How to Become a Certified Health Education Specialist

A good health education specialist has a passion for helping others lead healthy lives and make smart lifestyle choices. Job prospects are increasing for health education specialists, and certification may be required or preferred by some employers.

This guide explains the health education career field and what to know if you’re considering becoming certified.

What Does a Health Education Specialist Do?

“Health education specialists develop, implement, and/or facilitate health education programs within a community,” says Brittny Bratcher-Rasmus, PhD, CHES®, faculty in the School of Health Sciences at Purdue Global. “They assess gaps in health-related knowledge and then develop and implement public health interventions using educational and promotional tactics.”

There has been an increased focus on community-level preventive care and education in recent years. Bratcher-Rasmus says the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to this increase.

“The pandemic highlighted the need for prevention and education related to knowledge of how the COVID-19 virus is transmitted and the importance of vaccinations,” says Bratcher-Rasmus. “The pandemic also uncovered many chronic disease disparities in communities more prone to COVID-19 exposure based on many social and economic factors.”

Implementing prevention and education programs helps communities lower various risk factors for chronic diseases and improves interactions between patients and providers in the health care setting.

Where Do Health Education Specialists Work?

Health education specialists can work in many different settings, including:

• Federal, state, and local health agencies
• Nonprofit and community-based organizations
• Hospitals
• Schools and universities
• Global health or non-governmental organizations
• Health insurance carriers
• Commercial health companies, major corporations, and health consulting firms

“This list is certainly not exhaustive, as health education specialists can work anywhere that promotes the health and well-being of people,” says Bratcher-Rasmus.

Who Is a Good Fit to Work in the Health Education Field?

Anyone who wants to make a difference in the health behaviors and health outcomes of people, communities, and populations would be a good fit for this field.

“This individual consistently explores social determinants of health, health policy and advocacy, and health data to determine how to best meet the needs of communities to improve health behaviors and health outcomes,” says Bratcher-Rasmus.

Health Education Is a Growing Field

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment of health education specialists will grow 7% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations. According to Bratcher-Rasmus, factors that indicate rapid growth projection in the profession include:

• An emphasis on the prevention of chronic disease through education and program development
• Recognizing and identifying the impact of health disparities that impact underserved, minority, and rural populations through examination of health outcomes data
• Health literacy rates and the need to improve health literacy skills in all populations
• Ongoing need to develop health education campaigns and initiatives
• The development of new policies that promote health equity for all people
• Emergency and pandemic preparedness

“The projected professional growth reflects a shift toward prioritizing health promotion, prevention, and public health,” says Bratcher-Rasmus. “As these aspects of health care and public health become increasingly recognized, the demand for skilled professionals in health education will continue to rise.”

Is a Health Education Specialist the Same as a Health Educator?

The terms “health education specialist” and “health educator” are used interchangeably in many settings as the roles and responsibilities are very similar. However, the two are not the same.

“A health educator can be anyone in the health care or health care-related field from various educational backgrounds who promotes health and well-being on multiple levels or disciplines based on training,” says Bratcher-Rasmus. “Examples include community health workers (CHWs), nurse health educators, nutrition or dietician educators, and health teachers.”

A health education specialist has formal undergraduate or graduate training in public health, health promotion, and/or community health. “They take their knowledge of health behavior theory and program planning strategies to develop interventions, facilitate programs or write grants, and work in tandem with lawmakers to develop new public health policies,” says Bratcher-Rasmus.

Becoming Certified

The accrediting body for health education specialists is the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC). The commission offers two credentials:

Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES®)

Eligibility to sit for the CHES exam is primarily based on academic qualifications; applicants must possess a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree from an accredited institution of higher education. Other requirements apply.

Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES®)

There are two paths to sitting for the MCHES exam:

• If you already hold CHES certification, you must have worked at least 5 continuous years in active status as a CHES to qualify to take the exam.
• For non-CHES or CHES with less than 5 years active status and 5 years’ experience:
  • a master’s degree or higher in health education, public health education, school health education, community health education, and so forth, OR
  • a master’s degree or higher with an academic transcript reflecting at least 25-semester credits (37 quarter hours) of coursework in which the Eight Areas of Responsibility of Health Education Specialists were addressed; AND
  • 5 years of documented experience as a health education specialist

“Those working as health education specialists move forward with CHES or MCHES certification to demonstrate their expertise, skills, and knowledge of the Eight Areas of Responsibility for Health Education Specialists and build upon their experience through continuing education,” says Bratcher-Rasmus.

Benefits of Certification

According to Bratcher-Rasmus, benefits of these certifications include:

• Increased career opportunities
• A competitive advantage compared to other applicants who are not certified

“Another benefit of the certification is collaborating with fellow CHES/MCHES to improve health outcomes through health education strategies,” says Bratcher-Rasmus.

About the CHES and MCHES Exams

The exam is based on NCHEC’s “Framework Document,” which identifies eight areas of responsibility of a health education specialist.

“Both the CHES and MCHES exams consist of 165 multiple-choice questions, and they are offered twice a year — April and October — through computer-based testing at various approved testing sites or live remote proctoring in the comfort of your home,” says Bratcher-Rasmus.

Earn a Degree in Health Education and Promotion With Purdue Global

The Purdue Global curriculum in both the Bachelor of Science in Health Education and Promotion and the Master of Science in Health Education and Promotion is aligned with the educational requirements for the Certified Health Education Specialist exam. In addition, the master’s program meets the education eligibility requirements to sit for the Master Certified Health Education Specialist exam.

“There are many career opportunities within health education, especially when education is paired with CHES or MCHES credentials,” says Bratcher-Rasmus. “Students should be open to the various employers dedicated to hiring and retaining experts in this field, specifically with the projected career growth and the need to increase health education and eliminate health disparities in vulnerable populations.”

Reach out today to learn more about the online bachelor's degree in health education and promotion and the online master's degree in health education and promotion at Purdue Global.