Are you curious about the health and wellness field, and how that affects communities? Health education informs communities about health-related topics and encouraging healthy behaviors. This field plays a crucial role in:
- preventing diseases
- promoting wellness
- addressing public health challenges
Graduates can end up working with a wide variety of populations and in a number of different settings. The plans can help individuals and communities to make healthy dieting and exercise choices while promoting wellness and sustainability in their communities.
So, let’s check out the 5 Best Online Bachelor’s in Health Education!
Methodology
We know that you have educational goals that you’re itching to pursue, but you may not know where to start. We’ve crafted a unique and proven ranking methodology that sets us apart. Our ranking score is based on the following three aspects:
- 40% Potential salary after graduation
- 30% Individual program accreditation
- 30% Overall affordability
Want to learn more about how we gather that information? Feel free to visit our dedicated methodology page for a step-by-step breakdown. We’re an open book!
If you’re interested in health education, be sure to check out our list of the 5 Best Online Bachelor’s in Health Education!
University of Florida
The University of Florida is one of the three preeminent public universities in the state of Florida, with its main campus located in Gainesville. In 2020, UF was ranked by U.S. World News & Report as one of the top 10 public universities in the United States. Florida’s sports teams are known as the “Gators,” which is part of why the sports drink Gatorade owes its name to the university.
The University of Florida offers an online Bachelor of Science program in Health Education. Students in the program are able to choose focused coursework in a chosen interest area. These areas of interest can include health education in community, clinical, and worksite settings or health studies.
Core courses in the program include Personal and Family Health, Community and Environmental Health, and Health Education Professional Development. There are also specialized courses in Women’s Health Issues, Trends in International Health, and Minority Health Issues. The degree requires a total of 120 credit hours, and students must have completed 60 credit hours before applying to the program.
Graduates of the program have gone on to professions such as Family Life Educator, Health Education Specialist, and Public Health Information Officer. All students in the health education major are required to complete a 15-credit hour, full-time internship. Students must complete all coursework prior to beginning the internship, and the internship should be a minimum of 40 hours per week.
Touro University Worldwide
Touro University Worldwide is an online learning service of the Touro College and University system. Touro, a private system based in New York City, also has locations throughout the U.S. and other parts of the world. Its international locations include centers in Berlin, Israel, and Moscow.
Touro University Worldwide offers an online Bachelor of Science degree in Health Sciences. The program requires 120 credit hours of coursework, which are split among general education (45 hours), prerequisite (21 hours), major core (30 hours), and elective (24 hours) courses. Students can transfer a maximum of 90 credit hours into the program.
The program includes a concentration option in Health Education. The Health Education track requires 24 credit hours, which replaces the student’s elective requirement. Students take eight courses within the concentration, which can include Human Sexuality, Gerontology, Stress and Disease, and Long-Term Care Administration. There are also courses available in Global Health, Consumer Health, and School Health Programs.
Full-time students can complete the program in 3.5 years, but completion times vary based on transfer credits and enrollment status. Courses in the program are delivered in 8-week increments. Graduates of the program are eligible for the Certified Health Education Specialist designation. The degree program ends with a final capstone course.
Arizona State University
Arizona State University has nearly 90,000 students, including more than 30,000 online attendees. ASU offers more than 350 undergraduate degree programs, which are delivered through 17 schools and colleges. In 2019, U.S. World News & Report ranked Arizona State as the Most Innovative School in America.
ASU’s online Bachelor of Science in Health Education & Promotion requires 39 classes for a total of 120 credit hours of coursework. Each course in the program lasts 7.5 weeks. Students graduating from the program can qualify for the Certified Health Education Specialist certification.
The program ends with a capstone applied project experience in a pre-professional setting. Students of the program have previously worked in settings such as county health departments, wellness centers, insurance companies, and medical facilities. Students take 45 credit hours of courses in their major area of the program.
Southern New Hampshire University
Southern New Hampshire University is a private university based in Manchester and Hooksett, NH. SNHU was founded in 1932 as the New Hampshire School of Accounting and Secretarial Science. It gained full university status in 2001. SNHU has 3,900 on-campus students and 87,000 online students.
SNHU offers an online Bachelor of Science in Community Health Education. Students complete 120 credit hours, of which 90 may be transferred in. Courses are delivered in six 8-week terms throughout the year. Graduates of the program are eligible to take the CHES certification exam.
