Master of Public Health degree now offered at K-State Olathe

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

OLATHE — Kansas State University's Master of Public Health degree program is coming to Greater Kansas City. Two of the program's four emphasis areas are now available via K-State Olathe to students who are seeking a career in the high-demand field of public health.

The university's MPH program, which is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health, prepares graduates to better address health issues at the local, state, national and international levels. At K-State Olathe, students can focus on food safety and biosecurity or infectious diseases and zoonoses.

"Public health is a rapidly growing and increasingly important field, particularly in the areas of infectious diseases and zoonoses and food safety and biosecurity," said Ellyn Mulcahy, director of the MPH program and associate professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University. "These areas complement Greater Kansas City's robust animal health and food science industries, and are a natural fit for K-State Olathe's efforts on workforce development through education."

The food safety and biosecurity emphasis focuses on the complex nature of food safety and biosecurity policies, globalization and international trade throughout the food production cycle. Students will learn how to identify and categorize the risks, challenges and solutions relating to food safety and security.

The infectious diseases and zoonoses emphasis focuses on emerging infectious diseases, prevention programs, the public's ability to respond to bioterrorism and biosecurity emergencies, and coordination of a rapid response among key organizations in the event of an outbreak.

Enrollment for the degree program is currently open. Courses are taught by faculty experts from multiple departments and fields at Kansas State University so that students gain a comprehensive understanding of public health and their area of emphasis. Classes are taught online, in-person and a hybrid of the two.