UCI Program in Public Health receives accreditation

UCI’s Program in Public Health has earned accreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health, an independent agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit schools of public health and public health programs. The 2012 accreditation is valid through 2017. It’s a significant milestone for the program, said Oladele Ogunseitan (pictured), UCI professor of public health and chair of the Department of Population Health & Disease Prevention. “This is a major endorsement of our program by an independent organization that does this for all schools and programs in public health, not just in the United States but internationally,” he said. “It’s a great recognition that the education UCI public health students receive is relevant both professionally and academically.” UCI’s program is the fourth in the University of California system to gain accreditation from the council. The designation, Ogunseitan noted, will also open doors to students once they graduate. “For students in our master’s program,” he said, “it’s the key to certain kinds of employment, especially formal employment programs in the military and government.” Along with boosting the program’s academic profile, the designation will let students and researchers compete for national funding and private grants. UCI’s Program in Public Health offers bachelor’s degrees in public health sciences and public health policy and a master of public health in three areas: environmental health, epidemiology, and
sociocultural diversity and health. A long-term goal is to establish a school of public health at UCI, Ogunseitan said, and accreditation is a significant step in the process.