The University of Evansville has announced plans to launch a new master’s level program in public health, with a dual degree option. Classes in the program will begin in the fall of 2016.
The new master’s level program will take two years to complete. Its emphasis will be on health policy and will provide graduating students with a Master of Public Health degree. Students from any major can apply to the program. The dual degree option, designed for UE undergraduate public health majors, will provide graduating students with a Master of Public Health degree concurrently with a Bachelor of Science degree in public health. Those pursuing this option would complete the coursework in five years.
The program includes education in such areas as public health, environmental health, managed care, public health law and health economics. Students in the program will also complete an internship in the field of public health.
Payal Patel-Dovlatabadi, UE assistant professor and director of its public health program, said that the program “is another opportunity for students to stay at UE and pursue a graduate education. Enrollment in UE’s public health major has increased each year since it was introduced. Many of those students have expressed interest in pursuing a master of public health.â€
Also, Patel-Dovlatabadi pointed out, there is a growing need for professionals with degrees in public health.
“The job outlook is bright in this area,†Patel-Dovlatabadi explained. “Public health is a multidisciplinary field and a master’s degree prepares students well for a number of these positions.â€
The Association of Schools of Public Health has estimated that there will be a shortage of public health professionals by 2020. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics states that job growth in the public health field is 24 percent, higher than the national average.
For more information on the new master’s level program in public health, visit www.evansville.edu/majors/publichealth.
