Public health has been a growing interest among students, and now Washington University is growing with the trend.

The University will be adding a Public Health minor to its curriculum, with hopes that this minor will be available for application as early as next semester.

“The new minor in public health is an obvious next step for the University,” said Dr. Bradley Stoner, associate professor of anthropology and medicine.

Stoner will serve as the director for the public health minor, which will be based out of the anthropology department. However, requirements for completion of the minor will also include courses from the biology and psychology departments, as well as from other disciplines.

The idea for this minor has been circulated in the University for two years, but until now the University did not have enough faculty to teach the courses, according to Stoner. The size of the faculty had to grow before implementing the program.

One of the faculty additions is Harvard University’s Peter Benson, who will join the Washington University anthropology department in the fall of 2008.

One unique aspect of public health minor’s creation is its inception by the students, reflecting the academic enthusiasm and motivation of University students.

The anthropology class, Anthropology and Public Health, taught by Stoner, has experienced a significant enrollment increase over the past couple of years.

This increase attracted the attention of Edward Macias, executive vice chancellor and a Dean of Arts & Sciences, who then took action to “capitalize on this student-driven desire.”

In devising the requirements for the minor, Stoner and his colleagues developed a curriculum partly based on other schools’ curricula, and partly based on their sense of what is appropriate and necessary, in order to gain a sufficient understanding of the issues relating to public health.

Prospective minors will be expected to complete five courses that deal with various issues related to public, community and population health.

Of the five, three classes are required: Introduction to Public Health, Public Health Research and Practice, and Anthropology and Public Health. The two elective courses will come from a broad list of health-related options in anthropology, biology, psychology and other disciplines.

The minor in public health will add a useful community focus to the health training of premedical students, but is not limited to them.

“It is important to note that [this minor] is open to all students with an interest in health and illness in human communities,” said Stoner.

Once given the official faculty approval later this month, the minor should be available for current freshmen and sophomores as soon as next semester.

Introduction to Public Health will not be offered until the fall of 2008.

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