Community Health (A.S.)
Associate in Science
Program Advisor: Frank Schickor
413-236-4564 • fschicko@berkshirecc.edu
The Associate in Science, Health Science: Community Health Option provides comprehensive coursework for students who would like to work in a rapidly expanding field of public health. The program closely matches freshman and sophomore curriculum at colleges offering Baccalaureate degrees in public health, community health, health education, and other related fields. Students who complete this degree will also earn a Community Health Worker (CHW) certificate as part of their degree requirement.
Expected Outcomes
Graduates of the Health Sciences option should be able to:
- Understand the essentials of the U.S. Health Care System and be able to navigate local, state, and federal programs and nonprofit organization services related to health insurance, public health, social services, and other resources to protect and promote health;
- Identify and explain how different population groups are affected by health disparities and social determinants of health;
- Understand and effectively use key public health models, concepts, and approaches in systematic solving of com- munity health problems and in development, implementation, and coordination of public health initiatives/projects that aim to prevent risky behaviors and promote healthy lifestyles;
- Communicate effectively with clients, community members, and colleagues in the contexts involving different cultural, socioeconomic, demographic, and professional groups;
- Transfer to a Bachelor of Science Public Health (Health Education, Community Health, or other related field) pro- gram at a four-year college or university.
Graduation Requirements
To earn a degree in this program, a student must complete all program and general education credits, plus the following Additional Requirements.
Program
| CHW-110 | Essential Health Topics for Community Health Workers | 3 |
| CHW-120 | Community Health Worker Core Competencies | 4 |
| CHW-220 | Practicum for Community Health Worker | 3 |
| CHW-210 | Introduction to Public Health | 3 |
| AHS-111 | Introduction to Patient Care Skills and Health Career Exploration | 3 |
| AHS-148 | Responding to Medical Emergencies | 2 |
| CHW-225 | Health Care in the United States | 3 |
| PSY-107 | Introductory Psychology | 3 |
| ENV-127 | Environmental Awareness and Responsibility | 1 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 25 |
General Education
| ENG - | English Composition | 6 |
| MAT-136 | Mathematics for the Health Sciences | 3 |
| BIO-105 | Fundamentals of Biology | 4 |
| CHM-150A | Essentials of Chemistry | 4 |
| COM- | Communication | 3 |
| BIO-201 | Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 |
| PHL - | Philosophy | 3 |
| SOC-216 | Racial and Ethnic Minorities | 3 |
| MAT-123 | Elementary Statistics | 3 |
| HIS- | History | 3 |
| - | Professional Elective* | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 36 |
ENG English Composition: See footnote 1
COM Communication: See footnote 2
PHL Philosophy: See footnote 3
HIS History: See footnote 4
Additional Requirements
Core Competencies Portfolio
|
4 items
|
Demonstrated college-level skills in reading and writing
|
Forum
|
4 units
|
Health/Fitness
|
30 hours
|
Minimum Cumulative Average
|
Overall
|
2.000
|
Area of Specialization (all program requirements)
|
2.000
|
*Options For Professional Electives
| SOC-105 | Introductory Sociology | 3 |
| CRJ-108 | Substance Abuse Education | 3 |
| ECE-122 | Special Needs in Early Childhood Education | 3 |
| PSY-208 | Interviewing and Counseling | 3 |
| PSY-226 | Abnormal Psychology | 3 |
| SOC-208 | Contemporary Social Problems | 3 |
Suggested Pathway to Graduation
The following is a suggestion for completing this program in one year. The actual time needed to complete the program will vary according to each student’s individual needs.
First Semester
| ENG - | English Composition | 3 |
| COM- | Communication | 3 |
| PSY-107 | Introductory Psychology | 3 |
| CHW-110 | Essential Health Topics for Community Health Workers | 3 |
| CHW-120 | Community Health Worker Core Competencies | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 14 |
ENG English Composition: See footnote 1
Second Semester
| ENG - | English Composition | 3 |
| CHW-210 | Introduction to Public Health | 3 |
| CHW-220 | Practicum for Community Health Worker | 3 |
| AHS-111 | Introduction to Patient Care Skills and Health Career Exploration | 3 |
| AHS-148 | Responding to Medical Emergencies | 2 |
| - | Professional Elective* | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 17 |
ENG English Composition: See footnote 1
Third Semester
| MAT-136 | Mathematics for the Health Sciences | 3 |
| BIO-105 | Fundamentals of Biology | 4 |
| CHM-150A | Essentials of Chemistry | 4 |
| CHW-225 | Health Care in the United States | 3 |
| ENV-127 | Environmental Awareness and Responsibility | 1 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Fourth Semester
| BIO-201 | Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 |
| PHL - | Philosophy | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
PHL Philosophy: See footnote 3
Footnotes
CORI: Any prior criminal offense could hinder placement in clinical agencies and the ability to become licensed in this field. See Criminal & Sex Offender Record Information Checks for details.
- ENG-101, ENG-102, or other college ENG composition course.
- COM-104 Intro to Interpersonal Communication, COM-105 Intro to Oral Communication, or COM-107 Intro to Oral Communication in Business
- PHL-209 Ethics or PHL-111 Alternatives to Violence
- HIS-225 Comparative Religions or HIS-232 The World Since 1945
- Core Competencies Portfolio will consist of final assignments completed by the students and evaluated by course instructors as part of the requirement for five CHW courses. The portfolio should be submitted to the Program Advisor as part of the program completion requirement.