Before the Covid-19 pandemic, most people gave little thought to the role of public health professionals. But that’s changed as the science of protecting and improving the health of populations has taken center stage.

Wingate is hoping to be at the forefront of this growing and important field. The University is in the process of exploring the creation of bachelor’s and master’s programs in public health. Assistant Professor of Physician Assistant Studies Suzanne Wolf is leading the exploration.

Wolf and Laura Happe, formerly an associate professor of pharmacy and now a University consultant, championed the idea of starting a public-health program with a presentation to colleagues in July of 2019. In April, the University’s Board of Trustees’ Executive Committee gave its unanimous approval to explore this possibility.

“Part of our vision as a University is to align talent, resources and expertise with student learning opportunities to improve the human condition,” says Wingate University President Dr. Rhett Brown. “I can’t imagine a better choice for our fifth health-science graduate degree program than public health. And providing the bachelor’s degree would give students even more options.”

Taking the lead in healthcare education in western North Carolina, Wingate already offers doctoral degrees in pharmacy, physical therapy and occupational therapy, a master’s in physician assistant studies and a bachelor of science in nursing. Wolf says the two new programs would complement existing offerings and create new career pathways toward jobs increasingly in demand.

“There would really be endless possibilities for dual degrees; it would be a huge leverage point for both undergraduate and graduate students,” Wolf says. “And the timing of this is significant, the way it lined up with the natural happenings of COVID-19.”

Even before the COVID-19 outbreak, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted 11 percent growth in the number of health educators and community health workers from 2018 to 2028, a rate much higher than the average for all occupations.

“Public health has historically been underfunded, but this pandemic is changing our focus,” says Happe, who holds a master of public health degree and a doctor of pharmacy degree. In addition to positions in health departments and hospitals, Wolf says public health professionals can find work in community nonprofits, corporate wellness programs and insurance companies, among other organizations.

Public-health-degree programs are a good fit for analytical thinkers and students who enjoy teaching but don’t necessarily want to land in a traditional classroom. Those who earn their B.S. in public health would be eligible to sit for the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam. Degrees in public health can also prepare students for careers as epidemiologists, biostatisticians, environmental health specialists and laboratory workers.

Wingate is considering a bachelor’s program that would feature an interdisciplinary approach with an emphasis on the social sciences and statistics. Discipline-specific courses being explored include Principles of Public Health, Epidemiology, Health Promotion & Statistics, Environmental Health, Healthcare Management and Professional Ethics. Classes would be taught by graduate health sciences professors and undergraduate liberal arts faculty, and the program would be designed to meet criteria established by the Council for Public Health.

The University is eyeing a fall 2021 start for the programs, pending approval from accrediting bodies.