Program Details

M.A. in community health - thanatology
HEGIS code 1214
NYS SED program code 78495

The master of arts degree in community health serves both national and international students who are pursing a career in health promotion/disease prevention. Many of our graduate students are in practice in the field and come to Brooklyn College for advanced training and professional development.

The program has two concentrations: community health education and thanatology. The community health education concentration develops professionals who design, conduct, and evaluate activities that help improve the health of individuals and communities. Graduates typically find employment in public health departments, community-based organizations, hospitals, and clinics as patient educators, health education teachers, health coaches, community organizers, public health educators, and health program managers.

The thanatology concentration focuses on the development of expertise in the area of dying, death, and bereavement. Graduates hold a variety of positions including that of hospice program director, hospital bereavement coordinator, hospice volunteer coordinator, funeral aftercare counselor, and bereavement counseling program director.

Program/Department Advisors

Advisor Name Title Phone Location Email Office Hours Eastwood, Betsy Graduate Deputy 718-951-5026 5129 Ingersoll Hall mphinfo brooklyn.cuny.edu Email for appointment

Building codes:    A-Whitehead;   B-Boylan;   J-James;   N-Ingersoll;   NE-Ingersoll Extension;   R-Roosevelt;   RE-Roosevelt Extension;   WEB - West End Building

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Matriculation requirements
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Applicants must offer at least 18 credits in acceptable health-related courses. Experience in a health-related field is required for the Thanatology concentration.

A course in statistics in a health-related field is required for the Community Health Education concentration.

The department may interview applicants for admission.

General matriculation and admission requirements of the Division of Graduate Studies are in the section "Admission."

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Degree requirements
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Thirty-three to thirty-six credits are required for the degree.

Students must complete one of the following two concentrations of study: Community Health Education (36 credits) or Thanatology (33 credits).

Community health education concentration. Required courses (27 credits): Health and Nutrition Sciences 758X, 759X, 761X, 764X, 770X, 771X, 772.2X, 777X, and 791.1X.

Elective courses (9 credits): Students must complete 9 credits chosen from 700-level courses after consultation with the deputy chairperson.

Thanatology concentration. Students must take 24 credits from the following:
Health and Nutrition Sciences 744.5X, 754X, 760X, 762X, 773X, 774.5X, 784.5X, 791.1X.

Students with advanced preparation may substitute other courses for required courses with the permission of the department graduate committee.

Exit requirements. Students matriculated in the community health education concentration are required to pass a comprehensive examination administered by the Health and Nutrition Sciences Department, or submit an acceptable master's thesis or master's paper. Students electing to complete a comprehensive examination must complete 36 credits.

Students matriculated in the thanatology concentration are required to submit either an acceptable thesis or an acceptable master's paper.

Students electing to submit a thesis must complete Health and Nutrition Sciences 780X and 791.2X. Information about the thesis is in the section "Academic Regulations and Procedures."

Students electing to complete a master's paper must complete Health and Nutrition Sciences 791.3X with a grade of B or better, and then one of the courses numbered 797.1X through 797.9X in which the master's paper will be written.
The grade for the course will be the same as the grade for the master's paper. The student must earn a grade of B or better for a master's paper to be acceptable. The student is not allowed to take 791.3X more than twice, and may only take one of the courses numbered 797.1X through 797.9X.

Courses in the Health and Nutrition Sciences Department offered toward the degree must be 700-level courses.

The program of study must be approved by the department.

Students interested in certification as a death educator (CDE) or grief counselor (CGC) may use the Health and Nutrition Sciences internship program that partially fulfills the requirements of the National Certification Board of the Association for Death Education and Counseling.

Community Health Education students interested in national certification as a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) may take the examination administered by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc.