When you finish a degree in public health, it is important to continue working on your education as you move into your career. Public health continuing education ensures that you are up-to-date with new studies, innovations, and ideas within healthcare and public health. It also helps you maintain your opportunities for a career in the future. By obtaining a public health certification, you ensure that your employers feel confident in your abilities.
How Do Public Health Certifications Help With Your Career Goals?
Whether you are looking at CHES certification or a free online certificate in public health, the certifications do play a critical role in your career goals. A key reason it impacts your career is the potential for new studies to improve a situation in your career. It also builds on your skills and helps you maintain your knowledge of subjects that you may not use in your normal activities.
For example, public health certification for nurses may offer opportunities in specialized fields in nursing. The key is that continuing education and certifications give you a chance to improve your abilities and reach long-term goals. It also helps you comply with state or federal standards for continuing education in the public health sector. Certification is also valuable for professionals seeking government employment.
How Do Professionals Get Certified?
When it comes to public health-related certifications, the process to obtain your certification depends on the specific type of certification. While some specifics may vary slightly, you are generally required to meet the prerequisite standards for education. In the case of CHES certification and similar continuing education programs, you may be required to finish a bachelor’s degree or higher in your education. The Center for Public Health Continuing Education allows you to take classes and prepare for certification.
After you prepare for the examinations, you must take the exam. The certified public health exam questions will cover a variety of topics. For the CHES exam, you must complete 165 questions on seven domains within public health. When you pass the exam, you obtain certification and may be required to take measures to maintain certification with continuing education credits.
What are Continuing Education Credits?
Continuing education credits refer to the credits you obtain to maintain certifications and keep up with industry standards for your education and training. In many cases, it plays a role in public health professional development to keep you updated with the latest information related to the topic of public health in your industry.
In some cases, you may need to take courses for continuing education to maintain licenses to practice as a nurse or similar health professional. The credits required may vary based on your job responsibilities, your level of education, and licensing standards.
While continuing education credits play a critical role in maintaining your career goals, you should be aware that free CHES credits are uncommon. You may receive some credits for obtaining a higher level of education to obtain an MCHES; however, the primary factor involved in certification is completing the exam. After that point, you need to keep up with continuing education standards by taking appropriate courses and training programs.
Despite the fact that free credits are uncommon, you can consider online credits to simplify the process. Online programs may set different rates for your continuing education in public health. The exact costs will vary. You can expect the continuing education credits to require some investment into your education, but it is not necessary to go through more formal education to meet the standards to maintain certification or to keep up with industry requirements for your career.
Related:
Top 40 Online Public Health Certificate Programs