Laurentian University's interdisciplinary PhD program in rural and northern health has been approved by the Ontario Council of Graduate Studies (OCGS).This is Laurentian's fifth doctoral program and the only one of its kind in Ontario.
The program has been approved to be offered in both English and French. Although initially it will be offered in English only, additional faculty resources will be added to ensure that that full program can be offered in both languages.
"This is terrific news, not only for the university, but also for Sudbury, all of Northern Ontario and rural communities nationwide," said Susan Silverton, vice-president, academic in a statement released by the university.
"We will be able to train highly qualified individuals with advanced knowledge in rural and northern health issues, and provide 'rigorous training' in research for careers in a variety of public- and private-sector health organizations. "
This program will benefit from existing research strengths at Laurentian in a number of related fields such as midwifery, nursing, social work and human kinetics, and will eventually complement newer health-related research at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine.
Housed in the Faculty of Professional Schools, the new PhD program will draw upon a broad range of disciplines from the faculties of professional schools, social sciences and humanities, science and engineering and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine.
