University of the Pacific is leveraging its reputation for preparing healthcare professionals by instituting four academic programs and a new School of Health Sciences to meet the demands of a growing healthcare industry. Healthcare jobs are expected to increase by 18% from 2016 to 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, outpacing all other employment sectors. Existing educational programs in Northern California simply cannot meet the demand.

In addition to the successful physician assistant program launched in 2017, the Dugoni School of Dentistry has played a critical role in developing Pacific’s new accelerated master’s degree programs in clinical nutrition, nursing and social work that will begin in fall 2020. A doctorate in occupational therapy program will be offered the following year. These degree programs will join the University’s current popular programs in audiology, physical therapy, athletic training, physician assistant studies and speech-language pathology to form Pacific’s new School of Health Sciences headquartered on the University’s Sacramento campus. The dental and pharmacy programs will remain in their respective schools.

Students in the School of Health Sciences will benefit from interprofessional educational opportunities where they will work alongside and learn from their peers. This collaborative approach will prepare students for clinical settings where integrated teams provide patient care.

Pacific has trained healthcare professionals since 1858 when the University formed the first medical school in California, now the Stanford University School of Medicine. The University’s current portfolio of healthcare programs includes other premier and high-enrollment health schools and programs, such as the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, which was founded in 1896 as the College of Physicians and Surgeons. The Department of Speech-Language Pathology dates back to 1936. Music therapy was introduced in 1938 and will remain in the Conservatory of Music. The Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences opened in 1955. The Department of Physical Therapy was established in 1985 and the doctor of audiology program was launched in 2015.

For more information about the new School of Health Sciences, visit pacific.edu/admissions/graduateprograms.