Undergraduate Public Health Degree Programs

Abstract

The American Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health highlighted the critical need for public health education in the community college system in its 2014 Community College and Public Health report. The report details two associate degree prototypes: (1) Public Health: Generalist & Specializations and (2) Health Navigator. The prototypes were developed for transferring into bachelor’s programs, but employability for graduates with an associate degree in public health was not addressed in the report. Yet associate degrees in public health may not be a viable option for colleges whose mission and purpose require demonstrated regional employment for all graduates. Lake Washington Institute of Technology (Kirkland, WA) developed a Bachelor of Applied Science in Public Health (BASPH) after a labor market needs assessment and employer surveys demonstrated little employment potential for graduates with an associate degree in public health. The BASPH is the only 2+2 program (associate degree + 2 years) in public health in Washington State and the only community or technical college obtaining Council on Education for Public Health accreditation nationwide for a stand-alone baccalaureate degree as of 2015. BASPH degree outcomes are rooted in workforce education and skills-based training, strengthened by contributions from an advisory board representing a diversity of public health employers in the Seattle area. These best practices in program development ensure that students graduate with jobs-based skills that contribute to employability and strengthens their immediate contribution to the public health workforce.