Health Promotion & Exercise Sciences
Bachelor of SCIENCE
PUBLIC HEALTH - Community Health
This program is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).
emerging health & social issues
The Community Health option is designed for students who are interested in pursuing careers focused on emerging health and social issues that impact societal health and well-being.
Many students from this option move on to careers in public health departments, community health agencies, and healthcare administration. The coursework requirements are the most flexible of the four options.
Degree Requirements:
All degrees at WCSU require 120 semester hours (SH). This includes major requirements, general education requirements, cognates (where applicable), and free electives. This structure provides room for minors, internships, and study abroad.
General Education: All students must complete the General Education curriculum. General Education Requirements include both competency and breadth requirements. In some cases, major courses will satisfy competencies. These are indicated in the parentheses after the course title. For a complete description of the General Education program, follow this link.
Cognates: In some programs there are courses outside of the major that are required as pre-requisites or enhancements to the major course work. These courses may satisfy competencies and they will count toward the general education breadth requirement. If cognate courses are required, they are included in the list of courses required in the major.
Electives: All degrees require 120 semester hours. Elective credits are opportunities for minors, internships, study abroad, and just following general interests. We encourage all students to speak with their advisors about great opportunities for their elective courses.
Semester 1
| Course | SH |
|---|---|
| HPX 100 Intro to Health & Wellness (FY) | 3 |
| SOC 100 Intro to Sociology (CT, IC) | 3 |
| WRT 101 Composition I (W1) | 3 |
| MAT 100 Intermediate Math OR MAT 115/120 Statistics (QR) | 3 |
| PSY 100 Intro to Psychology | 3 |
Semester 2
| Course | SH |
|---|---|
| HPX 103 Introduction to Public Health | 3 |
| CHE 102 Everyday Chemistry (SI) | 4 |
| Writing Tier 2 (W2) | 3 |
| MAT 115/MAT 120 Biostatistics or Statistics (QR) OR Free Elective | 3 |
| Gen Ed: Breadth | 3 |
Semester 3
| Course | SH |
|---|---|
| HPX 200 Intro to Community Health Assessment (IL) | 3 |
| HPX 202 Epidemiology of Disease | 3 |
| BIO 105 Anatomy & Phys I (SI, Rpt. 1) | 4 |
| PHI 223 Ethical Issues in Healthcare (OC, CT, Rpt. 2) | 3 |
| SW 220 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (IC, Rpt. 3) | 3 |
Semester 4
| Course | SH |
|---|---|
| HPX 270 Health Education Theory & Application | 3 |
| HPX 353 Environmental & Global Health | 3 |
| BIO 106 Anat. & Phys II (SI) | 4 |
| PSY 260 Health Psychology (HW) | 3 |
| Community Health Elective 1 | 3 |
Semester 5
| Course | SH |
|---|---|
| HPX 370 Health Program Planning & Intro to Eval (W3) | 3 |
| HPX 371 Health Communication Methods & Materials | 3 |
| Community Health Elective 2 | 3 |
| Gen Ed: Creative Process | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 |
Semester 6
| Course | SH |
|---|---|
| HPX 470 Health Program Implementation & Evaluation Methods (CE) | 3 |
| HPX 301 Health Promotion, Policy, Advocacy & Partnerships | 3 |
| Community Health Elective 3 | 3 |
| Gen Ed: Breadth | 3 |
| Free Electives | 3 |
Semester 7
| Course | SH |
|---|---|
| PSY Elective | 3 |
| Free Electives | 10-12 |
Semester 8
| Course | SH |
|---|---|
| HPX 490 Public Health Practicum | 12 |
| HPX 491 Public Health Senior Seminar | 1 |
Career Options
- Health Advocacy
- Health Promotion Specialist
- Health Administration
- Community Health Educator
- Primary Prevention Coordinator
- Public Health Departments
- Health Advocacy
- Environmental Health
- Health Inspector
- Hospitals / Clinics
- Food Insecurity
- Assisted Living
Internship Opportunities/Field Placements
- Department of Health in Danbury, Norwalk, New Milford, Windsor, Waterbury, Bridgeport
- Danbury Hospital Accountable Health Communities, Danbury
- Nuvance Population Health, Community Health
- Connecticut Institute for Communities, Danbury
- Connecticut Association for School Based Centers, Hartford
- Planned Parenthood, New Haven
- Abilities Beyond Disabilities, Bethel
- Apex Community Care, Danbury
- The Elm Project, Stamford
- Danbury Farmers Market, Danbury
- Green Chimneys, Brewster, NY
- Newtown Youth and Family, Newtown
- Danbury Hospital Employee Wellness
- Visiting Angels, Brookfield
- Maplewood Senior Living, Newtown
- UCONN Extension, Bethel