Mar 28, 2024  
2018-2019 SUNY Potsdam Academic Catalog 
    
2018-2019 SUNY Potsdam Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Community Health, B.S.


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The Community Health major focuses on Community Health Education, a field of health practice that seeks to help people make positive changes in their lifestyles, families, workplaces, organizations and communities, develop and advocate for effective health policy and address health disparities in order to prevent health problems from occurring and improve health and quality of life. Health education is an exciting field, with a variety of content areas and employment opportunities from which to choose. Graduates of the Community Health program pursue careers in local or state public health departments, hospital outreach and education programs, community-based programs and agencies, social service programs and agencies, national health organizations, corporate wellness programs, etc. Substance abuse prevention, nutrition education, sex education, safety and injury prevention, disease prevention, therapeutic recreation, and environmental health advocacy are just a few of the occupational opportunities available to graduates from this program. The Community Health major offers students the opportunity to learn how to work effectively with a variety of populations. Working toward social justice and helping others learn how to live healthier and more fulfilling lives is a rewarding and challenging endeavor. Through the Community Health major, students acquire the skill base and knowledge to be effective health educators. Graduates of the Community Health major qualify to sit for the CHES exam to become Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES), a nationally recognized credential for health educators.

The Community Health major requires students to successfully complete 26 core course credits, nine credits of HLTH electives, a 12-credit internship, and seven credits of cognate courses. Students who declare the Community Health major will be assessed to determine if they need additional assistance with writing. If a student is determined to need assistance, faculty will refer the student to the College writing specialist. In addition to demonstrating acceptable writing skills, students must also earn at least a 2.0 in courses counting towards the major and maintain an overall GPA in the major of a 2.5 to participate in the culminating internship. Students may not take any core courses S/U.

Program Requirements


Cognate Requirements: 7 Credits


Registration


To declare the major, contact the chair of the Department of Public Health and Human Performance.

Note(s)


75 liberal arts credits are required for the B.S. degree. General Education requirements are the same as for the B.A. program.

Total Credit Hours Required: 47 Plus 7 Credits of Cognates


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