Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration

Community Health

Overview

Students studying Community Health will be equipped with a diverse set of skills in the areas of community engagement, community health education and promotion, and community action research necessary for improving the health of communities. Current health professionals may broaden their knowledge of techniques for engaging communities in health across sectors.  

The program provides students training in becoming leaders in the field of community health, promoting health, advancing health equity, and improving health in communities where they live, learn, work, and play.  

Community Health may be suitable for those interested in future careers in nursing, medicine, research and biomedical related fields. The concentration prepares students for professional schools such as medical school, physician assistant school, nursing school and graduate public health programs. Salaries in these fields start well above $60,000 with degrees in advanced health education.

Learning Outcomes

Graduates with a concentration in Community Health will be able to:

  • Demonstrate effective communication skills in community health.
  • Demonstrate quantitative, technological analytical skills necessary for solving community health issues.
  • Apply the principles of community health to issues affecting international/global/local community health organizations.
  • Demonstrate proficiency in the central concepts of community health behavior, epidemiological investigation, and policy.
  • Synthesize and provide solutions to community health problems, policy and ethical/legal dilemmas.

 

Internships / Practicums

UH West Oʻahu students pursuing a concentration in Community Health may have the opportunity to complete an internship with one of the following organizations:

  • Queen’s Medical Center West Oʻahu
  • Waiʻanae Coast Comprehensive Health Center
  • State of Hawaiʻi Department of Health
  • American Heart Association – Hawaiʻi
  • Hawai’i Medical Service Association
  • Various Community Health Centers (across the state)

 

Careers and Earning Potential

Community health educators meet the demand for trained and potentially licensed health education specialists who deliver education on preventative care and adopting healthy behaviors. Health educators are employed in a variety of settings, including community health centers hospitals, nonprofit organizations, government, doctors’ offices, private businesses, and colleges. Common job titles include, community health educator, health education specialist, health promotion manager, health navigator, care coordinator, and community health worker.

In the State of Hawai‘i, community health educators earn an average of $55, 010 ($60, 070 in Honolulu)*, which is on par with student demand for wages after graduation.

For more information on careers and earning potential, visit the Hawaiʻi Career Explorer website.

*Per Hawai‘i State Dept. of Labor and Industrial Relations, 2020

Faculty Contact

Dr. Camonia Graham-Tutt
Associate Professor of Community Health
(808) 689-2326
camonia@hawaii.edu