The degree in health science was approved by the Kansas Board of Regents in January 2009. Other degrees and programs under the auspices of public health include the college’s current bachelor’s degree program in Health Services Management & Community Development, a graduate Certificate in Public Health and an administrator-in-training program for senior services.

The field of health sciences is full of career opportunities, with job growth of 27 percent predicted in the next decade for all health services professions, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Muma, former longtime chair of the Department of Physician Assistant, is glad to lead the college’s new emphasis in health sciences and public health. His own educational background includes an undergraduate major in physician assistant studies, a master’s in public health with a focus in community health, and a Ph.D. in education.

The college, he said, continues to work hard to meet student needs and public demands for health science professions.

Students, in return, respond rapidly to new degree programs. Muma said there are already 19 students enrolled in the health science degree coursework for the fall 2009 semester.

Typically, health science graduates go on to work in the health care sector as pharmaceutical and hospital sales representatives, specialists in insurance companies, science technicians (or research assistants), and the like. The degree may also be used for those who wish to progress to supervisory or instructional positions requiring a baccalaureate degree (e.g., radiologic technologists, respiratory therapists).

Others opt to extend their employability even further by pursuing a graduate or professional education. Graduate-level education can lead to careers in health administration, medicine, physical therapy, physician assistant or public health.

Salaries vary widely among occupations, but generally reflect an unprecedented demand for qualified health sciences professionals. Health science majors are introduced to the full array of health career opportunities, Muma said, and can begin to focus their interests during the last two years of the four-year program.