This fall, the Graduate School of Public Health launches the degree of Master's of Science in Public Health with a Specialization in Global Emergency Preparedness and Response.

SDSU is the only university in California to offer a graduate degree specifically aimed at this specialty. This is the second-straight year SDSU has established a program to address workforce needs related to issues of homeland security. In 2004, the university began its interdisciplinary master's degree with an emphasis on homeland security.

Demand for expertise is growing

A critical need exists world-wide to build an effective and strong public health workforce to protect communities from the threats uniquely associated with terrorist and other health and welfare emergencies. The concept of public health security has gained traction in both the public health and international communities, partly as it became more prominent during the anthrax scare in the U.S. in October 2001.

The mission of the degree is to provide a program that reflects the changing global public health environment of emergency preparedness and response in order to assure a new generation of public health practitioners.

"Our goal is to provide innovative and relevant experiences to educate these public health professionals; they will be trained to recognize linkages between public health and national security and to recognize opportunities to overcome obstacles of global health investment," explains Louise Gresham, associate research professor in the GSPH and coordinator for the program.

One investment explored in the program is that of comprehensive global surveillance to detect and prevent the spread of deadly diseases and to track victims of a large-scale natural disaster.

Students to face rigorous curriculum

The program is taking applications for 10 open slots this fall. The degree is expected to appeal to students who are or anticipate being employed by international, federal, state or local health agencies, NGOs, private consulting groups and military agencies.

Graduates will review literature and use critical thinking skills to understand the importance of government, military and humanitarian programs during disasters, and to understand the dynamics of the health perspective of international relations and policy development. Students will be required to complete 36 units (about 12 courses), including mandatory subjects such as Border and Global Public Health Surveillance and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response, as well as electives ranging from Environmental and Disaster Medicine to Sensor Networks; meanwhile, they must maintain a 3.0 GPA.

For more information, please visit http://publichealth.sdsu.edu/global/.