Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has received New York State Education Department approval to offer four new Bachelor of Science programs in Biology, Forensic Psychology, Forensic Science and Psychology. Students can begin enrolling in these latest programs for the upcoming Fall 2024 semester.
The programs were approved temporarily for the teach-out of transferring College of Saint Rose students. Now the programs will be available for all prospective and current students at ACPHS.
“These programs were created in part in response to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics forecast that employment in healthcare occupations will grow twice as fast as all other occupations from 2022 to 2032,” said Toyin Tofade, president, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. “These new academic programs align perfectly with our academic portfolio and allow students a broader range of allied health science and life science disciplines to pursue to help fill that anticipated growth.”
The biology bachelor's program was the first to be approved. Kelly Hallstrom, PhD, a microbiologist with expertise in foodborne pathogens has joined ACPHS as program director.
“I am grateful for the support ACPHS has given to our College of Saint Rose students over the last several months,” said Hallstrom. “I was impressed by the teaching and research facilities at ACPHS and am excited for the opportunity to continue educating and mentoring students in the classroom and laboratory.”
Cold Case Analysis Center
Students pursuing forensic psychology, psychology and forensic science studies at ACPHS will have access to the original College of Saint Rose Cold Case Analysis Center, which has relocated to the University at Albany’s School of Criminal Justice. ACPHS students enrolled in forensic science, forensic psychology, and psychology degree programs will have access to the new facility, and the opportunity to form relationships with community agencies and local and state law enforcement agencies as they analyze local and regional unsolved investigations.
New Faculty Joining ACPHS
ACPHS has hired eight new faculty from the College of Saint Rose to teach students enrolled in the new programs. Combined, the professors hold more than 78-plus years of experience in their disciplines.
“On behalf of the faculty joining ACPHS, we are excited to have the opportunity to continue working with our talented Saint Rose transfer students, as well as our new ACPHS students,” said Robert Flint, PhD, program director for psychology and forensic psychology programs at ACPHS. “We are eager to see the students thrive and flourish in a close-knit, supportive community.”
Sara Alvaro, PhD, program director for forensic science added, "I have been so impressed with the level of kindness and respect that everyone at ACPHS has shown our students and faculty. I am grateful that our forensic science program will live on and excited that I will be a part of making it even better for our students."
Largest ACPHS Academic Expansion in Years
These approvals follow three additional new programs launched by the College within the past year, increasing ACPHS’ program portfolio from 10 to 17 undergraduate and graduate programs.
In late winter and spring of this year, ACPHS introduced a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences, an asynchronous online version of its master's in biomedical sciences, and a hybrid track for its Master’s in Cytotechnology and Molecular Cytology. The latter is one of only a handful of programs of its kind in the United States which allows students to take their classes online with ACPHS faculty but visit satellite locations to perform the laboratory work needed for degree completion. The College is partnering with hospitals and health care organizations across the Northeast to address the growing shortage of cytologists nationwide. The program provides a seamless steppingstone for many health care professionals already in the field.
“A major part of our newly launched strategic plan entails the expansion of our health sciences offerings,” said Tofade. “All of these new programs will be instrumental in helping us achieve our mission to educate the next generation of health care leaders, both nationally and globally.”
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Founded in 1881, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (ACPHS) is a private, independent college dedicated to educating the next generation of leaders to improve the health of society. ACPHS offers 17 undergraduate, graduate and doctorate programs including an online Master of Biomedical Sciences program and the only Master of Biomanufacturing and Bioprocessing program in New York state. Students have myriad opportunities to extend what they are learning in the classroom at The Stack Family Center for Biopharmaceutical Education and Training (CBET), at student-supported pharmacies in underserved communities, and at The Collaboratory, a public health resource designed to alleviate community health disparities in Albany’s South End neighborhood. ACPHS ranks #1 in New York State for best return on investment by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce and was graded an A+ for value by Niche. For more information, visit www.acphs.edu.