Pandemic influences new Georgia Southern public health online program

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - As the pandemic has shown just how important public health leaders are, Georgia Southern University is adding an online program to tackle the shortage of people ready to work those jobs.

Before now if you wanted to study public health at Georgia Southern, you would have to do it on campus. Now, you can get a bachelors or masters degree in public health online.

The vice president of academic affairs says the pandemic pushed them to offer these courses online sooner.

Georgia Southern leaders say this new option makes it easier for people, no matter their age, to get a degree in a field that needs more employees. They can even do it while working or taking care of a family.

While the bachelors program is focused on global health, the masters program has an emphasis in health informatics.

University leaders say they hope to address the public health workforce shortage that was highly impacted by the pandemic.

“It’s heightened our communities understanding of the importance of public health but their are public health officials that are embedded in every county, in hospitals throughout Georgia, throughout the country. We don’t train enough public health officials,” said Carl Rieber, vice president of academic affairs.

While this is a new online program, Georgia Southern is also introducing several new bachelors and masters programs in different industries like supply chain, teaching and environmental science.

New programs: PhD and MS environmental science, BS sustainability, MS athletic training, MS nutrition and food science, EdS teaching and learning, MS logistics and supply chain management, logistics and transportation certificate, operations and supply chain management certificate, and tactical athlete certificate

For a list of all programs, click here.

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