Online Health Education Degrees
The following accredited schools offer online degrees in health education:
Health Education Careers
Rising health care costs have increased the need for individuals who are skilled in persuading others to follow the path of prevention, rather than the path of expensive health procedures, medications and therapies. A health education professional combines educational training and knowledge to creatively present relevant, effective health information to a target audience, or individual, in a manner that encourages them to live a healthy lifestyle and avoid destructive habits that promote illness, injury or disease. Online degree programs make it easier for individuals to realize their dream of a health education career by offering tremendous flexibility that allows students to study at convenient times of their own choosing.
University of Phoenix Online is the largest online private accredited university and delivers online education around the world via distance learning and has 150 campuses in the United States.
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Professional health educators teach individuals and groups the specifics of healthful living, including the ABC’s of nutrition and exercise, by providing information and recommendations that are designed to effect positive changes in behavior and lifestyle. Health educators also discourage behaviors that are detrimental to good health and longevity -- like smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, taking illegal drugs, abusing prescription medications, chronic overeating, contracting sexually transmitting diseases, eating disorders and more. And if the information is presented in an engaging, relevant manner, the target audience responds by making crucial changes that improve health-related outcomes.
The emphasis on the creation and dissemination of health-related materials requires health educators to be well-versed in information technology. In order to facilitate better communication with a target audience -- which may include teens, elderly individuals, college students, or employees – health educators plan and create materials that speak specifically to those who need the information. These materials may cover a variety of formats – brochures, newsletters, video productions, podcasts and live speeches -- which may be distributed through social networking, in downloadable files, personally, or on a website maintained by the health educator. Health educators may plan and teach health curriculum, or even write health pamphlets on individual topics. The path of a health educator may be diverse; however an accredited health education program provides the necessary tools for success.
Medical centers, public health offices, institutions of higher education, community clinics, government agencies, private businesses and non-profit organizations – these are just a sampling of the settings in which a health educator may be found. And in each of theses settings, the job of a health educator is honed and tweaked to reflect the needs of that particular venue. For example, in medical clinics and hospitals, health educators are generally required to work with individual patients and their families to discuss treatment and recovery options for the best possible health outcomes. Patients often rely upon health educators to translate and expand upon information received from physicians, pharmacists and nurses who are a part of the patient’s team of health care professionals. In hospital settings, as well as in most job settings, successful health educators must exhibit excellent communication skills, as well as the ability to relate to all kinds of people – including doctors, patients, the elderly and children. They must understand how to motivate people to make necessary health changes that are, literally, a matter of life and death.
Health education degrees offer graduates the opportunity to snag an excellent job in the health care field. Employment in the field of health education is expected to increase well above the average for all occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This exemplifies the vital role that health educators play in a recovering economy that seeks innovative ways to stem the tide of rising health care costs.
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