Loras College is offering students a new option with the debut of the public health major beginning in the fall. The program is the latest of recent additions to the College focused on health.
The public health major is for students who have an interest in the sociocultural aspects of health or are interested in learning how we can prevent disease and disability within our communities. Students may be interested in work focusing on health education and promotion, public health policy, public health nursing or non-profit/governmental work.
“Loras’ new public health major is an interdisciplinary program designed to help students gain the knowledge and skills needed to protect and advance the health of communities” Donna Heald, provost, said. “The program prepares students well to go directly into the workforce or to pursue graduate study in public health or a complimentary area of interest. We know that many students have a strong interest in advancing public and community health and we believe the new major will be of significant interest to current and future students.”
By the nature of its make-up, a public health degree fits perfectly within Loras’ commitment to liberal arts. The program combines the five core public health areas — social and behavior sciences, epidemiology, health policy and management, biostatistics and occupational and environmental health sciences — with political science, sociology, psychology and other social sciences.
“Loras College’s rich liberal arts tradition and a strong history of educating students for various health care professions makes a new major in public health a natural fit for us. As we have all experienced first-hand through the pandemic, keeping society healthy takes more than doctors and nurses. Public health professionals are an additional, crucial piece of the puzzle,” Kate Cooper, PhD, professor of biology said. Learn more about Loras’ public health program at loras.edu/public-health.
