Bethlehem, Pa., March 9, 2015—Moravian College students can now major or minor in public health and take all the course work on the College’s Bethlehem campus. Moravian will be the first Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges (LVAIC) member institution to offer both a major and minor in public health.
In spring 2013, Moravian College entered into a partnership with East Stroudsburg University's (ESU) Bethlehem campus to offer an undergraduate major in public health. Students from Moravian College had to complete half of the major through courses offered at ESU, and would be awarded a Moravian College degree. “We are grateful for the opportunity to have this partnership and this program, which offered additional opportunities for students interested in health professions, beyond nursing and pre-health programs currently offered at Moravian College,” noted Carol Traupman-Carr ’86, dean of curriculum and academic programs at Moravian College. “Now students can take all their courses at Moravian and benefit from our full curriculum which is based on principles of the government's Healthy People 2020 initiative, as well as standards for accreditation.”
Historically, public health initiatives have improved the lives of people worldwide. Today’s public health professionals utilize a multidisciplinary approach in promoting and preserving a healthy quality of life for all populations – individuals, families, communities, and nations worldwide. The Moravian College public health major is an interdisciplinary curriculum preparing the student for diverse careers and graduate studies in public health.
The curriculum provides learning experiences which expose students to concepts such as advocacy, community dynamics, critical thinking, cultural context, ethical decision-making, networking, organizational dynamics, professionalism, teamwork, research methods, education, and policy development. Required and elective courses provide learning related to each of the Healthy People 2020 determinants of health: policymaking, social factors, health services, individual behaviors, and biology and genetics. The curriculum focuses on real and current public health issues enabling the student to meet challenges present upon graduation. The program provides students with opportunities to network and apply their knowledge with practicing public health professionals.
“Despite the existence of public health as a program on our campus for a mere two years, we have a long history of service in health professions, including public health,” Traupman-Carr noted. “For example, alumnus Russell Morgan ’66 served in the Peace Corps and went on to earn graduate degrees in public health. He remains well connected with the Peace Corps in their ebola response as a public health official.”
Public health officials work hand-in-hand with nurses, doctors, and other health professionals, and so this is a natural fit with our strong nursing and pre-med programs. “As many of us realize, prevention is cheaper and better than the cure— and that's where your public health professionals come in— helping people to prevent disease, and educating the public on preventative measures and healthy lifestyles,” Traupman-Carr said.
The Institute of Medicine in 2003 published a recommendation that all undergraduates be exposed to the study of public health; furthermore, some key values which are a part of liberal arts education are essential to a successful public health career, namely, social responsibility, critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and knowledge of the wider world.
Moravian College is a private coeducational liberal arts college, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Tracing its founding to 1742, Moravian is recognized as America's sixth-oldest college and the first to educate young women. The College emphasizes the deliberate integration of a broad-based liberal arts curriculum with hands-on learning experiences to prepare its 1,600 students, not just for jobs, but for successful careers. Moravian College excels at transforming good students into highly competent graduates who are ready to enter the workplace with confidence or shine in graduate school. Visit the Web site at www.moravian.edu.