PhD in Health Education and Promotion
Help groups and individuals lead healthier lifestyles or conduct research in an area that will benefit health globally with the expertise gained in our PhD in Health Education and Promotion program.
Help groups and individuals lead healthier lifestyles or conduct research in an area that will benefit health globally with the expertise gained in our PhD in Health Education and Promotion program.
Take your passion for health and wellness to the highest level with an online PhD in Health Education and Promotion and develop and lead programs that can help people live longer, healthier lives.
In recent years, public, professional, governmental, and medical groups have increasingly come to recognize the need for more health and wellness promotion initiatives, as the majority of adults do not meet the minimum recommendations to eat healthfully, exercise more, and make behavioral changes that can reduce disease and prolong their lives. With the focus of healthcare shifting toward preventive care and education, the demand for qualified health educators is projected to rise 14% by 2026.1 Now is the time for you to gain the knowledge, skills, and credentials needed to plan, implement, and evaluate prevention programs and services. With an online PhD in Health Education and Promotion degree, you can help groups and individuals lead healthier lifestyles or conduct research in an area that will help make the world a healthier place.
As one of a small number of online doctoral programs that is fully dedicated to this topic, our health education and promotion degree program explores both individual and population health, focusing on health behavior theory and techniques for changing behaviors. Using the latest technology, you will review case studies that touch on current trends and research and explore best practices from a global perspective.
Additionally, this online degree program can help prepare you to sit for the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam or the Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES) exam.
Graduates of this program will be prepared to:
The health education profession is dedicated to excellence in the practice of promoting individual, family, organizational, and community health.
In light of initiatives such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Healthy People 2020 and its goal to “increase the quality, availability, and effectiveness of educational and community-based programs designed to prevent disease and injury, improve health, and enhance quality of life,” the demand for skilled health education specialists is growing. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this field has a 21% anticipated growth in employment over the next 10 years.2
The PhD in Health Education and Promotion program can help prepare you to advance in the field, working as a health educator in academic, clinical, community, or corporate settings.
Health educators work to promote, maintain, and improve individual and community health. They do this by:
A PhD in Health Education and Promotion can help you gain the skills and experience to work within a wide range of settings to promote healthy lifestyles. These settings include, but are not limited to:
Doctoral-level health education specialists may also serve as consultants, teach at the college or university level, or work as researchers.
Career options may require additional experience, training, or other factors beyond the successful completion of this program.
I chose Walden University because I was highly impressed with its versatile curriculum and its emphasis on academic integrity, research, and social change.
I chose Walden because I was seeking a relationship with a university that shared my values—looking at education as a means to help improve the world.
I refer friends and family to Walden because of the amazing experience I had and the continued success I enjoy from having my Ph.D.
1Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2017-18 Edition, Health Educators and Community Health Workers, on the internet at www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/health-educators.htm (viewed online December 21, 2017).
2Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014–15 Edition, Health Educators and Community Health Workers, on the Internet at www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/health-educators.htm (viewed online January 22, 2014). National long-term projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth.
Note on Certification: The PhD in Health Education and Promotion has been designed to reflect the Seven Areas of Responsibility for Health Educators outlined by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC) and to prepare students to sit for the national Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES) exams. Walden enrollment advisors can provide information relating to national certification exams; however, it remains the individual’s responsibility to understand, evaluate, and comply with all requirements relating to national certification exams for the state in which he or she intends to practice. Walden makes no representations or guarantee that completion of Walden coursework or programs will permit an individual to obtain national certification. For more information about the CHES and MCHES exams, students should visit http://www.nchec.org.
Note: Time to completion and cost are not estimates of individual experience and will vary based on individual factors applicable to the student. Factors may be programmatic or academic, such as tuition and fee increases; transfer credits accepted by Walden; program or specialization changes; unsuccessful course completion; credit load per term; part-time vs. full-time enrollment; writing, research, and editing skills; use of external data for the doctoral study/dissertation; and individual progress in the program. Other factors may include personal issues such as the student’s employment obligations, caregiving responsibilities, or health issues; leaves of absence; or other personal circumstances.
