New B.S. Degree in Public Health Launched at Steinhardt

By Timothy Farrell

      Responding to increasing demand from undergraduates, the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development will launch a new B.S. degree in public health beginning in 2010-11.
      In addition to a strong liberal arts component, the program will offer students a broad background in the field of public health, preparing them for careers in state health departments, health care organizations, and human service agencies, as well as for advanced degree programs in public health and other related areas of graduate and professional study.
      The program, offered by Steinhart’s Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, provides a broad overview of the field while also allowing for students to explore particular health conditions, such as HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, and obesity. The program culminates in a semester long internship in the student’s final year in one of the myriad of national and international organizations involved in public health based in New York City.
      Through their internships, students apply the skills and knowledge they have gained through their academic work, allowing them to deepen their understanding of the field. In addition, students will undertake a field-based research project their senior year.
      A report by the Chronicle of Higher Education recently noted that public health majors are among the fastest growing nationwide.
      “Our new public health program builds on the enormous strengths NYU has to offer—a superior liberal arts education with a top-notch faculty, the reach of a global university, a diverse student body, and the wealth of resources that New York City offers people interested in exploring this field,” says Diana Silver, assistant professor of public health and director of the program. “Given the set of public health challenges facing us all, and the need for a sophisticated, talented, and well-prepared workforce, I can think of no better place to explore this field.”