If you want to take charge of your own health and help individuals and communities do the same, major in Health Studies at TWU. This bachelor’s degree program prepares you for a career as a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES), with the skills to direct, create or evaluate education programs that promote wellness and prevent disease.
You can use this degree as a step toward a master’s in occupational therapy, library studies, social work or healthcare administration.
Careers & Salaries
Earning your health studies degree at TWU allows you to enter the community and public health field. With your CHES credentials, you could work in a hospital, a school or with a government or health agency. Salaries vary widely, but the average annual salary for a Certified Health Education Specialist is $48,400, according to payscale.com.
Why Health Studies at TWU?
Convenience: You can take classes on the Denton campus or completely online, giving you the flexibility to take the classes anywhere. Plus, courses are offered each semester — fall, spring and summer — allowing for completion of this degree in three years if you attend full-time.
Experienced Faculty: Courses in the program, whether in the classroom or online, are taught by faculty members committed to research or professional service in the field.
Certification: After completing this program, you will be eligible to sit for the CHES exam, which can lead to expanded job opportunities post-graduation.
Master’s Preparation: If you want to pursue your master’s in occupational therapy, we can help you develop an undergraduate degree plan that allows you to complete your bachelor’s degree in less time and to apply for your master’s program during your junior year, if you meet eligibility requirements.
TWU’s Health Studies undergraduate program is SABPAC approved.
Program Requirements
This program requires 120 hours, of which 55 cover health studies topics. Upper-level courses focus on health issues among diverse groups and the seven areas of responsibility of a health education specialist. A minor is optional.
As a student in this program, you will complete an internship of 360 hours during the last semester of your senior year. Qualifying organizations include non-profit health agencies, health departments, wellness programs and local, state and national health agencies.
Full program requirements are listed in the Undergraduate Catalog.