Health Education

Back to Health Studies & Applied Educational Psychology

Department of Health Studies & Applied Educational Psychology

Visit Program Website

Program Description

Welcome to the Program in Health Education at Teachers College

The Program in Health Education includes three degree programs:

M.A. in Health Education (32 points)

M.S. in Community Health Education (42 points)

Ed.D. in Health Education (75 points, 30 of which may be transfer credits)

Our interdisciplinary degree programs are designed to prepare students to pursue impactful research and practice that will positively shape the health and well-being of communities across the life span in a wide range of occupational settings. All of our degree programs focus on a common theme of reducing health disparities through public health education and health promotion for individuals, families, and communities, and through the development and implementation of evidence-based programs, policies, and practices.

Our approach to professional preparation is predicated on informed decision making, self-determination, and environmental changes that advance population health and health equity. Students learn about data-informed approaches and practice-based evidence to help ensure that educational approaches are acceptable to their intended audience, feasible to implement, scalable, and effective. Rooted in the social and behavioral sciences, the Health Education faculty have prepared generations of local, national, and global leaders working in governmental, public and community based organizations; research institutions and centers; academia; school systems; hospital and health care systems; and policy institutes.

The Program in Health Education specializes in preparing the leaders needed to address some of the most pressing social crises and public health issues of our time, including chronic disease prevention, reproductive health, mental health, gun violence,and other forms of aggression such as in-school and cyber bullying, HIV/AIDS, climate science, pandemic preparedness, adverse childhood experiences, and many other salient topics. Uniquely situated within a school of education, our programs support students to pursue the links between health and learning, to engage in collaborative research directly with teachers and school leaders, and to lead evidence-informed advocacy efforts that advance policies that foster positive outcomes for children. .

The majority of advanced graduate seminars feature small class sizes with accessible faculty. Ongoing academic support helps ensure high rates of timely degree completion and active support for students as they pursue internship and job opportunities. Our program features faculty with a significant and consistent record of external research grant funding, publications in leading peer-reviewed scientific journals, and who are providing national and global leadership in their respective fields.

Mission and Vision

The mission of the Program is to address the health of the public through the preparation of specialists in health promotion and education. Our program actively seeks to prepare students to promote health, prevent disease, reduce injury, and advance health equity. We do this work in direct partnerships with institutions, organizations, and agencies in New York City, the surrounding region, nationally, and globally —including in schools, hospitals, clinics, worksites, governmental agencies, and in collaboration with numerous nonprofit organizations.

Our vision is to create a world-class learning environment that attracts, retains, and graduates leaders who share, with faculty, a deep commitment to health promotion, disease prevention, and health equity for local , national and international communities.

Goals for Achieving Our Program Mission

In order to achieve our mission, the Program has identified goals that fall within the broader categories of education, research, service, and via our collective commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Educational Goals

One of the fundamental purposes of the Program is to deliver education that provides a firm foundation rooted in knowledge of the behavioral and social sciences that guide effective community-based education—including methods of analysis, assessment, program planning, evaluation, and research. We provide classroom instruction, advanced seminars, colloquia and statistical laboratory instruction that ensure training in core competencies essential for addressing public health through community health education.

The Program’s educational goals are:

Prepare exceptional community health practitioners and public health researchers equipped with foundational knowledge and practical skills.
Provide students with an engaging inclusive, and supportive learning environment.
Provide students with individualized support to complete their studies in a timely fashion and facilitate their professional development.

Research Goals

The Program strives to advance and disseminate the evidence-base for behavioral and social science serving as the foundation for public health and education. We foster exposure to rich and varied programs of research and using multiple types of data and varied research designs (e.g., efficacy, effectiveness, epidemiological, public health, ethnographic, naturalistic, case-studies, process-outcome studies, meta-analyses).

The Program’s research goals are:

Advance and disseminate evidence-based research that addresses public health in diverse regional, national, and international communities.
Engage students in the advancement and dissemination of evidence-based research that addresses public health in diverse regional, national, and international communities.

Service Goals

The Program provides opportunities for engagement in internship, practice, and service activities that reflect collaboration with varied institutions, organizations, and agencies in the community setting—including schools, hospitals, clinics, work- sites, governmental agencies, and non-profits—thereby providing a firm grounding in the practical application of knowledge in the real-world, as well as reinforcing and extending the knowledge base gained through education. We promote the sharing of expertise, learning, and working collaboratively with program peers, faculty, other professionals, community stakeholders, and community members—whether via service on advisory boards, institutional committees, advocacy groups, trans-disciplinary groups, or other organizational groups.

The Program’s service goals are:

Engage in collaborative work with varied institutions, organizations and agencies to promote public health.
Provide continuing education and workforce development opportunities to a national and global audience of public and community health practitioners.

Commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion

Our program - through our collective scholarship, teaching, mentoring, curricula, and service - is deeply committed to facilitating a community that prioritizes justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Our program seeks to recruit and retain a diverse student body, faculty, and staff as the multicultural setting for accomplishing our goals—ensuring diversity across race, gender, immigrant status, geography, discipline, disability status, among others.. In addition and to ensure our students are as well-supported as possible, all TC students have the option of engaging in a confidential disclosure of their disability status to our Office of Access and Services for Students with Disabilities.

Student support and development

Our Program is committed to fostering and supporting the preparation and careers of our incredibly talented students. To accommodate our growing and diverse student body, our Program offers numerous courses in an online or “hybrid” format, so that students may have the option of attending in-person or online. In addition, our Program’s core courses are often offered multiple times per year to support timely degree completion. And our program faculty work closely with each student to identify potential sources of funding, research, internship, and job opportunities, providing letters of recommendation, among many other opportunities for support and professional development.

Degrees

Group by Degree Type

Master of Science
- Community Health Education
  Master of Science
  
  Points/Credits: 42
  
  Entry Terms: Spring, Summer, Fall
  
  Degree Requirements
  Degree Requirements
  
  The mission of the 42-point M.S. degree program in Community Health Education is to address the health of the public through the preparation of specialists trained to focus on the health of community members in varied community settings. Our graduates will be able to engage in the tasks of addressing community and public health via analysis, assessment, program planning, program implementation, intervention, evaluation, and research. And our This mission includes promoting health, preventing disease, reducing injury, and advancing health equity locally, nationally, and globally. , while training exceptional leaders for the delivery of outstanding contributions to diverse regional, national, and international communities through teaching, research and service. Varied structures, institutions, organizations, and agencies in the community setting -- including schools, hospitals, clinics, work-sites, and non-profits -- are engaged in collaborative relationships for purposes of fulfilling the mission.
  
  The vision of the M.S. degree program in Community Health Education is to advance a world-class learning environment that attracts, retains, and graduates diverse leaders who share with faculty a deep commitment to health education, health promotion, disease prevention, and health equity for diverse regional, national and international communities; and, work collaboratively with both faculty and community members through educational, service, and research endeavors. We also value and emphasize the acquisition of cultural competence with multicultural populations, as well as a focus on health disparity reduction and elimination. Our collective work advances and disseminates the behavioral and social science serving as the foundation for effective community health education.
  
  Completion of the M.S. degree program makes graduates eligible to qualify for certification as a Certified Health Education Specialist through the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. The credit hours available through this degree program may also be utilized to make one eligible to sit for the examination for the Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES) -- also available through the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc.
  
  The Progression of Courses & Requirements for the 42 Point M.S. Degree
  
  Public Health Core Knowledge (21 Points):
  
  HBSS 4100 Behavioral and Social Science Foundations of Health Education (3)
  
  HBSS 4102 Principles of Epidemiology in Health Promotion (3)
  
  HBSS 4112 Social Policy and Prevention (3)
  
  HBSS 4118 Principles of Health-Related Behavioral & Social Change: Initiation to Maintenance (3)
  
  HBSS 4160 Introduction to Biostatistics for Community Health Educators (3)
  
  HBSS 4161 Environmental Health (3)
  
  HBSS 6100 Program Evaluation (3)
  
  Community Health Core Knowledge (9 Points):
  
  HBSS 4114 Competency with Multicultural Populations: Research & Practice (3)
  
  HBSS 5111 Planning Health Education Programs (3)
  
  HBSS 5112 Social Marketing and Health Communications (3)
  
  Broad and Basic Areas of Professional Scholarship and Practice (6 Points):
  
  Students should take two 3-point courses approved by their advisor, while selecting courses offered by another department (i.e. Non-HBSS) at the college.
  
  Elective Course (3 Points):
  
  Students should take one HBSS Elective Course: Select one from the List of Options, above, under the M.A. degree description. There is variability with regard to the courses actually being offered within an academic year, so check the current semester’s course offerings.
  
  PRACTICAL SKILLS [FIELDWORK] (3 Points):
  
  HBSS 5410 – Practicum in Health Education (3)
  
  Culminating Project for Research, Scholarship and Inquiry (0 Points)
  
  The Culminating Project for Research Scholarship and Inquiry (0 points) involves an opportunity for students to work closely with their advisor and to integrate what they have learned throughout the program (e.g., major research paper; community health education curriculum; design a health promotion, disease prevention, or health education program; research project; grant application; or, an approved alternative). Students are expected to meet with their advisor and receive approval, in advance, for various types of projects.
  
  CAPSTONE PORTFOLIO (0 Points):
  
  The Capstone Portfolio is a requirement for graduation (0 points). Students are expected to meet with their advisor and receive instructions and approval for the plan to compile this portfolio, as a collection of items (e.g., papers, etc.) reflecting their work in the degree program.

