The University of Providence’s Infection Prevention and Epidemiology (MSI) program is one of five graduate-level programs offered at UPs School of Health Professions. Launched in 2017, the program combines foundational scientific practices and real-world, evidence-based practice to prepare nurses, healthcare administrators, and public health officials to serve as infection preventionists. Continue reading to learn more about our program through answers to frequently asked questions.
What is the Masters of Science In Infection Prevention & Epidemiology Program?
The Masters of Science in Infection Prevention and Epidemiology program (MSI) is a graduate-level program designed to train individuals to trace infection outbreaks should they occur within a facility or region. The program also prepares students to understand where outbreaks come from and design prevention measures that help slow or stop the spread of an infection within that region or facility.
Who makes a strong candidate for the MSI Program?
The largest cohort of students who enroll in the program are nurses. Still, we also see clinical lab scientists, public health professionals, and those interested in entering public health. However, this demographic is changing as infection preventionists (IPs) break into work environments other than hospitals or long-term care facilities. IPs are finding work in the educational, entertainment, and sports disciplines.
What can students expect from the program following enrollment?
Students who enroll in the MSI program will find an equal distribution of foundational and clinical curricula. The first half of the program is geared toward developing an understanding of foundational science and its application to infection prevention. The second half of our program is geared toward applying those foundations to real-world scenarios through evidence-based practice.
What has the impact of COVID-19 been on the MSI program?
It wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic that the program came into its own. This is partly due to what was happening within the nation’s healthcare facilities. People could see that what was happening worldwide was directly related to what an IP does. The COVID-19 pandemic also helped provide a better understanding of what infection preventionists do and the importance of their role.
What does our MSI program offer that other programs do not?
The MSI program provides a mix of clinical applications, foundational science, and epidemiology as tools for understanding the bigger picture of infection prevention. Our students get a robust education in all of those areas. Our program’s curriculum enables students to pivot into new or adjacent areas of focus in the IP discipline without serious interruption. Students graduate understanding how all those puzzle pieces fit into their professions, and they are applied.
Explore our Master of Science in Infection Prevention & Epidemiology program to learn more about the skills you’ll learn, the courses you’ll take, and the requirements for admission into the program.
**INFORMATION FOR THIS ARTICLE WAS SOURCED FROM AN INTERVIEW WITH THE FORMER MASTER OF SCIENCE IN INFECTION PREVENTION AND EPIDEMIOLOGY PROGRAM DIRECTOR, DIANE LUND.**
