How to Get a Master's Degree in Health Education
Health education is a growing discipline dedicated to teaching the public--students, employees, and communities--to care for their health through better nutrition and lifestyle choices. The discipline brings together diverse fields including psychology, program development, and policy.
An MS or MEd in health education prepares you to take a leading role in promoting public health. Whether you lend a hand as a community educator, a health policy advocate, a program director, or an academic researcher, you'll have the credentials and expertise to make a difference.
WorldWideLearn.com's guide to the master's degree in health education helps you research and plan your academic journey in the larger context of your career goals. This guide takes you through the major decisions you need to make when you plan your graduate study: which degree type and program specialization to choose; whether to earn a master's degree online or on campus; how to finance the degree, and more..
Guide to Master's Degrees in Health Education
Graduate health education programs are the standard requirement for advancement into leadership or senior health educator roles. Master's degree programs vary widely, so it's important to research your options carefully. You can choose a professional or academic career track, earn a master's degree online or on campus, and select among dozens of program specializations. To learn more about the field, visit the Guide to College Majors in Public Health, in WorldWideLearn.com's Guide to Majors.
Professional and Academic Master's Degrees
Health educators face an alphabet soup of master's degree options, from MSPH to MS/MPH. Though there is considerable overlap among graduate health education programs, the degree type indicates the program's emphasis and career trajectory.
Professional Health Education Master's Degrees
Master of Public Health (MPH)
This standard professional degree is designed for health educators and program administrators aiming for a practitioner role in a public health agency, school, workplace, or community program. The applied curriculum emphasizes epidemiology, environmental factors, health promotion, and health program administration.
Master of Health Science (MHS)
The master of health science also prepares advanced health education practitioners for professional roles, with field-placement programs, internships, and an applied curriculum. In contrast to the MPH, the MHS curriculum approaches program development from a foundation in the behavioral sciences. The MHS tends to emphasize applied science courses in areas such as epidemiology and health informatics.
Master of Education (MEd) or Master of Health Education (MHEd)
These professional degrees focus on the applied teaching and curriculum development skills associated with health education. Specializations may focus on instructional design, student assessment, educational research, and health education program evaluation. The MEd or MHEd prepares you for careers in education policy, K-12 or university school health, or work site health education.
Dual Degrees
Dual degrees are designed to contextualize the health education curriculum within a related discipline or job role. Examples include:
- Master of Social Work (MPH/MSW)
- Professional and Academic Master's Degrees
Academic Health Education Master's Degrees
Master of Science or Arts
The MS and MA in health education are modeled on the traditional social science and science master's degrees. These academic programs emphasize original research and theoretical scholarship in addition to applied skills. The academic master's in health education culminates in a scholarly thesis based on research in a specialized area. The MS and MA degrees are ideal for students heading on to a PhD and an academic career, or for those developing specialized professional expertise.
Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH)
This specialized MS degree combines elements of academic and professional degrees, allowing professionals to deepen their knowledge of a specific problem through scholarly research.
Learn more about your master's degree options at WorldWideLearn.com's The Master's Degree Explained.
Specializations
Health education specializations focus on a particular problem or aspect of this broad discipline, which runs the gamut from learning theory to epidemiology. Choose among these specialization areas:
Health Education Strategies
- Health communication and literacy
- Instructional design
- Health promotion and marketing
Public Health Policy and Program Development
- Community-based health programs
- Health program development
- Health program administration
- Policy
- Program evaluation
Health Education Contexts
- Global health education
- Maternal and child health
- K-12 school health
- Work site health, including personnel selection and evaluation
Health Education Issues
- Health and human rights
- Cultural issues in public health education
- Environment and health
Theoretical Foundations and Research Methods
- Behavioral science
- Psychosocial aspects of health
- Epidemiology
- Health informatics
Each health education master's program features a unique selection of specializations, reflecting faculty expertise and the overall emphasis of the program (as indicated by the degree type). Identifying your interests now can help you find a school with the resources to support your professional goals.
