The baccalaureate public health program at the Bloustein School has been accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), an independent agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit schools of public health and stand-alone programs outside such schools.
The Bloustein School is one of the first four schools in the nation to have its stand-alone baccalaureate public health program receive accreditation; 2016 marks the first year that the council has accredited these programs. Students enrolled in the Bloustein program earn a Bachelor of Science degree.
“The accreditation, along with our recent ranking as fourth in the nation by USA TODAY for undergraduate public health education, confirms the academic rigor of our programs and reflects the hard work and commitment of many individuals to provide the highest quality educational programs at the university,” said James W. Hughes, distinguished professor and dean of the Bloustein School.
Graduates have gone on to earn advanced degrees in Public Health (MPH, Ph.D.); Global Health, Biosecurity and Disaster Preparedness (MS); Social Work (MSW), Biomedical Sciences (MBS), Health Administration (MBA, MHA) and degrees in various medical fields.
Students in the public health major appreciate having practitioners as faculty, noting the contextual relevance they bring to the program.
The program takes a “big picture” approach to population health and disease prevention with such courses as “Healthy Cities,” “Protecting the Public Health and the Environment” and “Global Health Perspectives.” As one of the most diverse public universities in the nation –so recognized by President Obama at commencement in 2016 – many students are minorities, first-generation immigrants, returning veterans and nontraditional students.
CEPH, which has accredited schools of public health for 10 years, also accredited programs at East Carolina University, the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.