1) to promote quality in public health education through a continuing process of self-evaluation by the schools and programs that seek accreditation;

2) to assure the public that institutions offering graduate instruction in public health have been evaluated and judged to meet standards essential for the conduct of such educational programs; and

3) to encourage - through periodic review, consultation, research, publications, and other means - improvements in the quality of education for public health.

In 1974 the independent Council on Education for Public Health was established by APHA and the Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH), the national organization representing deans, faculty and students of accredited schools of public health. Responsibility for the evaluation of schools of public health was transferred to CEPH which initially limited its focus to school accreditation. In the late 1970s CEPH responded to requests from practitioners and educators to undertake accreditation of community health/preventive medicine programs, and to a request from APHA to assume the additional responsibility for community health education programs.  In 2005, these separate programmatic categories were combined into a single category of public health programs.

Three councilors are appointed by APHA and must be primarily involved in the practice of public health or in the administration of related health services. Three are appointed by ASPH and must be selected from the faculty, administration or students of schools of public health. Two members are jointly appointed by ASPH and APHA and serve as representatives of the general public; they may be neither engaged in full-time public health practice nor employed by an educational institution that has a school of public health. Two additional councilors are elected by CEPH and approved by the two corporate members to represent the programmatic interests served by CEPH. They are nominated by appropriate professional and educational organizations in community health education and community health/ preventive medicine and must be individuals with specific expertise in the programmatic areas they represent.

Accreditation is a voluntary process initiated by the university. Consultation prior to an accreditation review is required of schools and programs seeking initial accreditation and available to any school or program, before or after it initiates the review process. CEPH's accreditation procedures require that the school or program undertake a self-evaluation, submit a self-study document and host a team of qualified peer reviewers who validate the self-study during an on-site visit to the campus.

While on site, the team interviews university officials, administrators, faculty, students, alumni, community leaders and other important constituents, inspects facilities and resources, and examines supporting documentation. The site visit team prepares a report of its findings.  The report is forwarded to the CEPH board and to the chief executive officer of the university.

Based on the team's report and other information demonstrating compliance with the criteria, the board makes the final decision. Options include accreditation, denial of accreditation, probationary accreditation and revocation of accreditation. Probation and revocation are adverse decisions which may be appealed. All final decisions are made public.

Once accredited, a school or program is reviewed at regular intervals, but at least every seven years. Interim reports may be required as well. If, during the term of accreditation, a school or program undergoes major organizational changes which potentially affect its administration, scope or quality, CEPH may require a review before the date stipulated for the next regular review.

The accredited status of each school or program is published on the CEPH website at www.ceph.org , is included in national publications of accredited institutions of postsecondary education, is transmitted to the US Department of Education and is available upon request from the Council on Education for Public Health.

Self-evaluation - The most significant benefits of accreditation are in the process of self-evaluation. A basic requirement is a self-study, often extending over many months, that brings together administrators, faculty, students, alumni and community leaders in a critical analysis of school or program objectives and performance. Strengths and weaknesses are identified and a constructive forum for building consensus and institutional commitment is established.

External peer review - Accreditation is built upon the concept of peer review and is an important nongovernmental approach to quality assurance in higher education in the US. Through this mechanism, CEPH provides external, expert judgment about the educational offerings of a school or program. The Council maintains a roster of potential site visitors, including outstanding academicians who know and understand the complex problems facing educational institutions today, as well as nationally-recognized leaders in public health who can assess the relevance of educational programs to the world of practice.

Mission is central - While all public health schools and programs share a common purpose to prepare competent professionals, each school or program has its own distinctive mission. CEPH's evaluation is based on the stated mission, goals and objectives.

Focus on outcomes - The performance of a school or program is assessed in many areas, but the primary focus is on educational outcomes, on the competencies and professional knowledge and skills students acquire through their course of study. Overall program effectiveness relates directly to student achievement, and excellence in education is linked to proficiency in practice.

Objectivity - Objectivity is central to the credibility of accreditation and CEPH strives to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest. Efforts are made to hear all views but to exclude from decision-making those individuals who have a vested interest in the outcome of a decision.

Fairness - Principles of due process apply at every step of the accreditation process. Criteria and procedures are clearly stated in advance of the review. School or program officials may respond in writing prior to the accreditation decision being made. Adverse decisions may be appealed.