Career Track
A master's in health education is a versatile credential for a wide spectrum of jobs spanning the private and public sectors. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, half of all health educators work in health care and social assistance, and nearly a quarter of the rest work in government. Choose among these professional settings:
- Health care employers such as hospitals, clinics, and managed care providers
- Public health agencies, including federal, state, and local health departments
- Global health programs, such as public health NGOs
- Non-profit programs, such as community health centers
- Employee health promotion programs within private, for-profit companies
- School health education at universities or K-12 schools
- Faith-based settings, including non-profit and church-funded programs
Alternatively, you can opt for an academic career teaching health educators and pursuing scholarly research. Prepare for an academic career by choosing an academic master's degree (MS or MA) and advancing on to a PhD in public health education.
Health Education Careers
A master's in health education qualifies you to advance beyond entry-level educator positions and take on leadership responsibility, according to a U.S. Department of Labor report. Depending on your interests and graduate health education program emphasis, you may focus on health education communications, policy, educational program development, or research. Graduate-level health educators assume job titles like:
- Public Health Management Analyst
- Director of Programs and Services
- Health Communications Specialist
- Research Scientist
- Environmental Health Intelligence Analyst
- Manager, Breastfeeding Initiatives
- Health educator for an AIDS prevention program
A master's in health education also sets you up to take the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam, a stepping stone to more advanced educator and program development roles.
Health Education Career Outlook
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job prospects for health educators are growing, with an 18 percent increase in employment anticipated between 2008 and 2018.
Once you've developed some insight into your career goals, you're in a strong position to research and evaluate your academic options.
Find the Right Graduate Health Education Program
With hundreds of programs nationwide offering an MPH or MS in health education, it can be difficult to find the right one. Focus your options by following these four steps:
1. List Accredited Master's Degree Programs
Online directory sites and accrediting agency Web sites represent hundreds of campus and online master's degree programs. Accreditation is an important indicator of program quality, as well as a maker of the program's value as an employment credential. In addition, some federal and private financial aid programs only fund students enrolled in an accredited program.
The U.S. Department of Education Web site posts a searchable database of approved accreditation agencies.
Resources
The Association of Schools of Public Health features a searchable database of nearly 300 graduate public health programs. Search specifically for health education master's degree programs. You can refine your search by selecting only distance learning programs or dual/joint degrees.
The Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), one of the major accreditation authorities of public health education, publishes a list of over 120 member institutions and programs offering public health and health education degrees.
WorldWideLearn.com offers a starting point for your research, with links to Online Health Degrees in Health Education.
The Sloan Consortium, which represents online institutions nationwide, publishes Programs in Health Care and Nutrition, which includes a comprehensive list of online health education programs.
2. Choose Program Format: Campus or Online Master's Degree?
The decision to study at a local campus or online is typically a critical factor in choosing a school. Busy professionals rely on the option to earn a master's degree online, since it enables them to complete their education alongside work and family commitments. Future academics, by contrast, may opt for the local campus option, since it enables them to build strong relationships with faculty advisors and use campus research facilities. Your life circumstances and career goals are the major factors in the decision of whether to earn a master's degree online or on campus.
Resources
WorldWideLearn.com's Online Degree Programs and Campus Education sections help you evaluate your options and find schools with your chosen program format. For campus health education programs near you, search Degrees by Location.
3. Explore Academic Programs
With the essentials accounted for, you're ready to dive into the details of individual program resources and emphases. To find the right fit for your academic interests, consider these program features:
- Curriculum
- Specializations
- Degree requirements
- Faculty
- Research facilities
- Employer relationships
- Learning environment
Your career goals dictate the relative importance of these factors. Aspiring academics want to prioritize faculty and research resources in their specialized field. Professionals may lend more weight to internship programs and professional networking events.
Resources
WorldWideLearn.com offers resources to streamline the school research process, ranging from links to selected schools to an automated school contact service. Browse available programs based on your academic program criteria, or arrange for a school representative to contact you directly.
School Web sites post detailed information about degree requirements and program resources. Look for course Web sites, links to faculty bios and publications, alumni profiles, and descriptions of research facilities.
Informational interviews with faculty, alumni, and current graduate students feature a candid look at the graduate student experience from different vantage points. Ask about the academic experience, the value of the degree on the job market, and possible research directions. A campus visit also offers crucial insight into the program, even if you plan to earn a master's degree online.
4. Evaluate Program Quality
Finally, rank your program finalists by researching their quality, reputation, and selectivity. The goal is to find the best value for your tuition dollar without overreaching your admissions prospects. Look for schools that admit students with academic backgrounds similar to yours.
