NSU College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Online Public Health Program Rates Among the Best Nationally

Cyril Blavo, D.O., M.S., M.P.H. & T.M., F.A.C.O.P.

Public Health Online Ranks NSU 17 of 50 in 2014-15 Rankings

FT. LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla. – Public Health Online, a leading online resource for public health education and careers, recently published a new list of the Best Online Master of Public Health (MPH) Programs for 2014-15, which ranked Nova Southeastern University’s (NSU) College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Online Public Health Program No. 17 out of the top 50 in the United States.

“NSU is proud to be ranked among the best master of public health programs in the nation,” said Cyril Blavo, D.O., M.S., M.P.H. & T.M., F.A.C.O.P., director and professor of public health, Master of Public Health Program, NSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine. “A value deeply entrenched in our university is providing services to those who may not otherwise have access, and educating community leaders and health care providers in the tenets of public health is a proven way to achieve this goal.”

Included programs not only meet the standard of excellence of traditional on-campus public health programs, but also provide students the flexibility to continue their higher education through the graduate level while working and building experience in their chosen field, according to Public Health Online.

“Earning a master’s degree and having work experience could be the difference between getting the job and not,” said Wes Harris, founder of Public Health Online. “Today’s working professionals need the flexible learning options these online MPH programs offer. It’s important for students and working professionals to know their options when it comes to furthering their careers.”

There has been a 23 percent increase in the number of accredited public health programs, and, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, health education, community health and other public health-related occupations are expected to grow faster than average.

NSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine’s MPH program is an accredited graduate level program designed to prepare students to define, critically assess, and resolve public health problems. The program provides training in the theories, concepts and principles of public health and their application. To meet the rapidly changing needs of health service professionals, including preventive medicine specialists, the curriculum is structured to accommodate a diversity of backgrounds and individual career opportunities, including health care facilities, public health departments, and social service agencies. The program is designed to be completed in two years of full-time studies, online or in person, but students can set their own pace over a period of five years.

To determine the rankings, Public Health Online analyzed data from hundreds of available online public health degree programs to find out which colleges truly excel at online learning at the master’s level.

Data analysts and higher education experts developed a proprietary scoring system for Public Health Online to rank master of public health programs using various cost, quality and student support metrics, as shown below.

• Online tuition cost
• Academic/career counseling service
• Placement services for graduates
• Council on Education for Public Health accreditation
• Only not-for-profit institutions
• Must offer 4-year programs
• Must offer an online MPH

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About NSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine:  The mission of the College of Osteopathic Medicine is to provide learner-centered education, both nationally and internationally, for osteopathic medical students, postgraduate trainees, and other professionals. Through its inter-professional programs, the college prepares competent and compassionate lifelong learners; supports research, scholarly activity, and community service; and advocates for the health and welfare of diverse populations, including the medically underserved. For more information, visit http://medicine.nova.edu/.

About Nova Southeastern University: Situated on 314 beautiful acres in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a dynamic research institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs at all levels.  NSU is a not-for-profit independent institution with 27,000 students. NSU awards associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, doctoral and first-professional degrees in a wide range of fields. NSU is classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and it is one of only 37 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification. For more information, please visit www.nova.edu.  Celebrating 50 years of academic excellence!

Media Contact:
Jeremy Katzman, M.B.A., APR | Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5408 (office)
954-661-7000 (cell)
j.katzman@nova.edu