The partnership provides a clear pathway, academic guidance, generous financial support
August 2022 – Drew University and Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) have announced a Dual-Degree partnership through the BUSPH Select Scholars program.
The BUSPH Select Scholars program provides Drew undergraduates the opportunity to explore different options available in the field of public health and to connect with Boston University mentors for academic and career advising.
Students accepted into the highly competitive graduate program at BUSPH may choose to pursue a Master of Public Health, a Master of Science in Population Health Research, or a Master of Science in Applied Biostatistics.
“We have seen the critical role public health plays in our society and are excited to join the Select Scholars program with Boston University’s School of Public Health,” said Ryan Hinrichs, dean of the College of Liberal Arts. “We have had recent graduates attend Boston University for their Masters of Public Health, and we hope this new partnership will streamline this pathway and provide more intensive mentoring to undergraduates interested in this degree program.”
The Select Scholars Program offers an array of student benefits, including accelerated admission consideration, early completion of program requirements, and a generous scholarship to support 35 percent of graduate tuition.
“Our partnership with the BUSPH Select Scholars provides our undergraduates with an opportunity to transition seamlessly from Drew’s public health program to one of the top-ranked public health graduate programs in the country,” said Christina McKittrick, associate professor of biology and director of the public health program. “Students pursuing majors and minors in public health will have the opportunity to expand upon the knowledge and skills they acquire at Drew as they prepare for a career in this exciting and increasingly important field.”
Drew’s increasingly popular undergraduate public health program offers students the opportunity to study health and healthcare from perspectives ranging from community health behaviors, global health policy, and infectious disease transmission. Both the major and minor provide an interdisciplinary course of study that incorporates the biomedical sciences, social sciences, and humanities with a particular emphasis on the determinants of health disparities.
In response to the growing student interest in Drew’s public health program, Drew will welcome Dr. Elisaveta Petkova as assistant professor of public health in fall 2022. Petkova’s expertise in sustainable environmental health expands Drew’s current public health offerings. She will also introduce students to the principles and practice of public health in the core courses in the public health curriculum.
“The admissions office at BUSPH was favorably impressed by the caliber of Drew students who recently applied through the Select Scholars program and are looking forward to working with more of our students in the future,” said McKittrick.
Accepted students will receive degree preparatory services, including access to a series of webinars to help students determine the best master’s degree for their intended career trajectory, prepare for graduate-level coursework, introduce the different elements of graduate financial aid, and provide guidance on the many opportunities available to public health professionals.
Personalized mentoring is available to students through relevant faculty program directors to help determine the best master’s degree for their intended career trajectory throughout their graduate experience at BUSPH.
Drew undergraduate students should apply to the program no later than the first semester of their senior year at Drew. Dedicated admissions representatives from BUSPH will visit the Drew campus biannually to help steward students through the application process.
