Public Health

Program Mission

The mission of York College's Council for Education on Public Health (CEPH)-accredited undergraduate public health program is to engage in teaching, learning, scholarship and service to foster and sustain a healthier New York City and to promote culturally responsive, evidence-informed solutions to reduce disparities and promote health and wellness among urban populations.

Foundational Competencies

1. Communicate public health information, in both oral and written forms and through a variety of media, to diverse audiences.

2. Locate, use, evaluate, and synthesize public health information.

Community Health Concentration Competencies

1.    Assess community health needs, and plan, design, and evaluate evidence-based/evidence-informed public health interventions.

2.    Apply concepts of social justice and health equity in the analysis of social determinants of health.

3.    Advocate for community and public health and the profession.

Background

Public health programs focus primarily on prevention and health promotion (rather than treatment), and on whole populations (rather than individuals). Public health is an essential component of the US health system. Its infrastructure and prevention-based programs, together with clinical health systems, work to improve population health and reduce health care costs among populations. The undergraduate program in public health at York College is focused on the science of protecting and improving the health and well-being of communities.

Reflecting the interdisciplinary approach of the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, students in the major will take courses originating from the various public health core disciplines, including epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental and occupational health, and health management and policy. The community health concentration emphasizes specific training in the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of community-based, -focused and -driven public health programs and policies.  The major curriculum is multidisciplinary while being rooted in the social and behavioral determinants of health. As students progress through the program, they will gain more breadth and depth in public health practice through field experiences as well as a capstone course in their final year.

Upon completion of the degree, students will be better equipped to complete graduate education in public health or begin working in the field as a public health practitioner. Students will have acquired skills that could be translated into the workplace (city, state or local government agencies, non-for-profit organizations, etc.) or other post-baccalaureate educational settings such as enrollment in an MPH, MSW, JD or MD program.

York College and CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy 4+1 Program

Students admitted to the Public Health Program who have completed a minimum of 75 total credits and who have earned at least a 3.2 overall GPA may be eligible to participate in the 4+1 Program. This program will allow York College Public Health students to take up to 12 credits of graduate level courses at CUNY SPH during their junior and senior years, with courses counting for both undergraduate and graduate credits (depending on equivalency requirements) allowing for the completion of a bachelor’s degree from York College and a Master of Public Health (MPH) or Master of Science (MS) degree from CUNY SPH in five years rather than six. Interested students should contact their faculty advisor.