Falk College and Whitman School Launch 2 New Public Health and Business Dual Degree Programs

The Martin J. Whitman School of Management and the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics are launching two new dual degree programs to leverage both schools’ national reputations and programmatic strengths.

The new programs—an undergraduate public health/business degree and a master of public health (M.P.H.) combined with the master of business administration (MBA)—will prepare students to be versatile, multidisciplinary and future-leading thinkers who will meet important challenges related to public health and business.

Each dual degree program is offered in a streamlined format. For the undergraduate dual degree, students can graduate with both degrees with a minimum of 152 credits and can graduate within four years of study. For the M.P.H./MBA dual degree, students will take a minimum of 81 credit hours and can complete the program in three years.

Whitman School Interim Dean Alexander McKelvie says the students who complete these programs will be prepared to solve increasingly complex problems that require knowledge of public health and business.

“This became increasingly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, but also where the societal and community issues we see taking place around the world would benefit from an interdisciplinary understanding of both public health and business. Whether these problems relate to supply chain management, entrepreneurship and innovation, working with others, or even financing public health projects,” McKelvie says. “Both students and employers recognize the benefits of well-rounded students who possess the skills and abilities to navigate complex topics at the intersections of these areas.”

Falk College Dean Diane Lyden Murphy says the new dual degree options between Falk and Whitman will provide a strong interdisciplinary education that prepares future public health and business administrators for leadership and positive impact in these influential areas of industry and practice.

“Every day we face new questions, threats and opportunities in public health around the world. Increasingly we see how promoting public health, health equity and social justice requires advanced knowledge and skills in both public health and business,” Murphy says. “The two fields are inherently connected, and it is within these synergies that we can find inventive solutions to existing and emerging global health issues.”

Graduates of these programs will be prepared for a range of careers in the public and private sector, social organizations, health care leadership, federal and local agencies, nonprofit management and consulting, and as founders and at transnational NGOs.

“We are confident that our dual degree public health programs with Falk will attract highly qualified and diverse students based on the quality and unique approaches of both schools,” McKelvie says. “This also helps to support Whitman’s increased partnerships in the health space, such as the dual M.D./MBA we launched last year with SUNY Upstate Medical University. Whitman’s STEM designation for our MBA concentrations is also attractive for international candidates.”

Admission requirements will remain the same for each program with both emphasizing academic credentials, leadership experience and potential. Dual degree programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels are highly demanding, and students should possess the strong analytical abilities and the soft skills needed for leadership positions.

Competitive scholarships at the graduate level are available based on merit. In addition, the Whitman School partners with Management Leadership for Tomorrow and the National Black MBA Association, which provides scholarships for underrepresented minority MBA candidates based on application.

For more detailed information about these new dual programs, visit the graduate dual program webpage and the undergraduate dual program webpage.