Faculty

Faculty
- John P Allegrante Charles Irwin Lambert Professor of Health Behavior and Education
- Charles E Basch Richard March Hoe Professor of Health and Education
- Jennifer W. Cadenhead Executive Director/ Assistant Research Professor
- Pamela Ann Koch Mary Swartz Rose Associate Professor of Nutrition and Education
- Sonali Rajan Professor of Health Education
- Randi L. Wolf Ella McCollum Vahlteich Professor of Human Nutrition
Visiting Faculty
- Michelle Lisa Odlum Visiting Professor
Emeriti
- Kathleen Ann O'Connell Isabel Maitland Stewart Professor Emerita of Nursing Education
- Barbara C. Wallace Professor Emerita of Health Education
Adjunct Faculty
- Ellyce Michelle Dipaola Adjunct Assistant Professor
- Robert E Fullilove Adjunct Full Professor
- Katherine Jean Roberts Adjunct Full Professor

Courses

HBSS 4100 - Behavior & Social Science Foundations of Health Education

Determinants of health; relationship between health and human behavior; the role of health education as a strategy in health promotion and disease prevention; selected issues and problems.
HBSS 4102 - Princip Epidemiology Hlth Prom

Principles and methods of epidemiologic investigation; application of epidemiologic to prevention and control of disease, using health education.
HBSS 4110 - Children and Adolescent Health Issues

Basic topics in promoting child and adolescent health; relationships between school, family, and community in promoting the health status of school-age children.
HBSS 4111 - Addictions and dependencies

Social-Psychological, cultural, clinical, and pharmacological factors associated with the use of psychoactive drug s and other compulsive behaviors.
HBSS 4112 - Social policy and prevention

Analysis of current national health policy, its social, economic, and political determinants, and implications for health education.
HBSS 4113 - Human sexuality education

Explore human sexuality from a variety of perspectives; explore students' own attitudes about human sexuality and how they affect them personally and professionally; examine methods of teaching and designing sexuality education programs.
HBSS 4114 - Competence with Multicultural Populations: Research & Practice

Health status, needs, and problems of multicultural populations in urban environments and sensitivity to these issues in effective programs.
HBSS 4116 - Health Education for Teachers

This course reviews the critical health issues that affect the well-being of youths today, emphasizing the practical aspects of child health that are mandated for teaching certification, including the following: reporting child abuse; preventing school violence; and promoting respect and dignity for all students. Students who take an online section of this course must also take an additional three-hour in-person workshop to meet the Dignity For All Students Act (DASA) requirement for teacher certification.
HBSS 4117 - HIV/AIDS epidemiology and education

The role of schools, parents, and communities in educating youth about AIDS and human sexuality; review of methods and resource materials for providing such education; consideration of controversial issues surrounding these topics.
HBSS 4118 - Principles of Health Related Behavioral and Social Change: Initiation to Maintenance

The course covers numerous principles to guide health related behavioral change, as well as social change--including on the individual, organizational, national and global levels. Introductory principles are covered that are rooted in theory and techniques for initiating and maintaining change for a variety of addictive and problem behaviors, including a focus on the stages of change, motivational interviewing, and relapse prevention. Additional principles are key to guiding social change, for designing leadership, resolving conflicts, and collaborating with partners on strategies for change.
HBSS 4121 - Death education

Designed to increase awareness/insight of the multidimensional aspects of death, dying, and bereavement. Gain skills as health care professionals in dealing with death, its causes, treatment of life-threatening illness, including AIDS, suicide, and violent death. Explore customs across cultures, afterlife beliefs, near-death experiences, and ethical issues.
HBSS 4122 - Women's health

Explore biologic and environmental influences on women's health risks and disease. Additionally, students will acquire knowledge to evaluate clinical studies in the literature and gain basic understanding of the process of planning and developing women's health promotion programs.
HBSS 4123 - Violence Prevention and "All Hazards" Preparedness

This course covers the nature and prevention of invisible and covert, as well as visible and overt violence, including intrapersonal, interpersonal, family, community, gang, school, societal, and international manifestations.
HBSS 4160 - Introduction to Biostatistics For Community Health Education

This course provides an introduction to the field of biostatistics and the application of statistics to health education and community health data. This course covers the collection, storage, retrieval, analysis, and interpretation of health data; design and analysis of health-related surveys and experiments; concepts essential to statistical data analysis; and the practice of statistical data analysis. Details on hypothesis testing, normality, and types of error are incorporated into several of the lessons. Research methodology (i.e., study design, data collection) and data management skills are also taught. Applications of these concepts to health education and community health data are used throughout the course. The overall goals of this course are to foster a comprehensive understanding of basic data collection and analysis methods used in health education and community health research and to help students become more comfortable working with and managing data in SPSS.
HBSS 4161 - Environmental Health

