The University of North Dakota is planning to start an online doctoral program in indigenous health.
The new program, which is expected to launch this fall, will build on and be linked to two programs the university already offers: Indians Into Medicine and a Master of Public Health. Instruction for the program will be delivered through the distance mode and students will come to campus twice a year for in-person interactions.
Dr. Donald Warne“At the international level, the coordination of health needs across Indigenous populations is greater now than at any point in history,” said Dr. Donald Warne, director of the two existing programs who led the push for the new program, according to a press statement. He added that the Indian Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health all need well-trained administrators with a deep understanding of Indigenous health issues.
The university said more than 35 potential students have expressed interest in the initial eight to 12 spots in the program, which will be a 60-credit, post master’s degree that includes research and evaluation methods, policy and leadership.
