The Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences Program

Under the Center for Alcohol and Addition Studies (CAAS) a minor in Addiction Studies was developed. During FY 02, this minor program was transferred in total to the Department of Human Services for delivery. CAAS also provided the seed support to secure funding from Providence Hospital, that was then leveraged through this University and the University of Washington MEDEX program to establish a Bachelors of Science in Health Science degree completion program for Physician Assistants. This program became operational in FY 02 and should graduate its first BSHS PA students in FY 03.

The Master of Public Health Program

Over the past two years, the Institute for Circumpolar Health Studies (ICHS) built a UAA Masters in Public Health in Public Health Practice degree program. The University's Board of Regents approved the MPH program in June of 2002. The MPH program is currently accepting applications and will be initiated in January 2003. The process of initiating this program has been completed building off of existing faculty expertise and the catalytic support of ICHS. The motivation behind this program comes from the clear requests of the public to have this particular degree program at UAA.

Program Expansion

In FY 03, the Department will be hiring two tenure track faculty and providing instructional support for the development of other classes. The Department is working with other colleges to expand the programs of the BSHS. At the same time, it is working with organizations external to UAA in forging programs within the MPH program that are responsive to the academic training needs of those individuals throughout Alaska that hold full-time positions and desire this degree. The structure of the MPH program is to provide the training in compressed formats to make distance delivery of the entire curriculum possible.

The support that has allowed ICHS to move these ideas forward to meet the UAA mission on health has been the success of the Institute's research endeavors. Through grants and contracts, ICHS has grown, building upon technical strengths to build academic programs. ICHS has heard the message from the people of Alaska that they want to receive health research training in state.

Visit the Department of Health Sciences degree programs.