BSPH: Community Health at York College Granted Accreditation by Council for Public Education

The Council for Public Education (CEPH) has granted accreditation to York College for the Bachelor of Science Program Public Health: Community Health. It is the first public health program in CUNY and the first accredited Baccalaureate program.

The Council for Public Education (CEPH) has granted accreditation to York College for the Bachelor of Science Program Public Health: Community Health. It is the first public health program in CUNY and the first accredited Baccalaureate program.  The program accreditation term is from April 9, 2021 – July 1, 2029. The program received its accreditation after a two-year self-study. CEPH came to the York campus and interviewed students, alumni, professors, staffs and program stakeholders about aspects of the program.

The History of the Department

Professor Nicholas Grosskopf explains that there was a need a need to design a program at York with accreditation in mind, “We first designed a minor that contained three of the prerequisites to get into the major,” he explained. “And then the next year, we folded the minor into the major.” Furthermore, about 90 percent of the students come as transfer students from CUNY community colleges. Currently, we have agreements with CUNY community colleges: Queensboro, LaGuardia, and BMCC (where students can enroll if they requirements). It’s a cohort program. So, once they get to York, they should complete the program in two years or four semesters.

A Bright Future

“This accreditation decision is major accomplishment for our new and growing public health program, which will now be the first accredited public health baccalaureate program at CUNY. This signifies our dedication to building a high-quality program that will produce future leaders in a high-demand and important field,” explained Jennifer Brite, program coordinator.

A current student, Simon Ramnath, said, “The impact accreditation will have on me is the assurance that this institution is meeting the nationally accepted standards in terms of quality, sustainable, and prosperous professional practice. As some students may or may not know, most industries are looking for students from accredited institutions because they want to be confident in their decisions based on quality education, a valued skilled set and a level of professionalism.”

“Public health is a broad and exciting field that offers students the chance to make a real difference in people lives. Whether it’s working to improve mental health, physical fitness, emotional well-being, or social health, the opportunities are truly endless,” said Dr. Er. Toussaint Jacques, Assistant Professor of Health Informatics & Biostatistics.