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Community and Public Health

Community and Public Health Major/Minor

The field of health education is indeed an exciting and growing one.  With the rapid changes in health care today, a prevention focus is of ever-increasing importance. There are 3 concentrations to choose from: 

  • School of Health Concentration
  • Community Health Concentration
  • Addiction Studies Concentration

 

If you want to learn more about any of these focuses, CONTACT YOUR ADVISOR.

Why Choose Community and Public Health at ISU?

  • Select from one of three major concentrations; teaching and non-teaching minor
  • Award-winning full-time and adjunct faculty bring years of practical health education experience and insight to the classroom learning environment
  • Offer classes directed at Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC) certification
  • Non-cohort program allows students to pace degree completion on a full-time or a part-time basis
  • Low student-to-teacher ratio
  • Online accessible
  • Well-rounded degree for post-baccalaureate and professional health programs

Community and Public Health Degree Requirements

Community and Public Health Major/Minor

For students interested in a major in community and public health (CPH), there are two degree emphases and a degree option. Non-CPH majors may also complete coursework leading to a minor in CPH.

Declare or Change to Community and Pubic Health Major/Minor

Students may declare or change their major/minor to Community and Public Health at anytime during their academic career. Here are the steps to declare or change a major/minor:

  1. Download and complete the Declaration of Major/Minor Form
  2. Return the form to the Department of Community and Public Health office in Reed Gym #242, or email dcph@isu.edu.
  3. Meet with Community and Public Health faculty to discuss the major/minor requirements, academic catalog year, and course scheduling.
  4. Faculty will complete a Curriculum Change Request (CCR) form
  5. Student approves the CCR

 

MAJOR in Health Education

Students choosing to major in health education must complete all university General Education Requirements for the B.A. or B.S. degree, all core health education requirements, and all courses from one of the two emphasis areas. Students selecting the school health emphasis should complete coursework toward a teaching minor or second teaching major. In addition, students wishing to teach must also complete all College of Education course requirements.

  1. Completion of the university General Education Requirements, a minimum of 36 credits (see General Education Requirements and Applying to Graduate). Courses which partially or wholly fulfill both General Education Objectives and major requirements are:
    • ENGL 1102 - Critical Reading and Writing (3 credits) - OBJECTIVE 1
    • COMM 1101 - Principles of Speech (3 credits) - OBJECTIVE 2
    • MATH 1153 – Introduction to Statistics (3 credits) - OBJECTIVE 3
    • BIOL 1101,1101L - Biology I, and Lab (4 credits) - OBJECTIVE 5
    • ECON 2202 - Principles of Microeconomics (3 credits) - OBJECTIVE 6
    • PSYC 1101 - Introduction to General Psychology (3 credits) - OBJECTIVE 6
    • INFO 1101 - Digital Information Literacy (3 credits) - OBJECTIVE 8
  2. Completion of the following required courses:
    • ENGL 3307: Professional and Technical Writing (3 credits) AND
    • NTD 1139: Consumer Nutrition (3 credits) OR
    • NTD 2239: Nutrition (3 credits) (note: NTD 2239 partially satisfies Objective 5)
  3. Completion of the Health Education Major Core Requirements (21 credits).
  4. Completion of the courses from one of the two degree emphasis areas or degree option listed below.  Students selecting the school health emphasis are encouraged to complete coursework toward a teaching minor or second teaching major. In addition, students wishing to teach must also complete all College of Education course requirements.
  5.  
  6.  
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  8. Completion of elective courses.  Elective courses should be selected according to the student's interests and career needs, in conjunction with a faculty advisor.  The total number of elective credit hours may include course prerequisites for general education requirements and is dependent on the health education major emphasis area selected.
  9. Credits earned in a health education course with a grade of lower than a "C-" will not be counted toward graduation for a Community and Public Health major.

 

School Health Emphasis

Students with a school health emphasis are training to teach health in public or private junior high or senior high schools.  Students choosing the school health emphasis must also be admitted to the teacher education program and complete all requirements for teaching certification through the .  Completion of at least one minor area of study is recommended.  A list of possible minors and College of Education requirements may be found in the ISU catalog.  It is recommended that students have an advisor in both the College of Education and the Community and Public Health program.

In addition to the Community and Public Health Major Core, the following courses are required in the School Health emphasis:

  • Major Component in Health (12 credits)
    • HE 4430: Curriculum and Methods in Health Education (3 credits)
    • HE 4442: Environmental Health and Health Education (3 credits)
    • HE 4443: Substance Abuse and Health Education (3 credits)
    • HE 4445: Human Sexuality and Health Education (3 credits)

OR

  • Single Subject Teaching Major in Health (24 credits)
    • HE 3383: Epidemiology (3 credits)
    • HE 4430: Curriculum and Methods in Health Education (3 credits)
    • HE 4432: Community and Public Health (3 credits)
    • HE 4442: Environmental Health and Health Education (3 credits)
    • HE 4443: Substance Abuse and Health Education (3 credits)
    • HE 4445: Human Sexuality and Health Education (3 credits)
    • HE 4473 or HCA 4473: Health Program Marketing (3 credits)
    • HE Electives (3 credits)

Community/Worksite Health Concentration

Students with a community/worksite emphasis are training to plan, implement, and evaluate health education and promotion activities in various settings such as health departments, hospitals, volunteer community health agencies (Red Cross, Cancer Society, Heart Association, Lung Association, etc.), health maintenance organizations, corporations, fitness facilities, wellness centers, or university settings.  As with many occupations today, some of the sites listed above prefer to hire individuals with a graduate degree in health.

