About the School
Vision
To lead in advancing the lifelong wellness of our communities.
Purpose
Prepare all graduates for leadership roles that advance lifelong wellness of diverse communities through learning, discovery and innovation The School of Health Sciences will feature four new accelerated master's degree programs in clinical nutrition, nursing and social work, and a doctorate in occupational therapy. These will join existing popular programs in athletic training, audiology, physical therapy, physician assistant studies and speech-language pathology. Housed at Pacific's Sacramento Campus, the School of Health Sciences also includes programs at the San Francisco and Stockton campuses.
"Retiring baby boomers have increased health care needs, resulting in a demand for more health care professionals," said Maria Pallavicini, Pacific's interim president. "These new programs include hybrid and online learning and were developed after extensive conversations with our community partners and others in health care. They identified a need for nurses, social workers, clinical nutritionists and occupational therapists, and we are set to prepare health care leaders for generations to come."
Health care jobs are expected to grow by 14% from 2018 to 2028, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, outpacing all other employment sectors. Other educational programs in Northern California simply cannot meet the demand.
The School of Health Sciences will develop innovative curricula that takes advantage of the university's opportunities in interprofessional education. Students from the School of Health Sciences, Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry will share classrooms and learn from each other, preparing them for clinical settings where integrated teams provide optimal patient care.
A leader in health care
Pacific has trained health care professionals since 1858 when the university formed the first medical school in California, now the Stanford University School of Medicine. The university's portfolio of health care programs includes other premier and highly enrolled health programs such as 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 Department of Audiology was launched in 2015.