The governing body of the Council on Education for Public Health, the nationally recognized accrediting body for programs in public health, has approved Andrews University’s request to begin the accreditation process for its Public Health Program. CEPH’s procedures provide that the Department of Public Health & Wellness has up to two years to undertake a self-study and submit a self-study document. An on-site visit by a team of peer reviewers will follow the self-study submission. 

The Master of Public Health at Andrews University is the only online MPH program in nutrition and wellness in the country, and is offered at a 50 percent tuition discount. This new program will prepare health professionals for service in the church and community by building the knowledge and skills necessary to enhance the health of human populations and promote a healthy lifestyle through personal and community efforts.

With this program gaining popularity around the world, the first MPH cohort at Andrews is quite diverse, made up of 25 students from Barbados, Guadeloupe, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad and the U.S.

“Enrollment for the current cohort exceeded our projection by 108 percent,” says Emmanuel Rudatsikira, dean of the School of Health Professions. “We thank God for blessing the joint effort of three schools: Andrews University’s School of Distance Education, School of Graduate Studies & Research, and School of Health Professions.”

The department has already accepted applications for fall 2014 and continues to receive applications.

The demand for public health professions in the workforce continues to be high across the United States and globally. Statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor indicate that employment opportunities are expected to grow by 37 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations (14 percent).

“This prediction translates into about 23,200 new jobs for public health professionals over the next 10 years,” says Rudatsikira. “According to the Council on Education for Public Health there are 62 accredited online public health programs in the U.S. However, there are only two Master of Public Health programs in nutrition. Our program, with emphasis on vegetarian lifestyle and wellness, is unique and presently the only one of its kind.”

For information on this new program, contact the School of Health Professions at shp-info@andrews.edu or 269-471-6651, or visit andrews.edu/shp.