In addition to the Community and Public Health Major Core, the following courses are required in the Community/Worksite Health emphasis:

    • HE 2210/HCA 2210: Medical Terminology (2 credits)
    • HE 3383: Epidemiology (3 credits)
    • HE 4432: Community and Public Health (3 credits)
    • HE 4442: Environmental Health and Health Education (3 credits)
    • HE 4443: Substance Abuse and Health Education (3 credits)
    • HE 4445: Human Sexuality and Health Education (3 credits)
    • HE 4473/HCA 4473: Health Care Strategic Planning and Marketing (3 credits)
    • HE 4490: Practicum (4 credits)
    • Either HCA 3350: Organizational Behavior and Health Care (3 credits) or MGT 3312: Individual and Organizational Behavior (3 credits)
    • HCA 3384: Human Resource Management In Health Care Organizations (3 credits)
    • HE Electives (3 credits)

Addictions Studies Concentration

This option provides the student with a broad understanding of substance abuse issues as well as specific strategies to prevent/intervene with individuals in a variety of settings. Possible Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC) certification with additional course work is possible.

In addition to the Health Education Major Core, the following courses are required in the Addictions Studies option:

    • HE 2210/HCA 2210: Medical Terminology (2 credits)
    • HE 2232: Helping Theories (3 credits)
    • HE 3311: Case Management of Substance Abuse (3 credits)
    • HE 3312: Ethics for the Addictions Counselor (2 credits)
    • HE 3383: Epidemiology (3 credits)
    • HE 4432: Community and Public Health (3 credits)
    • HE 4443: Substance Abuse and Health Education (3 credits)
    • HE 4473/HCA 4473: Health Care Strategic Planning and Marketing (3 credits)
    • HE 4490: Practicum (4 credits)
    • Either HCA 3350: Organizational Behavior and Health Care (3 credits) or MGT 3312: Individual and Organizational Behavior (3 credits)
    • HCA 3384: Human Resource Management In Health Care Organizations (3 credits)
    • HE Electives (6 credits)

MINOR in Health Education

Non-health education major students may elect to earn a minor in health education.  Students interested in the Teaching Minor must be accepted to the College of Education. The following courses are required for a Teaching Minor or Non-Teaching Minor in Community and Public Health:

Teaching Minor (21 Credits)

  • HE 2200: Promoting Wellness (3 credits)
  • HE 2221: Introduction to Health Education (3 credits)
  • HE 3340,3340L: Fitness and Wellness Programs and Lab (3 credits)
  • HE 3342: Stress and Emotional Health (3 credits)
  • HE 4430: Curriculum and Methods in Health Education (3 credits)
  • TWO of the following THREE courses:
    • HE 4442: Environmental Health and Health Education (3 credits)
    • HE 4443: Substance Abuse and Health Education (3 credits)
    • HE 4445: Human Sexuality and Health Education (3 credits)

Non-Teaching Minor (21 Credits)

  • HE 2200: Promoting Wellness (3 credits)
  • HE 2221: Introduction to Health Education (3 credits)
  • HE 3340,3340L: Fitness and Wellness Programs and Lab (3 credits)
  • HE 3342: Stress and Emotional Health (3 credits)
  • HE 4410: Behavior Change Theory and Application (3 credits)
  • HE 4420: Health Program Planning and Implementation (3 credits)
  • HE 4435: Health Program Evaluation and Research (3 credits)

Admission Requirements

There are no program admission requirements for the B.A. or B.S. in Community and Public Health with a concentration in School HealthCommunity Health or Addiction Studies.  Please see Undergraduate Catalog for more details. 

Resources

Practicum Internship Handbook

Practicum Appendices

Professionalism policy

Program Petition

 

Advising Materials

Academic Degree Maps and Checklists

In conjunction with  and the 2012 CAA Retention Initiative, we are in the process of finalizing health education (HE) degree plans and checklists to provide a structure for new students, and many continuing students, to help them understand the HE degree requirements, and to assess the time frame needed to complete a "4-year" degree.

 

  • PREVIOUS YEARS
    • For previous years, please refer to the appropriate online catalog.
Alumni
 

Lindsey Morris

Lindsey Morris, Class of 2020 has been working with the ISU COVID Health Team as a COVID investigator since October 2020. Prior to joining the ISU team, she worked for Southeastern Idaho Public Health as an intern during her senior year while she worked to obtain a bachelors degree in community and public health.
 
At SIPH, she coordinated self care seminars and other activities for young mothers and parents, including a Mother's Day Fun Run. She taught fall prevention classes for older adults in addition to helping plan a health fair.
 
In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lindsey played an integral role in establishing the COVID hotline at SIPH, along with providing critical support as COVID testing and screening sites were established there. These roles provided her with the experience needed to become a COVID investigator at ISU.
 
There, she and the ISU Health Team are credited with developing and standing up a massive COVID screening program for all employees and students. She also helped to create the contact tracing processes, self-reporting procedures and now fields dozens of phone calls and emails per day related to contact tracing.
 
Lindsey and her husband have three children and she is a die-hard Bengal. She says "ISU has been a huge part of my life since I was a very early teen. I did the Upward Bound program in high school. I started going to college, taking classes and just fell in love with learning so college was a new found obsession with needing more and more information. Mainly it's my hometown, but since I've always been connected somehow with ISU since I was 14 years old, there never was anywhere else. So it was very suiting when the time came to look for a job that this would be the first place I looked."
 
Lindsey plans to stay here in the Pocatello area and hopes to utilize her education, wealth of knowledge and experience to help grow public health programs and public health education for her community.

Kasiska Division of Health Sciences - Learn more about the Kasiska family legacy and impact