Health and Wellness Education, M.Ed.

Program Description

This program is intended to prepare educators in a variety of health settings, including PK-12 schools, and community institutions and organizations. A growing need exists for educators who know and engage others in considering health topics, who utilize effective ways to teach and train providers, and who can deliver content to an audience with a range of needs, either within the healthcare industry or school environments to promote healthy life choices. This requires the ability to assess community or organizational needs, determine program priorities, and create and deliver educational content in a manner which can be evaluated for effectiveness whether it is in the public or private sector. The program is designed to prepare interested students for the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES).

Program Outcomes

1. Design, construct, and implement evidence-based developmentally and culturally appropriate health education programs to promote and improve healthy life choices. 
2. Utilize theories, professional standards, and frameworks to conduct research and analyze and evaluate program components to establish effective content delivery approaches, including technology, to serve school and community needs. 
3. Implement principles of program design, incorporating critical thinking to increase the integration of content within courses and publications to build knowledge of the ever-changing climate of health issues.
4. Analyze data to determine program priorities, framing assessment of program components to meet the content needs identified in school and community settings locally, nationally, and internationally. 
5. Coordinate and manage communication of school and community concerns to impact needed change in personal, situational, and community factors influencing health-related behaviors. 
6. Engage in leadership opportunities through building collaborative relationships, establishing research-based and theory-driven approaches, utilizing technical options, and serving as an expert resource. 
7. Apply research-based strategies to develop health literacy and content knowledge in school and community-based programs, through professional development and personal pursuit of learning. 

Mission Statement

The mission of the Health and Wellness program is to provide educators in a variety of health settings with the knowledge and skills necessary to explore and evaluate skills that enhance and reinforce health care topics for the twenty first century.