With recent approval from the Idaho State Board of Education, Boise State University is launching a new, online-only bachelor of arts degree in public health.
The program will begin accepting applications in early March and enroll its first students in fall 2018.
“We are thrilled to be able to offer a rigorous program that will provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively serve as public health advocates,” said Lillian Smith, head of the Department of Community and Environmental Health. “Public health addresses issues that are timely, important and relevant. Having this degree offered exclusively online also ensures that students anywhere can complete the program while remaining in and contributing to their home communities.”
Boise State’s program will educate students about the cause and effect components of public health, thereby preparing them to advocate for social change and address community health-related challenges. Professionals with degrees in public health often work in both traditional public health and service-focused organizations, as well as new practice settings and nonprofit organizations.
Students will need to meet several key academic requirements before being accepted to the program. Once enrolled, full-time students can expect to complete their degree in five semesters (including summer coursework.)
“Public health is a rapidly growing field that needs well-educated, well-trained leaders who know how to serve and advance the health and welfare of their communities,” said Tim Dunnagan, dean of the College of Health Sciences. “This new degree is the perfect example of how our faculty and staff are dedicated to creating high-caliber, accessible and affordable programs. Offering this program online also presents an exciting way for us to work directly with individual students while developing leaders who will graduate and contribute to the larger social good.”