Community colleges and public health: making the connections.

Community colleges, in collaboration with public health agencies, can advance public health education by reaching a diverse student body, integrating public health into general education, and providing specialized associate degrees that serve workforce needs. Career ladders that include transferability of coursework to 4-year institutions and continuing education, including certificate programs, are key to success of these efforts. Community, or 2-year, colleges are well positioned to connect components of the Healthy People Curriculum Task Force's Education for Health framework by providing general education core courses in public health, epidemiology, and global health compatible with the educated citizen and public health movement.