Furman University is a liberal arts university consisting of ~2,500 undergraduate students from 48 states and 22 countries. The Department of Health Sciences historically had a single Health Sciences major that is one of the largest majors on campus. In 2015, the additional Public Health major was developed in accordance with CEPH accreditation criteria for standalone baccalaureate programs and aligned with Furman’s unique mission emphasizing engaged learning as the cornerstone (first graduating class spring 2018). The curricular (12 courses) and co-curricular requirements (seminar series, service hours, and an applied learning experience) cultivate an interdisciplinary perspective of health, and promote student self-reflection and the development of real-world public health skills. This new major has several opportunities for continued development. In 2017, the major was not recognized as a STEM major by the South Carolina Commission of Higher Education, despite other Public Health majors statewide identified as such. Unfortunately, this prohibits our majors from receiving additional scholarship support and has been identified as a deterrent of the major. Additionally, we are evaluating potential barriers to pursuing CEPH accreditation for the major in the context of a liberal arts institution. Closer partnerships with a broad network of statewide public health organizations are essential for students to understand the breadth of public health and to facilitate applied student learning experiences. Despite these challenges, the major is uniquely positioned to provide an educational experience developed using CEPH competencies and liberal arts perspective that is a strong platform for improving the public health of South Carolina.

Background Area hospitals are expanding in the region, amidst grocery store closures, food insecurity and poor health outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic renewed public health interest but it is only marginally incorporated in the medical field. To facilitate incorporating public health graduates in these areas, five concentrations are offered by Coastal Carolina University’s accredited program (Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)): community health, pre-dietetics, health administration, health literacy and support for pre-health professions. The program covers the public health domains and focuses on health education/promotion so students are eligible to take the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam.

Methods To explore program positioning in our community, analyses of internship site needs, post-graduation employment, curriculum offerings, student enrollment, program retention efforts and incoming freshman and transfer students’ performance (withdraw, D and F grades) in gateway courses were conducted.

Results Post graduate employment in the health field is 47% (71% of those in medical professions); 32% are seeking post graduate education (50% of those in medical professions). Increased interest in the pre-health professions (> 37% of new students) has led to the development of that minor. However, first year retention of public health students is 64% and points to high withdraw and D and F grades in gateway courses (public health introductory course 10.2%-33.36%; mathematics 13%-61%, statistics 36.3%4-41%).

Conclusions Although curriculum provides opportunities to meet job demands, it must address gateway courses, that pose challenges to student success and retention. Also, continued advocacy to incorporate public health in healthcare settings is necessary.

Background: As part of institutional strategic planning, the Department of Public Health Sciences developed a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree in 2015 in Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Health Behavior/Health Promotion. The program strives for a healthier South Carolina (SC) by preparing public health professionals through innovative curriculum and practice. The purpose of this case study was to evaluate recruitment and curriculum challenges and identify program growth opportunities.

Methods: We used mixed methods (the CEPH Accreditation self-study metrics and alumni focus groups) to evaluate challenges and opportunities. We examined student racial diversity, cost burden and curriculum responsiveness to competencies, and identified gaps to advance the program.

Results: Of 93 matriculated students (77% from SC), 68.8% were White, 13.9% Black, and 10% Asian, highlighting inadequate representation of minority students in comparison to the SC population. Our department receives 8% state funding which limits support of scholarships to defray tuition and housing costs ($77,910 in-state). Multiple competencies were identified (e.g., qualitative methods, cultural competency) that required enhanced course coverage. Focus groups confirmed these identified gaps and innovative partnership-building, curricula updates and teaching strategies were designed.

Conclusion: Overall, our program faces challenges with recruitment of underrepresented students and a lack of state funding. Program growth will be supported by future efforts to build collaborations with other public health programs, develop scholarships, recruit diverse faculty and staff to attract minority students, and design hybrid/online programs. CEPH accreditation will also be a catalyst in improving program quality to address pressing SC public health needs.