New Dual Degree Program for Students Pursuing Careers in Public Health

Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Columbia College and Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health (Columbia Mailman) have launched an educational partnership that will enable qualified students to complete in five years both a Bachelor of Arts (BA) from Columbia College and a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree from Columbia Mailman. This dual-degree OR ‘4+1’ program presents a unique opportunity for Columbia undergraduates to obtain an MPH, usually a two-year program, at an accelerated pace, and Columbia Mailman will welcome students from the College beginning in the fall of 2021.

“We are delighted to announce this collaboration with Columbia College, which is part of Columbia Mailman School’s continued commitment to educate leaders who will work to protect and improve the health of people everywhere,” said Linda P. Fried, MD, MPH, dean of the Mailman School of Public Health. “Students enrolled in Columbia College will have the opportunity to jump start their work in public health, a field more vital than ever as we enter the post-COVID world.”

Students in Columbia College can apply to the “4+1 program” in their junior year. Upon acceptance they will spend the fall semester of their senior year enrolled at Columbia Mailman, where they will participate in the challenging, multidisciplinary courseload. Students will then return to the College for the spring semester of their senior year to complete their BA degree. After students graduate from the College, they will matriculate at Columbia Mailman to complete a practicum and a year of course and thesis work to earn their MPH degree.

“Over the past several years, we’ve seen an increase in interest among our students in matters related to public health,” said James J. Valentini, dean of Columbia College. “This partnership between the College and Mailman creates a remarkable opportunity for students to combine an exceptional liberal arts undergraduate foundation with a world-class professional education in public health in five years. We’re delighted to be able to offer this special preparation for the future leaders in the fields that support the health and well-being of populations around the world.”

Columbia Mailman is particularly well-known for its educational programs, ranging from offerings in biostatistics and epidemiology to the fields of environmental health, sociomedical sciences, medical anthropology and history of public health and medicine, among others. In addition to the new collaboration with Columbia College, Columbia Mailman offers BA/MPH degree programs with Barnard College, the School of General Studies, the Jewish Theological Seminary, Vassar College, and Dickinson College.

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