Online and Distance Learning

A health promotion degree provides the skills and knowledge increasingly required for the health sector today.  This page gives you more information about what is involved in a health promotion degree, where you can study it online, and the health promotion careers and salary prospects after completion.

In order to qualify for admission to a degree program, students will, in most cases, be expected to hold a relevant diploma (or its equivalent) in a related area.  In general, although each course will naturally differ from place to place, the modules studied within the program will tend to focus on the current national and local strategies, the politics and theories behind them as well as the approaches to practice and the available opportunities within health promotion.

Where can you study an online health promotion degree?

Here are some selected universities where you can study for a diploma, associate degree or bachelors degree in health promotion or a related area, e.g., a degree in public health, or allied health education.  There are other related degrees, so you might like to check out the pages on: Dietetics, Nutrition, Health Education, and Public Health.

• Benedictine University Online
  • Master of Public Health - Health Education and Promotion
  • Master of Public Health - Disaster Management
  • Master of Public Health - Health Management and Policy
  • Master of Public Health/Master of Business Administration

• Walden University
  • Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Health Studies
  • Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) - BSN Track - Education
  • Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) - RN Track - Education
  • Post-Masters Certificates in Nursing - Nursing Education 
  • Master of Public Health (M.P.H) - General
  • Ph.D. in Health Services - Community Health Education and Advocacy

• Kaplan University Online
  • Advanced Start BS in Health and Wellness
  • Advanced Start BS in Health Science
  • BS in Health and Wellness
  • BS in Public Health
  • MS in Health Education 
  • Master of Public Health
  • Master of Public Health - Health Education

• Capella University
  • MPH - General Public Health

• University of Phoenix Online
  • BS in Health Administration - Health Management
  • MS in Nursing - Nursing/Health Care Education

• South University
  • Associate of Science in Allied Health Science
  • Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences
  • MS - Nurse Educator
  • Master of Science in Adult Health Nurse Practitioner

• Independence University
  • AS - Allied Health

• Grand Canyon University
  • Bridge to M.S. in Nursing: Nursing Education
  • MS in Nursing: Nursing Education
  • Master of Public Health

• California University of Pennsylvania - Online

  • Graduate Certificate in Sports Counseling
  • Bachelor of Science Sport Management: Fitness & Wellness
  • MS Exercise Science & Health Promotion - Various specializations including: Wellness & Fitness; Performance Enhancement; Sport Psychology

What can you expect in a health promotion degree?

On completing the health promotion degree program a student will be expected to have reached a certain level in specific skills, including: successfully understanding psychological theories and perspectives which may serve underpin an individual's behavior particularly regarding community development and empowerment; sociological diversities, be they cultural or related to class or gender, and their relative impact on relevant issues and an understanding of the determinants of the related economy.  A successful student will also be expected to have reached a certain level of understanding with regards to the impact that sociological theories, such as humanism or postmodernism, and political ideologies may ultimately have on care systems and their outcomes.

In degrees in health promotion, students will usually learn skills such as cognitive learning skills through the critical assessment of case studies and an analysis of documents.  This will develop their problem solving skills and will also lead to a heightened level of reflection abilities.  Students will also have to master a number of more practical skills, such as, how to plan and manage promotion activities that will be suitable for public audiences.  Students will gain these practical skills through both observation and participation (including role model situations) in real well-being promotion activities.  In general each of the modules will be individually assessed using a number of different methods, including the assessment of written essays and reports as well as the completion of case studies and effective action plans.

What about employment opportunities and salary after completing a health promotion degree?

The field of health promotion offers many different options for successful graduates to apply the skills they have acquired. In fact, holders of a health promotion degree can effectively begin a career straight from graduation. They can choose to specialize in areas such as health in schools, drugs and alcohol centers or even sexual health centers. Moreover, local governments tend to employ a number of people in the role of care promoter in areas such as housing and sports and leisure. Alternatively, an individual can opt for a career which combines a role in healthcare with a more specialist practice such as teaching. The good news is that starting salaries can be from around $33,000 to $43,000 while an experienced specialist can expect to earn around $65,000.

For schools in Canada

Click here for a page that links to campus universities and campus colleges in Canada. It also provides some advice on choosing a suitable campus.

Click here and then enter your Canadian postal code to search for Canadian college or university campuses.

For more information about a health promotion degree

Related professional areas to check are Dietetics, Health Education, Nutrition, and Public Health.

Use this link to find health promotion programs and schools near you.

Use the search facility on this site to find a health pomotion degree.

Remember to compare the admission requirements and course content of several schools before you choose a program.

Campus-based health promotion degrees

For those students who feel that online learning and distance education is not for them, the web site also has a section on campus programs. 

You can also search for a program or a school near you.