Saint Mary’s University has added a new Master of Public Health program which will begin January 2019. The recently accredited program will be offered on the Twin Cities Campus and online and is a response to Strategic Priority 1 – Advance Online Learning and Growth as well as Strategic Priority 4 – Achieve Growth in the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs through innovation and disruption of the model. Focused on understanding persistent and emerging public health issues, the program will teach students to address health disparity in all communities and to advocate for systemic solutions, clearly complementary to our Lasallian mission.
Saint Mary’s recognizes the urgent need to create a robust public health workforce to handle pressing public health issues, including those resulting from rising obesity and the opioid epidemic, escalation of and growth in gun violence, increasing suicide rates, and emerging zoonosis diseases. Learners in the 42-credit program will gain real-world experience through a curriculum that focuses on knowledge acquisition balanced with practical application including substantial discussion and research on health equity and social determinants of health. Upon earning their degrees, students will be prepared to build on a strong foundation in public health knowledge; learn translation of evidence into practice, policy, and public health improvements; apply their knowledge to clinical practice; and work in a variety of positions within government, healthcare, industry, and non-profit agencies.