Important evaluation criteria include:
- Reputation
- Selectivity
- Job placement
- Student background, including years of industry experience
Resources
Admissions Departments track graduate student data, from admission to career placement. Ask an admissions counselor for information such as average GPA and test scores of admitted applicants, job placement and average starting salary statistics, and student demographics.
Rankings give you a general sense of the program's reputation. The most well-known specialized ranking of graduate health education programs is U.S. News & World Report, which publishes rankings of public health graduate schools.
Faculty advisors can tell you which graduate health education programs promise the best education, resources, and faculty expertise in your specialization area.
Apply to Graduate Health Education Programs
Once you've settled on a shortlist of health education programs, you're ready to start the application process. Some schools participate in a centralized application service, SOPHAS, which allows you to submit one application for multiple schools. Most CEPH-accredited public health schools participate in SOPHAS; check the Directory of Schools for more information.
1. Complete Prerequisites
Begin by completing any outstanding eligibility requirements. Most schools require the following of graduate applicants:
- A bachelor's degree in health sciences, psychology, education, or a related field
- Basic prerequisite courses
- Standardized tests: the GRE and TOEFL (for international students)
- Work experience (required by some master's programs)
WorldWideLearn.com's Education Resources Guide helps you meet these requirements by connecting you with test preparation resources, prerequisite courses, and online learning tools.
2. Prepare Application Materials
Graduate health education programs require these standard application materials:
- Academic transcripts
- Letters of recommendation (usually three, from professional or academic sources)
- Test scores
- Personal essay or statement of purpose
- Resume or CV
In addition, most schools request a student information form, an application fee, and a financial aid application.
3. Finance Your Master's in Health Education
An MS or MPH in health education represents a major investment in your future. But you don't need to cover the cost alone. Government, university, and private sources feature different types of financial aid to offset the expense of the master's degree, including:
- Grants and scholarships
- Teaching assistantships
- Employer tuition assistance
- Student loans
Meet with financial aid advisors at your top schools, and fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). To rein in the cost of your education, earn a master's degree online and keep your job while you go back to school.
Reinvent Yourself as a Health Education Scholar
You don't need to wait until the first day of class to become an academic scholar. Prepare now by building your network, learning the trends in your research area, and making a name for yourself as an academic insider.
1. Join professional associations. Public health educators come together via professional associations such as the American Association for Health Education and the American Public Health Association, as well as more specialized groups such as the American School Health Association.
2. Read journals. Major health education journals include American Journal of Health Education and The International Electronic Journal of Health Education (IEJHE).
3. Learn health education best practices. Get a jump start on your education by familiarizing yourself with professional standards in health education. For example, the AAHE publishes National Health Education Standards or the Unified Code of Ethics for the Health Education Profession.
4. Attend networking events and conferences. Finally, look for university and association-sponsored networking events, where you can trade ideas with colleagues and potential mentors in your field.
The quality of your graduate education is as much about your professional development as your acquisition of knowledge. Take full advantage of your master's degree program by forging relationships and joining the academic community.
A master's in health education immerses you in the study and practice of public health. To take full advantage of these pivotal years, it's important to prepare well in advance. This guide takes you through the critical months leading up to the program, challenging you to define your interests and to find a program that advances your career goals. Whether you decide to earn a master's degree online or on campus, you'll rely on this perspective to make the most of your investment in graduate education.
Sources
- American Association for Health Education.
- Culbert, Arthur J. and Allison Foster. "Trends in Public Health Education," The Advisor (June 1, 2003).
- Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs, U.S. Department of Education.
- "Health Educators," Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-2011 Edition, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, University of South Carolina.
- List of Accredited Schools & Programs of Public Health, Council on Education for Public Health.
- Master of Health Education Degree Online, A.T. Still University.
- Master of Science in Health Education (MS), University of Michigan - Flint.
- MHS in Health Education and Health Communication, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
- Online Master of Public Health (MPH)--Health Education and Promotion, Benedictine University.
- Programs in Health Care and Nutrition, The Sloan Consortium.
- Public Health Education & Health Promotion (PHEHP), American Public Health Association.
- Public Health Schools Rankings, U.S. News & World Report (2007).
- Search for a Program in Health Education, Association of Schools of Public Health.
Collapse 
