Community Health, BS
Do you want to make a difference in health care access and community wellness? Prepare to provide health education, health promotion, care coordination, disease management, health care navigation and advocacy services for individuals, families and communities.
Quick facts
Locations
Courses
Additional facts
STEM-OPT extension eligible: No
International students (F1), this program is not eligible for the STEM-OPT extension.
Accreditation
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Degree description
Community Health degree description
Modern health care extends beyond the hospital and into local neighborhoods. Whether it means ensuring everyone has access to nutritious and fresh foods, or providing vulnerable populations with preventive checkups, health care is now a community matter.
The Bachelor of Science program in community health develops you into a leader who is dedicated to addressing health challenges at their source and creating partnerships with both public and private organizations to leverage resources. By creating a communitywide response to these challenges, you can better advocate for patients and provide education opportunities for people of all backgrounds.
If you have an interest in community change, you find that this degree prepares you to be an informed health activist, organizer, planner and well-rounded member of the local, regional and national community.
Key program areas of emphasis:
- advocacy for diverse individuals, families and communities
- providing health education, health promotion and care coordination
- providing understanding of environmental concerns and their impact on health
- understanding components of a healthy, sustainable community
This degree program has the same prerequisites as the nursing major; therefore, you may transition seamlessly to this program and obtain a bachelor's degree in a health-related field.
Why study community health at ASU?
At ASU, an interdisciplinary curriculum meets hands-on, community-centered learning, so you gain knowledge in the places where health work happens. Interactive case studies and technology-enabled learning tools sharpen the critical thinking, communication and leadership skills you need for a health care environment that keeps evolving.
You also learn from faculty who are health care experts, bringing backgrounds in leadership, policy, technology and innovation. On top of that, you can pursue internships with community agencies in your local area, putting what you study into practice in hands-on settings.
Courses
Explore a sample list of courses you may take in this program.
| Sample courses |
|---|
| HCR 231 Fundamentals of Community Health |
| HCR 303 Assessing Needs, Assets and Capacity for Health Education |
| HCR 331 Communication within Communities |
| HCR 335 Program Development and Management for Community Health |
| HCR 336 Environmental Community Health |
| HCR 430 Foundation to Health Care Systems |
Course checksheet and curriculum archive
The curriculum checksheet displays this program's required courses and other requirements you must complete for graduation.
Current ASU students, see how your courses can apply to another major and find out how to change your major (opens in new window).
Already completed some college courses? Build on your success.
If you earned college credit outside ASU, our transfer tools map out your progress towards a degree and help you plan next steps.
See how your credits may apply (opens in new window)What you'll learn
The following learning outcomes highlight some of the knowledge and skills you'll develop to support your future success.
- Collaborate across professional health care disciplines and with volunteers, organizations, community members and partners to promote healthy communities.
- Apply research findings to professional health care disciplines, organizations, community members and partners to promote healthy communities.
- Utilize leadership skills to build partnerships with culturally and ethnically diverse communities.
Collaborate across professional health care disciplines and with volunteers, organizations, community members and partners to promote healthy communities.
Admission requirements
Here are the admission and application details
All students are required to meet general university admission requirements.
First year (opens in new window) | Transfer (opens in new window) | International (opens in new window) | Readmission (opens in new window)
A current ASU student has no additional requirements for changing majors.
Students should visit the Change of Major form (opens in new window) for information about how to change a major to this program.
Explore expanded study opportunities
This program allows you to obtain both a bachelor's and a master's degree in as little as five years. As a high-achieving student, accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree programs are designed for you to share undergraduate coursework with graduate coursework to accelerate completion of your master's degree. These programs feature the same high-quality curriculum taught by ASU's world-renowned faculty.
This program is offered as an accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree with:
Approval to pursue the accelerated master's is typically granted during the junior year of your bachelor's degree program. If you are interested, you can learn more about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
When you pursue concurrent degrees (also known as a “double major”), you earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. Working with your academic advisor, you can create your own concurrent degree combination. Some combinations are not possible due to high levels of overlap in curriculum.
Study abroad enables community health students to learn how to address the health needs of diverse populations. By immersing themselves in a culture outside the U.S., students can learn about global health trends and how people in another country have advocated for positive change in the health care systems of their communities.
Paying for college
Use our calculator to estimate your full-time or part-time tuition fees for this program prior to any financial aid. Keep in mind that most of our students recieve financial aid, which can reduce out-of-pocket costs.
Get an estimate
Build the career and future you want
Our graduates are prepared for a variety of career paths, including:
| Career | Growth | Median Salary | More Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Health Worker | 12.7% | $51,850 | Learn more |
| Community Specialist | 5.5% | $56,730 | Learn more |
| Guidance Counselor | 2.9% | $64,330 | Learn more |
| Health Care Support Worker (General) | 4.8% | $48,430 | Learn more |
| Health Technician (General) | 5.9% | $50,290 | Learn more |
| Healthcare Professor | 17.9% | $107,310 | Learn more |
| Medical and Health Services Manager | 24.2% | $123,860 | Learn more |
| Patient Advocate | 5.9% | $50,290 | Learn more |
| Social Services Director | 7.2% | $80,390 | Learn more |
Example job titles and salaries listed are not necessarily entry level, and students should take into consideration how years of experience and geographical location may affect pay scales. Some jobs also may require advanced degrees, certifications or state-specific licensure.
Data obtained from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) under sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA).
More about careers
Careers this community health degree prepares you for
Graduates of this program provide health education, health promotion, care coordination, disease management, health care navigation and advocacy services for individuals, families and communities.
Graduates may obtain employment as:
- community health managers
- community health outreach specialists
- health care navigators
- health promotion evaluators
- health services administrators
Contact information
Use the contact information below to get in touch if you're a current student or have general questions.
Prospective students should fill out the Request for Information form.
Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation
|
HLTHN 301
asu.ch@asu.edu
602-496-0937
Frequently asked questions about degree programs
Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master's during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.
Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.
ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the "New Programs" option.
ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.
