News Story

CPH to offer B.S. degree in fall 2012

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Posted 11/23/2011

The College of Public Health will offer a new bachelor of science in public health (BSPH) degree starting fall 2012 in conjunction with Ohio State’s conversion to semesters.

The BSPH has two interdisciplinary specializations that were developed and will be delivered collaboratively with the College of Arts & Sciences: public health sociology or environmental public health. BSPH students will be required to select one interdisciplinary specialization.

The BSPH degree will focus on public health issues in the US and internationally. The program will expand learners’ knowledge and comprehension of issues affecting humans worldwide. The College of Public Health will have primary administrative responsibility for the new program but will collaborate with the College of Arts & Sciences for shared governance of the overall program.

The new degree program was developed for a variety of reasons, one of which is an increased demand for highly educated and trained public health professionals. The Association of Schools of Public Health projects an impending shortage of qualified public health workers due to current employees retiring and a rising need for public health knowledge and skills. The new BSPH degree was also requested by several students who have completed the College’s undergraduate minor in public health.

“To accommodate incoming undergraduate students, we will offer additional sections of existing courses and have hired a new faculty member, Gail Kaye, PhD, to serve as the program director. We have also hired an undergraduate student advisor/recruiter in our Career Services department,” said Michael Bisesi, PhD, senior associate dean for academic affairs; director of the Center for Public Health Practice; and associate professor, Division of Environmental Health Sciences.

In addition to highly-qualified faculty and staff resources, BSPH students will have state-of-the-art classroom and lab facilities available for their use in the newly-renovated Cunz Hall.

“BSPH graduates will be prepared for early career, entry-level positions in public health. However, the intent is for most students to pursue the undergraduate degree as a foundation for preparation for graduate and professional studies. We anticipate that a popular option will be for students to pursue a dual degree and complete both their undergraduate and graduate education in five years instead of six,” said Bisesi.

The Ohio State University Council on Academic Affairs and the Senate have approved the proposal for the interdisciplinary BSPH degree. After review and approval by the OSU Board of Trustees, approval by the Ohio Board of Regents is anticipated.