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Program:
Community Health

Degree Awarded:
Bachelor of Science degree in Community Health

Length of Program:
Students with Associate’s degree: 3–5 semesters
First-time college students: 12 semesters

Application Deadlines:
Accepted year-round
Apply Now

Discover how a Bachelor’s degree in Community Health can support your calling to serve others.

Degree Overview

 A Bachelor’s degree in Community Health expands your knowledge of health-related fields and prepares you to serve diverse populations. You’ll have the opportunity to tailor your coursework by choosing from concentrations in Gerontology, Human Services, Public Health, Women’s Health and Health Care Business. A traditional option for those with no transfer credit and a post-associate degree option for those with their associate’s degree are available. Dual degree options for students in Physical Therapist Assistant/Community Health and Radiography/Community Health are also available.

The Community Health program is designed for three primary audiences:

  • Students interested in health and well-being, but not necessarily the more invasive aspects of medicine.
  • Students with an associate’s degree interested in earning a bachelor’s degree.
  • Employees interested in earning a bachelor’s degree to advance within their career.

The interdisciplinary curriculum of the Community Health program includes courses that address vulnerable populations, health literacy and patient advocacy, legal and ethical implications, environmental and cultural influences on health, trauma informed care, and grant writing. As you move deeper within the program, you will select from the following concentrations to increase your knowledge base:

  • Gerontology
  • Human Services
  • Public Health
  • Women's Health
  • Health Care Business

In the final two semesters of the program, you will integrate classroom material with hands-on experience at an agency or organization of your choice. This 135-hour fieldwork component allows you to work in and observe all aspects of the agency, develop advanced skills, apply concepts from your classes, and gain practical experience in your chosen concentration. You will develop a project that incorporates your course work and fieldwork experiences in the Capstone course taken your final semester.

Dual Degree Curriculum

The Community Health program is also ideal for students who have obtained or are in the process of obtaining an associate’s degree at Clarkson College. The major benefit of this dual degree option is that it allows students to apply their credit hours earned in their associate’s degree program toward their Bachelor’s degree in Community Health. Students enrolled in the Dual Degree program select one of the above concentrations as their focus (see curriculum plan for details). This route enables students to complete the bachelor’s degree in as few as three to four additional semesters.

Dual Degree Options:

How we prepare
the best

  • Choose from concentrations in gerontology, human services, public health and women’s health.
  • Complete coursework on campus and online with flexible part- or full-time study options.
  • Enroll during the fall, spring or summer semesters.
  • Select fieldwork in your area of interest.

Required Courses for Bachelor of Science in Community Health

General Education Courses

12 / 13 semester hours Post-Associate Degree students will receive up to 12 direct transfer credits in this section.

Courses Semester Hours
EN 101 - English Composition I 3
EN 102 - English Composition II 3
PY 101 - Introduction to Psychology 3
MA 130 - College Algebra 3
GEN 101 - Strategies for Success 1

Total Semester Hours 12/13*

*GEN 101 only required for New Student Experience or Conditional Acceptance

 

Support Courses

(26 semester hours)

Courses Semester Hours
IPE 301 - Interprofessional Education 0
GEN 105 - Medical Terminology 1
BI 122 - Nutrition Science 3
BU 240 - Health Care Delivery Systems 3
SO 220 - Medical Sociology 2
CHL 244 - Vulnerable Populations 3
CHL 243 - Trauma Informed Care 3
HM 180 - Essentials of Pharmacology 2
ST 310 - Statistics 3
CHL 248 - Introduction to Grant Writing 2
HM 224 - Anatomy and Physiology for HIM OR
BI 211 - Human Anatomy - Lecture and Lab OR
BI 213 - Human Physiology - Lecture and Lab 		4
4
4
Total Semester Hours 26
Health Care Core

Students choose one course from each of the following Core groups (9 semester hours): Intercultural Communication (IC) Humanities (HU) Ethics, Empathy, and Advocacy (EA)

Courses Semester Hours
◊ IC Core - Intercultural Communication 3
HU Core - Humanities 3
EA Core - Ethics, Empathy, and Advocacy 3
Total Semester Hours 9
Major Courses

(9 semester hours)

Courses Semester Hours
◊ CHL 405 - Advocacy and Health Literacy 3
CHL 410 - Community Health Fieldwork (concentration related) 3
CHL 420 - Community Health Capstone (concentration related) 3
Total Semester Hours 9

Additional Major Courses 

Traditional students choose four of the five concentration areas to complete.

Post-Associate degree students choose one of the five concentration areas to complete.

