UT School of Public Health launches doctoral
programs at regional campuses
Program aims to train the future leaders of the public health workforce
HOUSTON – (July 22, 2009) - The University of Texas School of Public Health will expand its doctoral programs to its five regional campuses in Austin, Brownsville, Dallas, El Paso and San Antonio beginning this fall.
According to Roberta Ness, M.D., dean of the UT School of Public Health, expanding the doctoral programs to the regional campuses will further execute the school’s mission to improve and sustain the health of people by providing the highest quality graduate education, research and community service for Texas, the nation and the world.
“Like many states, Texas has a great and growing need for a highly-trained public health workforce. The expansion of our doctoral programs will help to supply the expertise needed in the future to lead our public health departments and organizations,” said Cynthia Chappell, Ph.D., professor and senior associate dean for academic affairs at the UT School of Public Health.
The doctorate programs are designed to train students for leadership roles as public health professionals in governmental and non-governmental agencies, health departments, or for work in research or academic settings.
The school’s main campus in Houston has offered doctoral programs since the school’s inception in 1969. Degrees offered will include doctor of public health (Dr.P.H.) and doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) in public health at the Austin, Brownsville, El Paso and San Antonio campuses. The San Antonio campus’ doctor of public health will specialize in environmental and occupational health and community health practice. In addition, a doctor of public health in health promotion will be offered at the El Paso, Austin and Brownsville regional campuses. A doctor of philosophy with a major area in epidemiology will be available at the Austin, Brownsville and Dallas regional campuses.
According to the Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH), in order to replenish the public health workforce, schools of public health will have to train three times the current number of graduates over the next 11 years. ASPH estimates that 250,000 more public health workers will be needed by 2020 and nearly 23 percent of the current public health workforce will be eligible for retirement by 2012.