Norfolk State University, a historically Black educational institution, and Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, have received approval from the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia to launch a Joint School of Public Health. The school will provide students from both universities with new academic programs in public health and well-being.
Through combining resources from an R1 research institution and an HBCU, scholars at the new Joint School of Public Health plan to address health disparities in the local Norfolk community by creating long-term public health initiatives and educational opportunities for the next generation of the public health workforce. The school’s curricula will include a wide range of public health topics such as biostatistics, epidemiology, health policy and management, social and behavioral sciences, and environmental and occupational health.
The Joint School of Public Health will consist of two departments: the department of epidemiology, biostatistics, and environmental health and the department of health behavior, policy, and management. Between the two departments, the school plans to offer three bachelor’s degree programs, two master’s degree programs, and a Ph.D. program in health services research.
“The JSPH at NSU and ODU is a unique partnership in academic public health,” said Norfolk State University President Javaune Adams-Gaston. “As the second HBCU to provide a school of public health, I am thrilled that our collaboration has reached this critical milestone. One of the many distinguishing characteristics of NSU as an HBCU is a longstanding commitment to health and wellness for everyone.”
