Expanding public health program

A student conducts an experiment during a public health class at the the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. The university will open its global campus in Songdo, Incheon, offering undergraduate and graduate public health courses for the upcoming fall semester.
/ Courtesy of University of Utah

Utah's Songdo campus focuses on practical education

Stephen Alder, professor of
the division of public health

By Bahk Eun-ji

Songdo, west of Seoul, has gradually become a regional education hub in East Asia, as prestigious global universities set up their campuses in the emerging international business town.

The University of Utah joined the State University of New York (SUNY) and George Mason University to open its global campus in Korea's second-largest port city.

The Ministry of Education approved Utah's plan to begin its classes in the upcoming fall semester.

On March 3, the university started accepting student applications that will continue until July 1. It plans to recruit 225 freshmen with 75 students across three undergraduate departments. It will also admit 50 students to a graduate-degree course.

The university said it will put greater emphasis on practical education and offer three undergraduate degrees — social work, communication and psychology — and one graduate degree in public health.

"Our university has been an emerging leader in academic public health. With a globally oriented approach to public health, engaging with the Asia campus represents a natural next step in the evolution of our academic programming," said Stephen Alder, a professor in public health.

Alder will teach at the Asia campus in Songdo from September. Songdo is in the heart of the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ), just west of Seoul.

He said the school will provide the same quality of education to students at the Songdo campus as does its main campus in Salt Lake City.

Students who begin their master of public health (MPH) course at the Asia campus will take foundational coursework during their first year of study in Korea and then join students at the campus in Salt Lake City to complete their degree. "We will offer the full range of options for elective coursework tailored to their curriculum to attain both academic and career objectives," Alder said.

He said public health is increasingly tied to global health in the U.S.

The school has been engaged in Asia with longstanding relationships in many countries, including China and India, so the opportunity to join top world universities at the campus in Incheon offers the university the chance to benefit from the incredible talents and expertise, he added.

The professor said he expects students who are enrolled in the MPH program at both campuses will benefit from the global engagement.

The following is an excerpt of The Korea Times' interview with Alder.

Q: What is unique about the University of Utah's public health program compared to other universities in the U.S.? Why do you think students should choose the University of the Utah public health graduate program?

A: The University of Utah Public Health Program has been well respected throughout the 40 years since it was founded, and is currently a national and global leader in this field. It is part of the highly respected University of Utah School of Medicine, which affords direct access to many academic and clinical resources relevant to the field of public health.

Students also benefit from world-class faculty members who bring a wealth of academic and practical experience to students' educational experiences. Students are able to not only become well educated in the fundamentals of public health, but also have a transformative experience as they engage in real-world activities as part of their education.

We are pleased to be expanding our public health program, which is very competitive in the United States, to Korea for a firm presence in Asia. We believe that students who receive their MPH from the University of Utah will be well prepared for rewarding work in the dynamic field of public health.

Q: What kinds of students are you hoping to attract to the University of Utah MPH program? What qualities do you expect these students to share?

A: We want to attract students who are committed to advancing health and wellness of people around the world. We want students who are going to make full use of the educational resources that the University of Utah MPH program has to offer in preparation for influential careers in the field of public health.

Our graduates often find themselves in leadership positions where their influence is widely felt. Therefore, we feel it is essential to attract students who will be dedicated to their academic preparation and will come with a mindset that they are preparing to be practitioners who are committed to excellence.

Q: What does a global public health professional look like? What kind of professional does the university look to nurture?

A: Public health is a broad field both academically and professionally. Our approach to developing professionals in this field has likewise been broad. Our focus can be described in three parts.

First, we work to nurture public health practitioners who are engaged in what has been termed "classic" public health. These professionals often work in government positions or organizations that are engaged in monitoring potential threats to health and promoting approaches that lead to improved health and wellness of communities and populations.

Second, we work to nurture professionals who want to combine their public health education with clinical training. Public Health is part of the School of Medicine at the University of Utah, so combining the clinical and public health sciences makes a lot of sense for us. Students have combined MPH training with medical, nursing, pharmacy, physician assistant studies, dentistry, physical therapy and dietician training, as examples.

The final category of professionals is quite broad. Graduates in this group go on to further academic training, administrative positions with health care and other community oriented organizations, work in research and are employed with NGOs/CBOs/IGOs, as examples.

Q: What kind of job can an MPH graduate expect to obtain?

A: MPH graduates will have a vast array of professional opportunities upon graduation. These opportunities range from working in community settings, to advanced health and wellness, to leadership positions with local, national, regional and global spheres of influence.

Graduates can make use of their MPH training as a single graduate degree or combine it with additional training depending on career objectives. With public health as a rapidly emerging field in Asia, the expanse of career opportunities will continue to grow.