Curators approve new health sciences degree

The program will target incoming health professions students.

By Juana Summers

Published June 18, 2008

The School of Health Professions will add a new degree, the Bachelor of Health Sciences, to give students new paths to enter health care-related fields.

The additional degree was approved at the UM system Board of Curators meeting held June 5 and 6 in Columbia. However, the new degree program will not be formally approved until September, when the Coordinating Board for Higher Education meets.

At the curators' meeting, Kristopher Hagglund, Associate Dean of Health Policy and Student Affairs for the School of Health Professions, voiced his support for the program based on its' direction and scope.

"There's a huge market demand and student demand for this program," he said. "The nation and Missouri are in a health care workforce crisis. That crisis involves shortages of both professionals and nonprofessionals who work in health care systems."

Creating this type of program gives new avenues for students to enter the health professions fields, whether directly after graduation or after attending a professional health care provider program, he said.

In a news release from the MU News Bureau, Ruth Crozier, director of student affairs in MU's School of Health Professions, said the new program could potentially be offered online to attract nontraditional students who are already in the workforce.

But the new degree program would predominately target entering undergraduate students and not working professionals, MU spokeswoman Jennifer Faddis said.

Hagglund said the program will be funded by "self-generated funding" based on the additional number of credit hours he expects students to enroll in after the Bachelor of Health Sciences option becomes available.

No private funding or donations have been contributed to this effort, Hagglund said.

Advertising of the program will be limited until the program meets formal approval, but the School of Health Professions is allowing students to begin coming into the program at Summer Welcome.

The School of Health Professions will add an additional adviser this fall and plans to increase faculty and staff as the number of students enrolled in the school increases.