Program highlights

• Study 100% online
• Flexible full-time or part-time learning
• Complete in 2 years with a full-time schedule
• Prepare for the CHES certification
• No GRE required for admission

What will you learn?

The online master’s in health education degree gives you a deep dive into the fundamentals of community health. You explore health psychology across the lifespan, theories of health behavior, and effective communication techniques. You build your grant writing and management skills, and you learn to translate research into practice in a variety of community health settings.

Online M.S. in community health program curriculum

When you enroll in the program, you work closely with an advisor to design a course of study that includes general professional education courses, specialization courses and elective courses. Three pathways are available in the community health master’s degree, each of which culminates in an experience (an internship, project, or thesis) or class in your specific area of interest:

• Plan A: 35 credits including an eight-credit thesis
• Plan B: 30 credits including a three-credit project or internship
• Plan C: 30 credits (neither thesis or project required)

See the full course list.

Community health education courses

* Please note that M.S. courses are offered every 3 semesters, so the above plan is just one example. Full-time students can complete the program in two years.

Prepare for the Certified Health Education Specialist exam

Our program is specifically designed to prepare you to take the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam, the only nationally and internationally accredited health education and promotion certification on the market.

Offered by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, the CHES certification ensures employers that you have real-life experience planning, implementing, evaluating, and advocating for health education programs.

Accelerated Master's Pathway

Undergraduates enrolled in any bachelor's degree in the Division of Kinesiology, Health and Sport Studies (e.g., Community Health, Exercise and Sport Science, Health and Physical Education Teaching, or Sport Management), have earned at least 75 credits, and have a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher, you can apply for admission into an Accelerated Master's Program (AMP). AMP programs would allow students to link their bachelor’s degrees with any master’s degree in the division and complete up to 16 credits of master's degree coursework during your bachelor's degree.

AMP programs enable students to complete up to half of their entire master’s degree (decreasing the time it would take them to complete a master’s degree nearly in half) and saves tuition expenses (undergraduate tuition is less than half the cost of graduate tuition). Students who are interested in learning more about the AMP program opportunities are encouraged to schedule an appointment with their academic advisor as early in their bachelor’s program as possible. 

• AMP Overview
• AMP application details

Community health research opportunities

Wayne State University is a nationally recognized center of excellence in research, and our faculty’s groundbreaking discoveries make a difference in the everyday lives of people and communities around the world.

As a master’s student here, we encourage you to get involved in our active research community, and we offer opportunities to apply for grant funding.

Learn more about research opportunities at Wayne State.

Career outlook

The M.S. in community health online program opens the door to rewarding careers in health departments and local health agencies, nonprofit organizations, hospitals, universities, businesses, and health insurance companies. With a master’s degree in community health, you gain an understanding of the social determinants of health and learn to plan, analyze, and evaluate community-based health interventions. And you acquire the skills to develop and use evidence-informed strategies to improve population health and build stronger communities.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for Health Education Specialists and Community Health Workers is increasing. The employment growth rate is 12% through 2031.

By earning a community health master’s degree, you are well equipped to pursue careers such as:

• Hospital administration
• Health education specialist
• Community wellness
• Health policy
• Healthcare analysis
• Nutrition and dietetics
• Population health research

Tuition and financial aid

We want to invest in you and your bright future in community health. Our affordable tuition rates for online programs are the same whether you live in Michigan or out of state, and we award hundreds of scholarships each year.

Explore financial aid and scholarships

Admission Requirements

To apply to the master's in community health program, your undergraduate GPA must be 3.0 or higher for regular admission or 2.75 to 2.99 for qualified admission. You need to submit the following:

• The online application
• Undergraduate transcripts

We do not require GRE scores.

Learn more about graduate admissions at the College of Education and Wayne State’s graduate admission requirements.

Apply to Wayne State’s online master’s in community health program!

Ready to become an agent of change and improve health across communities? Start your journey today by applying to WSU’s Master of Science in community health.

• Want to find out more about community health at Wayne State? Request more information
• Eager to get started? Apply now