Rivier University Expands Bachelor’s in Public Health to Online Format
Nashua, NH (PRWEB) September 09, 2014 -- Rivier University has expanded its new Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH) to an online format beginning fall 2014. The program is 100% online to accommodate busy working professionals. In April, Rivier announced the new degree program for its full-time, day students. The degree will prepare undergraduates for health-related careers in population-based prevention programs—protecting, promoting and preserving the health of individuals, families and communities, including the underserved and marginalized, around the world. Dean of Nursing Dr. Paula Williams says, “Health promotion and disease prevention are among the major areas of growth; public health professionals will be in great demand. Expanding the program to an online format enables students to complete their educations while working, building a more highly qualified and skilled workforce.”
Rivier’s online programs maintain the same high quality as our face-to-face courses with the added benefit of 24/7 access to accommodate a variety of schedules. A greater emphasis on assuring the safety of our communities and worker health and safety is also influencing the demand for experts in environmental health and industrial hygiene. Public health research focusing on women’s health, child and substance abuse, and programs to promote behavioral change to prevent the risk of STD’s, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and unplanned pregnancies continue to be priorities.
“We need to look no further than our national headlines to see the great need for well-educated public health workers throughout the world. I have no doubt that our graduates will make significant contributions to the communities they serve,” says, Director of Rivier’s Public Health, Bobbie Bagley, M.P.H, M.S.N, alumna and Certified Public Health Specialist. Graduates will acquire knowledge and skills in the core concepts of public health including health behavior, research and statistics in health, environmental health, epidemiology and health administration, as well as in the planning, evaluation, organization, and conduct of community and public health services.
Study abroad opportunities will offer a first-hand global perspective. "I am very excited that Rivier University is going to be offering a Bachelor's Degree in Public Health," said Dr. José Montero, Director of Public Health at the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. "The field is in need of more workers with all the new challenges, such as emerging infectious diseases, better understanding of human nutrition, an aging U.S. population, and rapidly growing numbers of people with chronic disease, and also the workforce is aging. I commend Rivier for implementing this new program and look forward to positive impact it will have on New Hampshire and its residents." Rivier’s program is modeled on the undergraduate public health learning outcomes developed by the Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH) in collaboration with the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), and the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research (APTR).
About Rivier University
Founded in 1933 by the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary, Rivier University is a Catholic institution recognized for distinctive academic programs, offering many of the region’s leading programs at the undergraduate, graduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels. With Nashua as our home and the world as our classroom, the Rivier experience ensures that students develop leadership skills as well as an awareness and appreciation of diverse cultures in New England and around the world.
Patricia Garrity, Rivier University, http://www.rivier.edu, +1 (603) 670-4133, [email protected]
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