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KENT, Ohio — Kent State University has added a bachelor’s program in public health — the first of three degree programs to roll out in 2010 as part of its newly created College of Public Health.
Along with the bachelor’s program, Kent on Wednesday also announced a certificate in public health. Next year it wants to begin enrollment for master’s and doctoral programs in the same field, school officials said.
The degree program is meant to help cope with the expected vacancies in the public health sector: from frontline workers in labs testing for diseases such as H1N1 to public health policymakers to food inspectors. The Association of Schools of Public Health last year predicted the United States will need an additional 250,000 health educators, epidemiologists and others in the public health arena by 2020. The Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services estimates a public health workforce shortage of about 10,000 by that time.
There are more than 40 public health colleges across the United States, including one at Ohio State University, though many schools only offer master’s and doctoral degrees. Kent is the only school in the state with a bachelor’s in public health. Assistant Dean Ken Slenkovich said Kent’s bachelor’s program will underscore the science of health, as well as a tangible way to carry out health policies in the community.
The degree requires subjects on environmental health science, biostatistics, health policy and management, and health disparities, among others. School officials said it could be used to move directly into the workforce, but could also be used as a stepping-stone degree for aspiring nurses, biologists and doctors. Slenkovich thinks the degree will also be particularly helpful for those who want to work in wellness programs.
Kent is now accepting applications for its bachelor’s of public health to begin in the fall of next year. The school hopes to enroll 100 students for the first semester and eventually wants up to 600 students in the program, said Sonia Alemagno, the college’s associate dean.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
It hopes for the same level of enrollment for its certificate program, which would cost a student between $5,100 to $7,100, depending on whether a student attends full time or part time. Many of the certificate courses are available online in the hope of appealing to students already in the workforce.
