules, stress and environmental stressors, relationship abuse and violence, and support for the elderly, among others.

Prerequisite(s): HED-210 & BSC-255, BSC-257

HED-330 Contemporary Health Issues (4 credits)

In this course, students will investigate contemporary health issues throughout the world. The students will analyze the impact of historical, political, ecological, economic, environmental, and behavioral factors on the health of individuals, communities, and populations. In planning and implementing health education strategies, students will examine the use of social marketing, support groups, print materials, work with the media, coalition building, advocacy, and policy to positively influence health, health education and the health education profession. Offered in fall terms only.

Prerequisite(s): HED-210 completed

HED-354 Adult Ed Hr Principles & Philosophy Training (3 credits)

Using varied frameworks for observation in adult-education settings, the student identifies and reflects on components of instructional design. In the seminar held on campus, you will use the skills of analysis, valuing, and social interaction in your development of the theory and practice of teaching adults.

HED-397 Independent Study (2.00 credits)

Under the approval and direction of a faculty member, independent study is available to students.

HED-399 Formal Intro to Advanced Work (0 credits)

HED-401 Transitions to Professional Role (2 credits)

Prerequisite(s): HED-310, HED-320 & HED-330

HED-483 Advanced Internship (2 credits)

Prerequisite(s): HED-310, HED-320 & HED-330

HED-488 Adult Education HR Program Training (3 credits)

In this course the student learns the educational principles, methods, and strategies to effect human-resource development programs in a specific profession. By implementing these concepts into practical adult-development programs, students enhance their management and supervisory skills as well as training and teaching competence. Students analyze how they apply social interaction, communication, problem-solving, and analytical abilities to supervisory and training situations.