Georgia State Law Offers Dual Degree with Public Health
ATLANTA — Georgia State University will begin offering a juris doctor/master of public health dual degree program this fall, the university announced today (July 24). The program allows students to pursue the degrees concurrently in a shortened period of time, by allowing certain courses from each program to count toward both degrees.
"At the national, state, and local levels, the areas where public health and law intersect are rapidly expanding," said Steven J. Kaminshine, dean of the College of Law. "Leadership positions in both fields increasingly require multi-disciplinary expertise."
The announcement follows news of Georgia State's Institute of Public Health being renamed the School of Public Health following the acceptance of its application to transition its accredited public health program to a school by the Council on Education for Public Health, the national accrediting body for schools and programs of public health.
"In the past decade, public health at Georgia State has grown dramatically — from a certificate program with a handful of enrolled students in 2002 to a full complement of programs, including not only a certificate, but the M.P.H. and doctoral degree programs," said Michael P. Eriksen, founding dean of the School of Public Health. "We are thrilled to add yet another offering that prepares our students to meet current public health challenges."
"As the first public option in Georgia for earning this dual degree, we are well located to attract strong J.D./M.P.H. candidates, " said Charity Scott, Catherine C. Henson Professor of Law and director for the Center for Law, Health & Society. "We are walking distance from the Georgia Capitol and Georgia Department of Public Health. Also, Atlanta is headquarters for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."
Georgia State will host various events to introduce the program and highlight the kind of collaboration the new dual degree will foster, particularly on contemporary issues in law and public health during this year's Public Health Grand Rounds—an interdisciplinary monthly seminar series:
Introduction to Georgia State's new J.D./M.P.H. Dual Degree
Noon-1pm, Thursday, September 19
Grand Rounds: Public Views on Legal Interventions to Fight Obesity and Chronic Disease
Featured Speaker: Michelle Mello, Professor of Law and Public Health, Harvard School of Public Health 1-2pm, Friday, October 11
Grand Rounds: Public Health and Legal Implications of Eugenics
Featured Speaker: Paul A. Lombardo, Bobby Lee Cook Professor of Law, Georgia State University Noon-1pm, Wednesday, November 13
Events will be held in room 170, Urban Life Building, 140 Decatur Street SE, Atlanta, Georgia 30303. Lunch will be served. To RSVP, please send an email indicating which event(s) you plan to attend to PHEvents@gsu.edu. To learn more about the J.D./M.P.H. program, click here.
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CONTACT:
Francis Marine, J.D.
Communications Director
GSU School of Public Health
404-413-1504 (office) / 305-772-6816 (cell)
francesmarine@gsu.edu
Wendy Cromwell
Communications Director
GSU College of Law
404-413-9050
wcromwell@gsu.edu