College: College of Science and Health
Department: Nutrition and Public Health
Student Type: Traditional Undergraduate
Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Campus: Both Lisle Campus and Mesa Campus

Requirements - Major

The B.A. in Health Education and Promotion major must complete 36 hours, with a grade of "C" or better in:

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
PSYC 2250	Basic and Applied Statistics	3
or MATH/BALT 1150	Introduction to Statistics
HLED 2280	Community Health and Nutrition Programs	3
HLED 3001	Introduction to Health Education and Promotion	3
HLED 3271	Health Education Planning	3
HLED 3357	Health Communications	3
HLED 3363	Management of Health Initiatives	3
HLED 4466	Health Education Capstone	3
HLED 4369	Health Coaching Techniques	3
HLED 4394	Health Research Methods and Program Evaluation	3
SES 2257	Wellness	3
NUTR 2200	Nutritional Science	3
or NUTR 2201	Nutrition in Health and Exercise
or NUTR 2241	Nutrition through the Life Cycle
NUTR 2364	Food Systems and Policy	3
Total Hours		36

Meeting the above major requirements also satisfies the following General Education requirements: Sustainability, Engaged Learning, two NUTR Writing Intensive courses, Computational, and Mathematical and Analytical (QCM).

A 2.500/4.000 cumulative Benedictine University GPA is required for maintenance and completion of the Health Education and Promotion program. The rationale for the GPA requirement is students are expected to sit for and pass the CHES Exam following graduation. If it is determined at any time that a student cannot complete the GPA requirements, the student will be required to change his or her major and seek academic advising outside of that program. Students can pursue an alternate major in the department (or another department), as well as reapply to pursue the Health Education and Promotion major if qualified in the future. There is no department specific application process for acceptance into this major; students can enter the program upon acceptance into the University or change their major at a later date by completing the University ‘Change of Academic Plan’ form. Permission to enroll in and/or completion of courses required for the Health Education and Promotion Major does not imply a waiver of this GPA requirement for graduation.

Students pursuing this major will need to complete general electives to fulfill the University requirement for 120 credit hours toward graduation. A student earning a major in Health Education and Promotion can also complete a major in Nutrition and Dietetics (Lisle only), Food and Nutrition Management (Lisle only), or Nutrition and Allied Health (Mesa only) programs. Or, students are encouraged to pursue a minor, such as a minor in Nutrition and Food Sciences. Examples of other complementary minors include Personal Fitness, Strength and Conditioning, Sports Management, Sport Coaching, Communications, Entrepreneurship, Management and Organizational Behavior, Marketing, Psychology, and Spanish.

Health Education and Promotion Certification Information

The Health Education and Promotion Major is designed to prepare students to pursue the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) certification, which grants certification to qualified individuals. The CHES examination is offered through the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. (NCHEC – nchec.org).

Health education specialists foster awareness of positive health behaviors and promote behavior change for health promotion and disease risk reduction. The Health Education and Promotion major provides students with the knowledge and practice of skills to assess, create, plan, implement, monitor, and evaluate programs designed to promote, maintain, and improve the health of individuals, groups, and communities, as well as impact environments and policies. Students learn to coordinate the provision of health education services and act as resources during field experiences, communicating needs, concerns, and resources. This major provides a unique focus on nutrition for risk reduction.

Affiliation with Graduate Program

With careful planning of the undergraduate course sequence, and permission of the Nutrition Department Chair, the Health Education and Promotion major offers the student the possibility of completing additional select 5000-level graduate courses to meet partial requirements of the M.S. in Nutrition and Wellness or Master of Public Health graduate programs while an undergraduate student. Only students with senior standing (by credits completed) and cumulative Benedictine University GPA of at least 3.000/4.000 are allowed to take these elective (for undergraduate degree) courses. As an undergraduate, qualified students can take one graduate NUTR course or three PBHL courses towards the respective Nutrition or Public Health graduate degrees. Space in these graduate courses is limited. Permission to enroll in and/or completion of any graduate courses does not imply acceptance into the graduate program. Admission to the graduate program is not automatic; the student must meet graduate program requirements and complete the application process.  Students interested in pursuing a 4+1 options with a Public Health degree should contact the chair of the Nutrition and Public Health Department.

Mission of the Health Education and Promotion Major

The undergraduate Health Education and Promotion Major Program provides and promotes a high-quality education for preparation of competent future health educators and leaders. Preparation includes development of evidence-based comprehensive knowledge and applications to assess community resources and needs, and to plan, implement, and evaluate health programs within diverse populations. Through education and engagement, this major fosters the development of sustainable health solutions and health equity to advocate and strengthen the health of local and global communities.

Health Education and Promotion Major Student Learning Outcomes (SLO): 
Upon completion of the major in Health Education and Promotion, the student will successfully: 

Student Learning Outcome 1:  Assess, plan, design, implement, administer, and evaluate health education and promotion programs. 

Student Learning Outcome 2:  Demonstrate evaluation and use of scientific information and research for evidence-informed practice. 

Student Learning Outcome 3:  Demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills. 

Student Learning Outcome 4:  Demonstrate an understanding of the beliefs, values, and behaviors for professional practice. 

Student Learning Outcome 5:  Demonstrate critical-thinking skills.