Hartwick College adds public health as a major

March 29--A new human services major, Public Health, will be offered at Hartwick College in the fall, according to officials, who said Monday that the public health sector will benefit from students with the degree.

The state Education Department has approved Public Health as the fifth new major to be offered to students, according to a media release. The bachelor's degree program, which will also be offered as a minor, joins Criminal Justice; Environment, Sustainability and Society; Actuarial Mathematics; and Global Studies, all of which were added last November.

The Public Health major will teach students how to help build "healthier communities in an increasingly complex and dynamic world," according to history professor Cherilyn Lacy, who chaired a working group of faculty and staff that developed the proposal for the new major.

"It holistically combines foundational concepts in the science of human health and disease with theories and methods of public health data collection," she said, "and an appreciation of the socioeconomic and cultural factors that impact health."

Hartwick has developed five new courses for the major, with the remainder of the curriculum drawn from existing coursework. The new courses are Foundations of Public Health; Global Public Health; Epidemiology; Public Health Internship; and Senior Capstone in Public Health. Hands-on fieldwork will also be a big part of the major, officials said.

Upon completing a major in public health, students will be prepared for an array of career or graduate study opportunities in fields including epidemiology, biostatistics, health education, health policy, environmental health, emergency preparedness, health communications, consumer health and safety, and community health project management, officials said.

"As a collective endeavor to promote well-being, the public health sector needs people who can understand health from a variety of perspectives," Lacy added, "and who are dedicated to promoting and protecting the health of all members of society."

Incoming and current students are welcome to select any of these new majors or minors, according to officials.

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