News
July 21, 2015New Major in Public Health Offered at the College of Saint Rose
The College of Saint Rose now offers a degree program in one of the fastest growing fields on college campuses today.
A new major in public health will provide students with the knowledge and understanding of the many factors affecting community health in local, regional and global perspectives. The 122-credit interdisciplinary major, a combination of social, physical and behavioral sciences, will prepare students for positions with local, state and federal health departments and community organizations that address health concerns, as well as laying the foundation for many other public health careers. Students completing the bachelor’s degree in public health also may go on to pursue graduate or professional studies in such areas as social behavior and community health, health policy and management, or epidemiology/biostatistics at other leading institutions.
“There is nearly universal consensus that public health ranks at or near the top of the list of the most pressing global issues. A degree in public health will prepare students for professions that can literally change our world,” said Dr. Hadi Salavitabar, Saint Rose vice president for academic affairs and provost.
Core components of the major include courses in epidemiology, global health, sociology, psychology, social work, philosophy, political science, and areas of the physical and biological sciences. Electives in such subjects as the biology and politics of AIDS, environmental ethics, child abuse and family violence, social justice, global healthcare and pathogenic microbiology provide exposure to the great variety of issues that affect public health and health policy.
“As we learn more and more about global epidemics, chemical hazards, food scares and the implications of our own lifestyles and environment, the importance of a solid grounding in public health and health policy to confront these threats grows exponentially,” said Dr. Richard Thompson, dean of the School of Mathematics and Sciences.
The field of public health is growing rapidly in response to a looming national and global public health workforce shortage and changes in the health care system brought on by the Affordable Care Act with its focus on prevention programs. In 2013, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated 250,000 careers will open in the field of public health. Job growth through 2022 is expected to be faster than average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 2015, the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health concluded that colleges and universities will have to educate nearly three times the current number of graduates in public health over the next decade in order to successfully replenish the labor force as a result.
For more information about the new public health degree at Saint Rose, please contact Dr. Richard Pulice, program director, at 518.454.5251, e-mail pulicer@strose.edu or phone the School of Mathematics and Sciences at 518.458.5396.
