UF undergraduate students can soon major in public health.
The UF College of Public Health and Health Professions will begin offering a bachelor’s degree in public health next Fall. It has taken more than a year to create the new major, said Michael Moorhouse, the college’s director of the bachelor of health science program.
The new major will focus on overall health issues such as the Zika virus, he said.
“Public health is the art and science of preventing disease and prolonging life,” Moorhouse said.
Students can apply for the major during their sophomore year, he said. They would start taking classes their junior year.
Up to 90 juniors and seniors will be accepted into the major, Moorhouse said. He said he thinks UF will fill all seats within five years.
“We want to have a really good student-to-teacher ratio,” he said.
The college is still in the process of hiring a director for the program, he said.
The new major will be advertised at the freshman convocation in Fall and through student organizations.
Frank Talty, a UF health science senior, said he thinks some students from his major will switch to public health.
“There is a lot more news surrounding public health,” the 21-year-old said. “Public health has always been a big issue, but it’s becoming an even bigger deal now.”
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