New options

Health school offers new program

Liberty’s department of public and community health has announced the addition of a bachelor’s degree in public health to the university’s undergraduate program.

The new degree is set to replace the current bachelor of science in health promotion in the fall, according to a press release issued April 1.

“This undergraduate degree is a natural transition for those wishing to seek a master’s in public health,” Darlene Martin, director of the health promotion program, said.

“Our old program is very, very good. This just reorganizes it in order to allow students to have more options for the future. It gives a well-rounded education in public health but (also) expands their future job market.”

According to Martin, the degree in public health “opens the door to a very broad spectrum,” as students graduating under the new program will have the flexibility to pursue a career in diverse fields, such as wellness coordination, patient education, nutritional counseling and others.

In addition, the new degree will also allow students to take science courses that are prerequisites for programs such as medical school, chiropractic school and dentistry school, Martin said.

“Health promotion is one aspect of public health,” Dr. Anette Florence, chair of the department of public and community health, said in the press release.

“One of the tracks of study still focuses on health education and promotion, but now the core classes for this program will include other key areas of public health, such as environmental health, disaster management and health administration.”

According to Martin, students in the current program have already begun showing interest in switching to the forthcoming degree.

“Students love it,” Martin said. “We still will have the old health promotion program until all of our current students finish.

However, they do have the option to change to the new program if they desire.”

Martin said one of the main benefits to the new public health degree is that “both the health promotion and the pre-clinical concentrations are able to take the Certified Health Education Specialist exam, which is the professional credential of the profession, and both concentrations will get practical experience in the field of public health before graduation.”

Another reason for the change is that Liberty is seeking accreditation through the Council on Education of Public Health (CEPH), an independent agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

According to Martin, the new program was needed “in order to align with accreditation standards.”

The press release also noted that many employers today, including government agencies, “want employees who graduated from CEPH-accredited institutions.”

Liberty alumni and seniors graduating under the old program, however, have no reason to worry, according to Martin.

“The health promotion program is one of the best around,” Martin said.

“Our students have been very successful finding jobs that focus on health education and health promotion. This is just a new avenue for future students.”

The press release ended with an important reminder from Florence.

“While we have made changes to course requirements, the program is still committed to Liberty’s unique integration of spirituality and intellectual preparation of students.”

Moraes is a news reporter.

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