Starting this fall, Brock University is launching Canada’s first Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Public Health (MPH) concurrent degree program.

Offered through the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences and the Goodman School of Business, the two-year program will help develop tomorrow’s health leaders providing students with a strong foundation in both management and public health.

“The MBA MPH blends the best of business and public health education,” says Goodman Dean Andrew Gaudes. “The need for public health officials to have solid business backgrounds is becoming more and more important, and Brock is looking to fill that gap with this program that is relevant to today’s health administration environment.”

During the first year of the program, students will be on campus taking core MBA courses. For the second year, students will take MPH courses delivered online.

“Brock’s MPH and MBA graduate programs are both internationally recognized,” says Faculty of Applied Health Sciences Dean Peter Tiidus. “Both programs overlap in extremely relevant and timely ways.

“Taking an interdisciplinary approach to launch Canada’s first concurrent MBA and MPH degree program means we can offer a well-rounded approach to learning about public health administration.”

The program also includes a mandatory six-month internship offered through the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences.

“Current health innovations are dynamic and ever-changing,” says MPH Graduate Program Director Brent Faught. “We have a civil responsibility to prepare our graduates not just for the careers of today, but the vocations of the future in public health management. The practical experience gained through the MPH internship helps to keep our students a step ahead.”

The MBA MPH program also addresses the challenges of providing optimal care in a manner that is operationally self-sustainable, says Goodman’s Graduate Program Director Carrie Kelly.

“This program will generate personal and professional fulfilment for our students and respond to the growing need for graduates who can lead the charge in re-imagining management in public health,” she added.

More information on the program can be found on the Goodman website.