Students in the program take major courses such as Principles of Epidemiology, Social and Behavioral Health, Communicable Diseases, and Program Administration. The program ends with a Community Health Capstone course, which gives students the opportunity to apply all of their previous coursework. Students produce an original comprehensive paper to complete the course.
All areas of study at SNHU have academic and career advisors to help guide students, from each step of the admissions process to the degree program itself and the post-grad job search. Full-time and part-time U.S. service members, along with spouses of active-duty service members, receive discounted per course and per-credit-hour tuition discounts.
Kent State University
The Mississippi University for Women is a public university located in Columbus, MS. It was founded in 1884 as the Industrial Institute and College for the Education of White Girls. The school became co-educational in 1982, and men now make up 19% of the student body. Roughly 2,800 students call the university home today.
MUW offers a Bachelor of Science in Public Health Education that requires 124 credit hours of coursework. It also offers a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Public Health Education. Students may transfer in up to 62 hours of coursework from a community college, or 43 technical/career credit hours from a relevant associate degree program.
Major courses in the program cover topics such as Chronic Disease, Biostatistics for Public Health, Global Health, and Environmental Public Health. Students have 10 elective course spaces available in the program degree plan. Students finish the program with both an internship in public health and a research course in public health and their final electives.
Frequently Asked Questions
In-state tuition at a public university for a typical undergraduate degree costs nearly $10,000 a year, according to the Education Data Initiative. Out-of-state tuition is closer to $27,000 a year. If you get your health education degree at a private school, tuition and fees average nearly $39,000. All told, the average undergraduate degree costs an average of nearly $36,500 for tuition, fees, books, and other related expenses.
Getting a degree in health education is worth it because it prepares you for a productive future. You can use the knowledge and skills you gain in your degree program to find employment and make a positive impact on how other people live. There are financial benefits, too. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, workers with bachelor’s degrees earn more money than people without a bachelor’s degree. Unemployment rates are also lower for bachelor’s-educated workers. And since you can get your degree online, you can reap all these benefits after getting your degree from the comfort of your own home!
Most health education bachelor’s programs are 120 semester credits (180 quarter credits). You’ll need to take 12-15 credits (18-22.5 quarter credits) for four years to complete the degree. In some cases, you can complete this degree faster. Earning college credits in high school, taking extra courses each semester, and going to school during the summer can all reduce the overall timeframe needed to graduate.
Health education isn’t especially easy, but it also isn’t one of the hardest college majors. There is a lot of science-related coursework, which is often complex and can be difficult to understand. But, math requirements are usually minimal, as are writing requirements. Nevertheless, this degree requires years of dedication and focused study to be successful.
Yes, you can find scholarships specifically for health education by searching online, speaking to your high school counseling department, or talking with the financial aid office at your college or university. You can also apply for general scholarships that are open to anyone regardless of major. These scholarships usually come in one of two forms – need-based or merit-based. Need-based scholarships take your financial situation into account, while merit-based scholarships look at your academic performance to determine your eligibility for and the amount of a scholarship.
Health education is a solid choice to prepare for med school. The study of human health, health behavior, and prevention is applicable to medical school studies, though you may have to complete some prerequisite coursework to boost your chances of admission. Likewise, your undergraduate major matters less for medical school admission than your GPA in science courses and your score on the MCAT.
It’s common for graduates of a health education bachelor’s program to work in a community mental health setting. This job includes educating small and large groups, communities, and the general public about health and wellness. It also entails developing and implementing health and wellness programs for communities. Many other careers are available with a bachelor’s degree in this field, including:
• Corporate Wellness Liaison
• Health Prevention Specialist
• Health Journalist
• Health Program Coordinator
• Health Coach
• Patient Care Coordinator
• Wellness Consultant
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that health education specialists make a median yearly salary of around $59,990. Entry-level positions often pay closer to $37,140, while jobs requiring more experience pay in excess of $106,210 per year. Other than experience, your level of education, the industry in which you work, and where you work can all significantly impact your salary. The position you work in affects income, too. For example, community health workers earn a median salary of $46,190 per year, while health specialty educators earn a median yearly salary of $100,300.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the highest-paying health education job is in health specialty education. More specifically, faculty at specialty hospitals make an average of $210,710 per year. This position requires advanced education and experience, though. The highest-paying bachelor’s-level health education job, according to the BLS, is working as a health education specialist in a state, local, or private hospital. Workers in these settings earn a median salary of $77,740 per year.
Related Reading:
- Best Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Health Informatics
- Top Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Health Science
- 20 Best Bachelor’s in Healthcare Management