2-year Colleges: Associate Degrees and Certificate Programs in Public Health
An article in Community College Journal1 has recommended prototype Associate degrees in public health. The prototypes all include the following three components:
Core Public Health Curricula
All of the prototypes are built on core curriculum in public health designed as part of general education. The core courses are:
- Public Health 101
- Epidemiology 101
- Global Health 101
Courses Preparing Students for Public Health Careers
The prototypes include the following:
- Environmental Health–course work qualifying students to take the certifying examination as an environmental health technician
- Health Information Systems–course work consistent with the development of expertise in health systems and public health systems
- Public Health Preparedness–specialty courses and generalist courses preparing graduate for roles in public health agencies taking an "all hazards" approach to public health preparedness
- Pre-Health Professional–health behavior and health communications course work consistent with transfer to a bachelor's degree program qualifying the graduate to take the certifying examination as a health educator
Experiential Learning
 Each prototype associate degree and for-credit certificate program includes community based experiential learning such as service learning consistent with the goals of the degree or certificate program.
In the fall of 2010 Healthy People 2020 is expected to announce a Healthy People 2020 objective to increase the proportion of two-year colleges that offer associate degrees and certificate programs in public health.
Many of the books in the Essential Public Health series can be used as part of core curriculum and associate degrees at community colleges.
Learn more about Public Health studies and Community Colleges in this article from the Community College Journal, a publication of the American Association of Community Colleges.1
Next: Undergraduate Public Health Education: 4-Year Colleges »
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