Hudson County Community College Offers New Public Health Degree Program
May 18, 2021
The new program includes an agreement for seamless transfer to the NJCU Bachelor of Science in Health Science degree program.
May 18, 2021, Jersey City, NJ – Hudson County Community College (HCCC) has added a Public Health option to its Associate of Science (A.S.) in Health Services degree program in response to student and market demand. The program aligns with an articulation agreement between the College and New Jersey City University (NJCU) that allows graduates of the HCCC Health Services program to seamlessly transfer up to 60 credits toward a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Health Science at NJCU.
Public Health is a dynamic field that focuses on improving and maintaining health through disease and injury prevention strategies. It includes challenging disciplines such as epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, behavioral health, and occupational health. Examples of public health services include health risk assessments, health screenings, health promotion programming, and surveillance of disease outbreaks.
“This program and articulation agreement will allow HCCC students to plan and attain successful careers as public health professionals, a field in which needs increased significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic,” said HCCC President Chris Reber. The projected labor market demand in public health, community health, and epidemiology will result in approximately 14,100 new jobs by 2028, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Public health professionals work in state and local health departments, hospitals, workplace wellness programs, government agencies, educational institutions, research organizations, and international development agencies.
The HCCC Public Health program is designed to provide a foundation of basic principles of human health and disease; engage students in scientific inquiry, problem solving, and epidemiology; support an understanding of the intersectionality of environmental, social, economic, cultural and political factors impacting disease prevention and health promotion in communities; and promote an understanding of social justice and cross-cultural understanding to achieve and sustain health equity and decrease health disparities.
The HCCC-NJCU articulation agreement enables students to create a four-year plan for completing the Bachelor of Science degree while earning their Associate of Science degree. NJCU financial aid counselors will facilitate early financial planning and estimates of financial aid and scholarships that are available. The agreement also ensures that HCCC students who meet the criteria will have a guaranteed, reserved place in the NJCU program.