Three new online programs from the University of Nebraska will address a growing workforce demand for more public health professionals.
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New online programs will help bring people in the public health workforce. |
All are graduate-level programs offered by UNMC’s College of Public Health.
Need grows at all levels
The programs aim to strengthen the public health workforce in order to meet the health needs of the U.S. and global populations. Both in Nebraska and nationally, many public health workers do not have formal education in the field, said Alice Schumaker, Ph.D., associate dean for academic affairs and associate professor of health services research and administration in the College of Public Health.
The Association of Schools of Public Health estimates that 250,000 more public health workers will be needed by 2020. In Nebraska, that need affects both rural and urban areas, Dr. Schumaker said. Compounding this challenge is the fact that 23 percent of the current U.S. public health workforce — almost 110,000 workers — are eligible to retire this year.
Only one in Nebraska
The certificate in public health program — the only one of its kind in Nebraska — includes 18 credit hours (six courses) focused on the core areas of health behavior, environmental health, biostatistics, epidemiology, administration and global health. Students may be able to apply the coursework toward a master’s degree in public health.
Prevent, protect, respond, recover
The certificate in emergency preparedness also is an 18-credit hour program. The federal Department of Homeland Security’s core focus areas — prevent, protect, respond and recover — form the structural basis for the program.
Prepared for the worst
The Master of Science in emergency preparedness, a 36-credit hour program, is designed to teach professionals how to plan for and respond to events such as natural and man-made disasters, terrorist attacks or infectious disease threats. UNMC’s program is the first Master of Science degree program in emergency preparedness in the Midwest and one of only about 20 similar programs in the country.