{"id":546,"date":"2015-11-05T15:06:04","date_gmt":"2015-11-05T15:06:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cehhs-publichealth.utdev1.wpengine.com\/?page_id=546"},"modified":"2026-08-19T09:32:06","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T13:32:06","slug":"che-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cehhs.utk.edu\/publichealth\/degree-programs\/mph\/che-2\/","title":{"rendered":"MPH Concentration: Community Health Education"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Official<\/a><\/p>\n

Campus-based and Online <\/p>\n

Community health educators use multidisciplinary theories along with behavioral and organizational change principles to plan, implement, and evaluate interventions that enable individuals, groups, and communities to achieve personal, environmental, and social health.<\/p>\n

The community health education (CHE) program’s strengths include a multi-disciplinary perspective among faculty, a substantial number of community-based class projects where students gain practical experiences to prepare for the public health workforce, and opportunities for involvement with our innovative partner, the Knox County Health Department–through the UT-Knox County Academic Health Department<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\nConsider a career in community health education<\/strong> if you view yourself as a natural teacher, a skilled communicator, and a person who enjoys serving as a resource.\u00a0Students come from a wide variety of undergraduate programs, including psychology, nutrition, human services, biology, communications, marketing, and more. The health educator is trained to use appropriate educational strategies and methods to facilitate the development of policies, procedures, interventions, and systems conducive to the health of individuals, groups, and communities.\u00a0Health educators work in a variety of settings. Examples include, but are not limited to:\u00a0communities, schools, post-secondary educational institutions, mental health agencies, public health agencies, governmental agencies, environmental agencies, rehabilitation centers, professional associations, work sites (both business and industry), medical care institutions, and voluntary health agencies or non-governmental organizations.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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For more information about the CHE concentration, contact:<\/h4>\n

Assist. Professor
\nJennifer Russomanno<\/strong>
\njrussoma@utk.edu<\/a>
\n865-974-5041<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Points of Pride:<\/h4>\n

The First Accredited Public Health Program outside a School of Public Health<\/h5>\n

In 1969 the master of science degree with a major in public health education at the University of Tennessee was accredited by the committee on professional education of the American Public Health Association.\u00a0It became the nation’s first public health education program outside a school of public health setting to be accredited.\u00a0As the program has evolved into the current MPH degree with a CHE concentration, the exciting focus on education of individuals and communities to motivate behavioral modification for healthier lives continues after more than forty years of national accreditation. CHE graduates from the University of TN are working at the local, state, national, and international levels to provide health education and health promotion.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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A community health education student develops the following competencies:<\/h2>\n