Offered by: College of Medical Sciences
Program Director: Toby Spiegel, MA, PsyD
The Post-Baccalaureate Health Education Certificate is an online post-baccalaureate certificate intended for busy professionals already working in the health sciences field who would like to seek certification as a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES®) through the National Commission for Health Education Counseling (NCHEC). The certificate includes a strong emphasis on the Eight Areas of Responsibility, providing the competency-based framework for Health Educational Specialists. Students will complete process courses that align with the Eight Areas of Responsibility, as defined by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, and topic-focused courses that include elements contained in the Eight Areas of Responsibility.
The 9-course, 27-credit, online certificate is designed to provide students with the academic coursework necessary to sit for the CHES® exam certification. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they meet all other requirements for CHES® exam certification eligibility: https://www.nchec.org/exam-eligibility-guide
The sequence in which students complete the certificate varies depending on the term in which the student enters and how many courses per term a student takes. Typically, a certificate student can anticipate taking 2-4 courses per term for four or more terms to complete all courses required for eligibility.
This program is a fully online program. All courses are online; no in-person residency is required. See State Authorization information in the University Catalog.
Applicants for the Health Education Certificate must submit the following documents to be considered for admission:
- Completed application.
- Official transcript from an accredited U.S. college or university, or international equivalent demonstrating successful completion of a baccalaureate degree or higher.
The Health Education Certificate may be conferred upon those who have fulfilled the following requirements:
- Completed 27 credits of required coursework
- Earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0
- Passed all courses with a C or better
- Completed all certificate requirements within 4 years of matriculation
- Submitted a Petition to Graduate
Courses identified as *IPE are either taken with students from other programs, cover topics relevant to integrative healthcare, or are clinical courses offered in integrative healthcare settings.
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