What Can I Do With a Major In Health Promotion?
UGA Specific Information for Health Promotion
The Department of Health Promotion and Behavior (HPB), through research, teaching, and service, prepares professionals in process-related competencies in health promotion programming that are based on a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the determinants of health. Health promotion efforts are directed at influencing or facilitating health-related behavior, advocating public health policy, creating supportive environments, strengthening community action, developing personal skills, and reorienting health services. Students are prepared to work in health promotion and wellness positions in public, community, health care, and worksite settings.
There are two areas of emphasis that you can choose from in this major:
Health Promotion - The health promotion area of emphasis prepares students for health promotion and wellness positions in public, community, worksite, and health care setting, as well as for graduate level work in public health.
Health Services - The health services area of emphasis prepares students for graduate level work with an emphasis on disease prevention and wellness. Graduate work may include pre-physician’s assistant, pre-medical or pre-dental, or other professional health services programs.
Behavioral Medicine - Behavioral Medicine Area of Emphasis in health promotion prepares up to 20 students a year in pre-medicine. This area of emphasis focuses on behavioral medicine and includes community, residency, and practical experiences.
Class of 2021 Career Outcomes for Health Promotion*
** Includes Self-Employed
Campus Resources
College of Public Health Activities, Clubs and Honor Societies
- Future Health Promoters Club
- Association of Teachers of Preventative Medicine
- Student Chapter, American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA)
- Student Membership with the Gerontological Society of America
Find additional clubs and organizations here.
Connect with your Career Consultant
Additional UGA Career Center Recommendations/Considerations
Where are health educators employed?
In schools health educators teach health as a subject and promote and implement Coordinated School Health Programs, including health services, student, staff and parent health education, and promote healthy school environments and school-community partnerships. At the school district level they develop education methods and materials; coordinate, promote, and evaluate programs; and write funding proposals.
Working on a college/university campus, health educators are part of a team working to create an environment in which students feel empowered to make healthy choices and create a caring community. They identify needs; advocate and do community organizing; teach whole courses or individual classes; develop mass media campaigns; and train peer educators, counselors, and/or advocates. They address issues related to disease prevention; consumer, environmental, emotional, sexual health; first aid, safety and disaster preparedness; substance abuse prevention; human growth and development; and nutrition and eating issues. They may manage grants and conduct research.
In companies, health educators perform or coordinate employee counseling as well as education services, employee health risk appraisals, and health screenings. They design, promote, lead and/or evaluate programs about weight control, hypertension, nutrition, substance abuse prevention, physical fitness, stress management and smoking cessation; develop educational materials; and write grants for money to support these projects. They help companies meet occupational health and safety regulations, work with the media, and identify community health resources for employees.
In health care settings health educators educate patients about medical procedures, operations, services and therapeutic regimens, create activities and incentives to encourage use of services by high risk patients; conduct staff training and consult with other health care providers about behavioral, cultural or social barriers to health; promote self-care; develop activities to improve patient participation on clinical processes; educate individuals to protect, promote or maintain their health and reduce risky behaviors; make appropriate community-based referrals, and write grants.
In community organizations and government agencies health educators help a community identify its needs, draw upon its problem-solving abilities and mobilize its resources to develop, promote, implement and evaluate strategies to improve its own health status. Health educators do community organizing and outreach, grantwriting, coalition building, advocacy and develop, produce, and evaluate mass media health campaigns.
*Taken from "What is Health Promotion & Behavior?," UGA College of Public Health
Supplemental Career Research Dashboard
Additional Career Research Resources
- O*NET (click on Find Occupations)
- Occupational Outlook Handbook (type in general term for career of interest)
- Georgia Career Information Center (accessible only on campus computers)
- Firsthand (Company rankings/profiles, industry career guides, and advice articles)
- Candid Career (View professionals speaking about their careers under the "Resources" tab and select "Online Resources")
- UGA Mentor Program - Networking with your Bulldog family can help you get ahead in life and career, but where do you even start? The UGA Mentor Program narrows down the world of possibilities to meaningful connections. It personalizes the mentoring experience; connecting you with mentors that are just right for your commitment.. There's a better way to network. Visit mentor.uga.edu today and find a mentor who can help you see your future.
Employment Websites
- Health Promotion Jobs
- Online Sports Jobs
- Public Health Jobs
- CDC Employment Opportunities
- American Public Health Association Job Board
- Georgia State Department of Health Job Board
- Public Health Employment Connection
- National Association of County & City Health Officials Job Board
- Premier Health and Fitness Resources
- University Positions
- Cool Works (Summer and Seasonal Positions)
- Northeast Health District-Athens (Jobs and Internships)
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Internships
Professional Associations/Resources
- American Journal of Health Promotion
- American College Health Association
- American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance
- American Public Health Association
- Association of Schools of Public Health
- Society for Public Health Education
- Centers for Disease Control
- National Association of County and City Health Officials
- Coach U (For students interested in coaching)
Tip: Join LinkedIn groups that are related to your career interest. Need help finding groups? Check out the Groups You May Like link under the Interests/Groups tab. Review the groups that professionals in your field of interest have joined and consider joining them as well.
