How to become a health promotion specialist
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- applying directly
University
You could do a degree in a subject like:
- health promotion
- public health policy
- behavioural science
- health studies
Other subjects like psychology, social sciences and education may also be accepted by employers.
You could also choose to do a foundation degree in health and social care as a starting point.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- at least 1 A level, or equivalent, for a foundation degree
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
More Information
College
Courses like the Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care may help you to get some of the skills and knowledge that you need to get started in this role.
If you are aged 19 or over, you could take an Access to HE Diploma as a way to get into university, for example:
- Access to Health and Human Science
- Access to Health Science
Entry requirements
You may need:
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and science
More Information
Apprenticeship
You may be able to do a public health practitioner degree apprenticeship.
This usually takes around 36 months to complete.
You could find opportunities in office based, community, or healthcare roles. You could be working for different types of organisations like the NHS, local authorities or charities.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship
More Information
Work
You may be able to start as a health promotion assistant or an NHS 111 health advisor and complete extra training to work your way up.
Volunteering
You'll find it helpful to get some paid or voluntary experience in the health or care sector before you apply for a course.
You could contact the health promotion unit or voluntary services co-ordinator at your local NHS trust for further advice.
Direct Application
You can apply directly to employers if you have some of the relevant skills and knowledge needed for this role.
Depending on the level of the job, you'll usually need a qualification and experience in medicine, nursing, teaching or social work. Experience of working with communities would also be useful.
More Information
Career tips
There are lots of voluntary and charitable organisations who work on health issues, so you may find job opportunities with these.
You can also find details of current health campaigns and initiatives through the Royal Society for Public Health.
Further information
You can find more on careers in health promotion through Health Careers.