Certificate in Health Behavior and Health Promotion

The Graduate Certificate Program in Health Behavior and Health Promotion serves students with an interest in additional academic training in the social and behavioral aspects of health behavior and health promotion as well as students who want to be trained specifically to pass the CHES exam (Certified Health Education Specialist).

Curriculum
The courses are intended to give graduates the basic core competencies around health promotion and health behavior science as well as the competencies to pass national certification exam in health education. Graduates of this program will be eligible for jobs as health promotion specialists in local health jurisdictions at the city, county, or state level or regional public health; work sites; managed care organizations; schools; and voluntary associations. The market for MPH trained health promotion specialists is likely to increase in managed care and at work sites as more health promotion programs are developed and implemented

Required Courses
(All students in the Certificate program will be required to take the 3 core courses in the SBS program, even though only 2 of the 3 courses will count toward the Certificate requirements since one of the 3 courses counts toward the SBS requirement for the MPH degree.) Thus, the 3rd required course will be HSERV582.

  • HSERV 581 Strategies of Health Promotion (4) Bowen
    Heath promotion planning, implementation, and evaluation models studies regarding strengths, weaknesses, and effectiveness. Students critique strategies to modify behavioral factors that influence lifestyle of individuals, including decisions influencing their reciprocal relationship with environmental factors that affect the health of individuals, organizations, and communities. Prerequisite: HSERV 511

  • HSERV 510 Society and Health (3) SBS faculty
    Analysis of social inequalities in health and service use by class, gender, and the social construction of race. Examines biological, cultural, social, political, and economic determinants which consistently put certain minority groups within Eurocentric societies at higher risk for inequitable health status and provision. Prerequisite: HSERV 511 or equivalent or permission of instructor.

  • HSERV 507 Communication for Health Promotion: theory and application (3) Meischke
    Provides students with a broader understanding of theories and research on health communication at the intrapersonal (i.e. attitude change and information processing), interpersonal (i.e. doctor/patient, social support) as well as the community/societal level (i.e. mass media campaigns). Students will investigate how intercultural communication affects health communication processes and outcomes at all levels of health communication. Students will learn how to plan, design, implement, and evaluate a health communication intervention.

  • HSERV 582 Theoretical Perspectives on Health Behavior Change (3) Meischke
    Overview of theoretical perspectives in health behavior at the individual, interpersonal, and community level. Focuses on increasing skills in describing, applying, and integrating these frameworks in the design and evaluation of health promotion interventions. Prerequisite: HSERV 511 or permission of instructor.

Elective Courses
Students with an interest in Health Behavior and Health Promotion practice and who wish to become qualified to take the CHES exam are advised to take the following elective courses. Both are offered in partial distance learning formats, the first in autumn quarter, the second in winter and spring quarters.

  • HSERV 560: Adult Learning: Theory and Practice (3) Downer and Gonzales
    This course provides an overview of learning theory as it applies to teaching or training and group facilitation with adult learners. It is designed to help participants to apply learning theory to planning, delivery, and evaluation of health education programs. Participants design and deliver presentations on topics related to effective training skills, including lectures, small group discussion, interactive learning exercises, energizer strategies, facilitation skills, responding to resistance, and managing questions. These teaching experiences are critically analyzed during the seminar sessions. Modules 1 and 5 are classroom based and Modules 2-4 occur on-line. The 5 learning modules for this course include:
    1. Introduction to TeachBack!
    2. Conducting Needs Assessment
    3. Writing Learning Objectives
    4. Leading Meetings
    5. TeachBack! Assignments
    This course is offered in autumn quarter in 2 evening seminars, with the remainder of study accomplished in web-based distance format.

  • HSERV 561: Introduction to Health Promotion Planning (3) Spigner
    Provides an overview of theory and a comprehensive approach to planning, implementing, and evaluating health promotion and health education interventions. The course is designed to link theory with practice. The PRECEDE/PROCEED planning model (described in Green and Kreuter, 1999) is used as a framework for this course. Students learn practical diagnostic methods for facilitating the involvement of people in the assessment of their own needs, resources and health priorities; identifying modifiable behavioral and environmental risk and protective factors and their determinants; promoting citizen participation and support from various sectors of the community; and developing or selecting and implementing a strategic combination of approaches for effective intervention. This course will be offered in winter (February) and spring (April) quarters during 2 evening seminars with the remainder of study accomplished in a web-based distance format.

Students with an interest in Health Behavior and Health Promotion Science who are NOT necessarily preparing for the CHES exam are advised to take two courses from the following menu.


Description of Capstone Experience
The capstone learning experience for all students regardless of their focus within the certificate will consists of a series of four case-based seminars offered by diverse group of clinical health education faculty, all employed by community-based public health agencies. The case topics are selected to supplement content from the certificate program courses with the goal being to address any remaining CHES exam competencies and to highlight emergent or contemporary issues in health education and health promotion practice. Students will participate actively in the seminars by reviewing assigned cases in small groups with an instructor, presenting their case and approaches to the challenges posed in it to the larger group, and receiving feedback from the group and the instructors. Additionally, students will be asked to give a formal presentation of a thesis, practicum, or similar project that synthesizes the material covered in the certificate program.

Admissions Standard and Process
Admissions will be accomplished by a small committee (Drs Downer, Patrick, Meischke, and Bowen). Potential certificate applicants will complete a simple form that asks for a personal statement on reasons for pursuing the certificate and their current standing in the department. This committee will review the applications and accept students who meet the minimal requirements. The admissions process will not be required for Social and Behavioral Science students as they have already demonstrated their interest in this area of concentration.

Grading and Minimal Standards
A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above is required for all courses counting toward the certificate, and a grade of 2.7 is required for any individual course counted toward the certificate.