Dual Degree students choose one of the five concentration areas to complete.

Public Health Concentration

(18 semester hours)

Courses Semester Hours
BU 470 - Issues and Policies in Public Health 3
CHL 250 - Epidemiology 3
CHL 251 - Environmental Risk Factors and Disease 3
CHL 353 - Community Engagement and Social Change 3
ST 410 - Advanced Statistics for Public Health Care 3
CHL 355 - Health Program Planning and Evaluation 3
Total Semester Hours 18
Human Services Concentration

(18 semester hours)

Courses Semester Hours
PY 200 - Human Development 3
CHL 266 - Social Policy and Human Services 3
CHL 245 - Family Dynamics 1
EA 210 - American Poverty and Health Care 3
CHL 252 - Information and Referral 2
CHL 249 - Crisis Intervention Seminar 1
CHL 253 - Understanding the Criminal Justice System 2
CHL 353 - Community Engagement and Social Change 3
Total Semester Hours 18
Gerontology Concentration

(18 semester hours)

Courses Semester Hours
HC 220 - Gerontology 2
CHL 241 - Programs, Services and Policies in Aging 3
EA 205 - Death and Dying 3
CHL 330 - Health and Physical Aspects of Aging 3
CHL 333 - Psychological and Social Aspects of Aging 3
CHL 334 - Managing Care of the Older Adult 3
CHL 335 - Seminar in Gerontology 1
Total Semester Hours 18
Women’s Health Concentration

(18 semester hours)

Courses Semester Hours
CHL 260 - Evolution of Women’s Health 3
CHL 261 - Women’s Health in Contemporary Society 3
CHL 265 - Literary Perspectives of Women’s Health 3
CHL 362 - Global Issues in Women’s Health 3
CHL 364 - Mental Health of Women Throughout the Lifespan 3
CHL 365 - Women’s Health Seminar: Mammography 1
CHL 366 - Women’s Health Seminar: Pharmacology 1
CHL 367 - Women’s Health Seminar: Preventative and Restorative Topics 1
Total Semester Hours 18
Health Care Business Concentration

(18 semester hours)

Courses Semester Hours
HM 260 - Data Management and Analytics 3
BU 199 - Principles of Managerial Accounting 3
BU 210 - Business Communications 3
BU 306 - Principles of Management 3
Total Semester Hours 12
Health Care Business Electives

Students choose two of the following electives:

Courses Semester Hours
BU 470 - Issues and Policies in Public Health 3
BU 420 - Long Term Care 3
BU 211 - Business and Health Law 3
HM 255 - Legal and Ethical Aspects of Health Information 3
BU 371 - Organizational Behavior 3
BU 425 - Project Management 3
BU 335 - Managing Healthcare Departments 3
BU 310 - Revenue Cycle Management 3
BU 411 - Operations and Quality Management 3

Tuition and Fees

Estimated rates for the 2020-21 academic year. Rates are subject to change. Find out more information about costs, tuition, and fees.

Scholarships

Learn which scholarships you are eligible for as an in-coming or current student.
Learn More

Financial Aid

Explore the various loan and grant opportunities available to help fund your education.
Learn More

Undergraduate Tuition

Cost per Credit Hour
$558

Cost per Semester
$7,084 - Full-time (12 hrs)
$3,542 - Part-time (6 hrs)

View Tuition & Fees Breakdown

Tuition
Undergraduate Tuition$558 / credit-hour
Fees - Included in cost per semester
Technology Fee: On-Campus $20 / credit-hour
Application Fee for first time students $35/ each
Activity Fee $4 / credit-hour
Enrollment Fee for first time students $100/ each
Degree Specific Fees - Not included in cost per semester
Lab Fee - General Education $40/ class
Interprofessional education – IPE Course Fee IPE 301 $90/ student

Career Overview

Median Salary

$47,000
Payscale.com, 2019

Job Outlook

Employment of community health workers is growing at a rapid rate of 21%, thus creating 10,200 new jobs before 2022 (Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Career Options

  • Administration
  • Educational settings
  • Environmental health agencies
  • Correctional institutions
  • Grant writing
  • Health departments
  • Health & wellness centers
  • Home health, palliative care & hospice agencies
  • Hospitals
  • Independent, Assisted Living & Skilled Nursing Facilities
  • Insurance companies
  • Medical clinics
  • Non-profit organizations
  • Public policy & government
  • Public safety & disaster relief organizations
  • Rehabilitation centers
  • Research
  • Shelters
  • Social service agencies
  • Substance abuse programs
  • Women’s health agencies

This page includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.