MPH Program Accredited by National Body

The first cohort of Master of Public Health students is pictured at commencement in May 2018. The MPH program was accredited in early March.

The Master of Public Health program at Cal State San Marcos has achieved accreditation 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 public health programs.

The CEPH acted to accredit the MPH program at its meeting on March 7-8. The accreditation term is for five years, extending to July 1, 2026. The program’s initial accreditation date was recorded as Oct. 7, 2017.

“Our goal is to best serve our students, so we are thrilled to have received accreditation by CEPH and with very positive feedback,” said Christina Holub, the interim director of CSUSM’s MPH program. “Especially in these extraordinary times, during a pandemic and with a continual need to address social justice and health inequities, being able to provide quality public health training is crucial in preparing competent and culturally intelligent public health professionals. We look forward to continuing to build an outstanding curriculum and experience for our students and to new endeavors that will further grow the MPH program at CSUSM.”

CSUSM established the MPH program in 2016 to meet the needs of graduates in health professions and to fill vacant positions identified in North San Diego County. In addition to the professional MPH degree, the program offers two concentrations, in health promotion/health education and global health.

Intended to be completed in an accelerated format of 16 months, the program features more than 100 current students and over 200 alumni.

This marks the program’s first review for CEPH accreditation. The site visit took place virtually via Zoom because of COVID-19 travel restrictions; it will be followed by a campus visit within the next year.

During the pandemic, several MPH students are doing contact tracing and related duties for the university, including Zachary Nortz. More examples of MPH students and alumni engaged in vital work amid COVID-19 can be found here.