SMITHFIELD – Citing the need to address growing demand for health care experts and preparing students in STEM fields, Bryant University has established a new School of Health and Behavioral Sciences, the university announced Friday.
The new school, Bryant said, will integrate studies in health sciences, cognitive and behavioral sciences, data analytics and business. The university also said the new school aligns with ideas outlined in its “Vision 2030” strategic plan to further prepare its students to enter the workforce.
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Bryant also cites data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics that show increased growth rates for jobs in the health care sector over the next few years as why it established the new school. The bureau, Bryant said, indicates a 16% growth rate for occupations in health care through 2030, more than triple the projected 5% average growth rate, with projected earnings “well above the national and New England averages for college graduates.”
Kirsten Hokeness, Bryant’s biology department chairperson who will be the school’s director, said health care is a “data-sensitive industry” and specialists who can transform data into insights for numerous and diverse stakeholders “are urgently needed and in high demand.”
Bryant at the new school will also introduce new majors in healthcare analytics and exercise science. The healthcare analytics degree – which Bryant calls “the first of its kind in Rhode Island” – integrates health sciences, statistics, math and data science with behavioral science. It’s designed to provide students with real-world skills for careers in biomedical research and public health, Bryant said.
The exercise science major, Bryant said, develops an understanding to analyze human movement, incorporating overlapping influences from anatomical, physiological, psychological and neurological factors. The program will help students prepare for careers in fitness and athletic settings.
“Bryant’s new programs at the intersection of health and behavioral sciences, data analytics and business will prepare students for exceptional career opportunities in fields including health care analytics, healthcare management and finance, and public and community health,” Bryant President Ross Gittell said in a statement.
(CORRECTION: Bryant University’s new school is named the School of Health and Behavioral Sciences.)
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