This course provides an introduction to the field of environmental health, while focusing upon those environmental factors that affect the health of communities - including biological, physical, and chemical factors. The relationship between the natural and built environments on human health are focused upon. In addition, the course incorporates the use of case studies and current peer-reviewed literature in the field of environmental health to promote knowledge acquisition. Health education curriculum and program development processes are incorporated into the course as well.
HBSS 4901 - Research and independent study in health education

Permission required. Research and independent study under faculty direction. Proposals must have prior approval of a faculty member.
HBSS 5000 - Health promotion in higher education

This course will explore the complex issues and challenges facing those working to enhance the quality of student health and student learning at college and universities.
HBSS 5040 - Research methods in health and behavior studies I

Introduction to research, study designs, and data collection methods in research in health and behavior studies, including nursing, nutrition, and health education with emphasis on reading and understanding research literature.
HBSS 5110 - Determinants of health behavior

Theory-based analysis of the cultural, social-psychological, and social-structural determinants of health-related behaviors; implications for planned change at individual, small-group, and community levels.
HBSS 5111 - Planning health education programs

Process of developing social, epidemiological, behavioral, and educational diagnoses; principles of planning, implementing, and evaluating health education interventions.
HBSS 5112 - Social marketing and health communications

This course provides a detailed study of social marketing and health communication efforts and their role at facilitating behavior changes at both an individual and community-wide level. Students in this course will learn how to use peer-reviewed research and key social marketing principles to develop a comprehensive and effective social marketing campaign; learn how to target health communication efforts towards specific audiences and via varied channels of distribution; understand the role of social media and technology in facilitating/influencing behavior changes; study current examples of successful social marketing initiatives; use data analytic tools to inform changes to a campaign; discuss the ethics surrounding health communication and social marketing efforts. The course incorporates reviews of current research being conducted on social marketing and health communication efforts on a range of health issues and across different communities.
HBSS 5113 - Community health analysis and intervention

Survey and analysis of concepts, issues, strategies, and methods relevant to community health analysis and intervention.
HBSS 5408 - Practicum in individual health advisement

Individual and small group practice in the application of basic principles of counseling in the area of health problems.
HBSS 5410 - Practicum in health education

The course meets requirements of the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) by providing an opportunity for students to gain practical skills via field work or internships. This practicum course provides students with a culminating experience that is central to our mission. More specifically, the mission of the M.S. Degree Program in Community Health Education is to address the health of the public through the preparation of specialists in health education who focus on the community as the setting for analysis, assessment, program planning, intervention, evaluation, and research. Varied structures, institutions, organizations, and agencies in the community setting--including schools, hospitals, clinics, worksites, and non-profits--are engaged in collaborative relationships for the purposes of fulfilling the mission. Thus, the practicum course specifically ensures that students have a supervised experience in a community setting where they are engaged in a collaborative relationship with a supervisor, staff, and selected consumers within that setting. The intention is to ensure that M.S. degree students have received well rounded preparation for professional careers as health education specialists through a supervised experience across 180 hours within a setting of their choice; this may be a setting aligned with their goals for professional development and future employment. Of note, M.A. degree students are also welcome to participate in optional fieldwork vis this course.
HBSS 5710 - Supervised teaching in health education

Permission required. Advance registration required in the semester prior to taking the course. Supervised health teaching in a school. Essay required at end of teaching experience.
HBSS 5800 - Health Disparities Research Conference

This two day, spring semester, weekend conference event exposes participants to 1) potentially new knowledge with regard to the variety of evidence-based approaches to reducing health disparities; 2) attitudes/beliefs so multicultural sensitivity/competence begins to replace socially conditioned stereotypes that threaten interpersonal communication/interaction during service delivery/research/teaching; and, 3) skills for deployment of culturally appropriate behaviors that aim to reduce disparities.
HBSS 6100 - Program Evaluation

Theory, methods, and problems of measurement and evaluation; standards for evaluation of health, education, and related social programs; skills in critical evaluation of research and evaluation reports.
HBSS 6145 - Health psychology

Topics include social learning theory, attribution, and attitudes as they apply to health promotion, disease prevention, reactions to illness, and adherence to treatment regimens.
HBSS 6500 - Doctoral Certification Preparation

No Description Found in Banner
HBSS 6510 - Research seminar in health education

Permission required. Review of research literature, methods, and problems in health education.
HBSS 6901 - Research and independent study in health education

Permission required. Open to matriculated doctoral students. Research and independent study under faculty direction. Proposals must have prior approval of a faculty member.
HBSS 7501 - Dissertation seminar in health education

Permission required. Open to certified doctoral candidates only. Development and presentation of doctoral dissertation proposals.
HBSS 8900 - Dissertation advisement in health education

Permission required. Doctoral candidates only. Individual advisement on doctoral dissertations.

Health Education | Health Studies & Applied Educational Psychology