Employers/Position Title Reported by Class of 2021 Health Promotion majors
The information below represents employers and position titles from the Class of 2021 Career Outcomes Survey. To view historical Career Outcomes for this major, click here and select "Historical Data" from the navigation menu.
Employer | Position Title(s) |
---|---|
ACLU of Georgia | Policy Intern | Adaptive Medical Partners | Business Development | Athens Pregnancy Center | Administrative Assistant | Atlanta Dental Center | New Patient Coordinator | CDC | Public Health Advisor | Chanel Barnes | Consultant | Chanel Barnes | Consultant | Cobb Internal Medicine | Medical Assistant | Cohen and Caproni, LLC | Paralegal | GA Northeast Health District | Administrative Support | Georgia Department of Public Health | Contact Tracer | Georgia Department of Public Health | Case Investigator | GI Care For Kids | Medical Assistant | GIA Gratitude in Action Foundation | AmeriCorps VISTA | Insight Global | KDHE Covid-19 Case Investigator | Jericho Health | Patient Care Manager | Kathy Cothran | Clinical Medical Assistant | Kathy Cothran | Clinical Medical Assistant | Legacy Link | Database Resource Specialist | MediRevv | Revenue Cycle Specialist | Medtronic | Associate Account Manager | Megan Smith | Evaluation Assistant | MetroDerm P.C. | Medical Assistant | MTG Logistics | Career Sales Respresentative | New American Pathways | Health Service AmeriCorps Member | North Atlanta Dermatology | Medical Assistant | North Atlanta Dermatology | Medical Assistant | North Georgia Nephrology Consultants | Medical Assistant | Oconee Valley Healthcare | Medical Assistant | Optomi Professional Services | Technical Recruiter | Optum | Sales Account Executive | Our Family Health Center | Medical Assistant | Piedmont Healthcare | Graduate Medical Education Program Administrator | Precision Orthopedics | Medical Device Sales Representatives | Resurgens Orthopaedics | Certified Medical Assistant | Tanaq Support Services LLC | Public Health Analyst I | United States House of Representatives | Staff Assistant | UT Southwestern | Clinic Staff Assistant | Vidant Medical Center | Specimen Assistant |
Graduate/Professional Schools attended by Class of 2021 Health Promotion majors
The information below represents graduate/professional schools and programs reported through the Class of 2020 Career Outcomes Survey. To view historical Career Outcomes for this major, click here and select "Historical Data" from the navigation menu.
Graduate School | Program(s) |
---|---|
Augusta University | Medicine, MD | Augusta University | Nursing, MS | Augusta University | Nursing - Clinical Nurse Leadership, MSN/CNL | Augusta University | Clinical Nurse Leader, MSN | Augusta University | Nursing, MSN/CNL | Augusta University | Dental Medicine, DMD | Augusta University | Nursing, MSN | Augusta University | Medicine, MD | Augusta University | Nursing, MSN CNL | Augusta University | Nursing, MSN | Augusta University | MSN-CNL Program, MSN | Case Western Reserve University | Medical Physiology, MS | Dental College of Georgia | Dental Medicine, DMD | Duke University | Not Specified | East Carolina University | Science in Occupational Therapy, MSOT | Emory University | Nursing, MSN | Emory University | Nursing, MSN | Emory University | Public Health, MPH | Emory University | Public Health, MPH | Emory University | Nursing, MSN | Emory University | Epidemiology, MPH | Emory University | Nurse Practitioner Program, MN , MSN | Emory University | Medicine, MD | Florida International University | Physical Therapy, DPT | Georgia Southern University | Public Health, MPH | Georgia State University | Public Health, MPH | Georgia State University | Program, MHA/MBA | Georgia State University | Occupational Therapy, OTD | Georgia State University | Nursing, MSN | Georgia State University | Business Administration/Health Administration, MBA/MHA | Johns Hopkins University | Global Disease Epidemiology and Control, MSPH | Life University | Chiropractics, DC | Marian University | Biomedical Sciences, MS | Medical University of South Carolina | Nursing, BSN | Medical University of South Carolina | Nursing, LPN | Mercer University | Physician Assistant, MS | South College | Physician Assistant, MPAS | University of Chicago | Treat and Response Management, MS | University of Georgia | Epidemiology, MPH | University of Georgia | Epidemiology, MPH | University of Georgia | Public Health, MPH | University of Georgia | Health Policy and Management, MPH | University of Georgia | Health Promotion, PhD | University of Georgia | Public Health, MPH | University of Georgia | Health Promotion and Behavior, MPH | University of Georgia | STEM Business Administration, MBA | University of Georgia | Public Health, MPH | University of Georgia | Public Health, MPH | University of Georgia | Epidemiology, MPH | University of Georgia | Pharmacy, PharmD | University of Maryland | Public Health Emphasis in Physical Activity, MPH | Yale University | Public Health, MPH |