Department of Health

Master of Public Health

Dr. Lynn Carson
College of Health Sciences
West Chester University
West Chester, PA 19383
610-436-2138
lcarson@wcupa.edu

Professional Organizations & Certifications

Professional Organizations:
- Membership in a professional organization is an important part of professional growth. Before program completion, WCU MPH students are required to join at least one professional organization. Membership often offers such benefits as job banks, conferences, networking, social and professional support. Please visit our list of public health professional organizations.
- Delta Omega Honorary Public Health Society-Beta Xi Chapter
  
  Founded in 1924, Delta Omega is a national honor society existing to encourage research and scholarship among graduate students of public health and to recognize attainment and achievement in the field of public health. With over 50 active chapters across the country, Delta Omega and its members are dedicated to ensuring the quality of the field of public health and to the protection and advancement of the health of all people. The purpose of Delta Omega is to recognize academic merit and sincere commitment to public health work. For more information about Delta Omega, please visit the National Chapter’s website at www.deltaomega.org. Membership in Delta Omega is by election only. Therefore, students may nominate themselves for an opportunity to be inducted into the society by completing an application. Applications are only accepted once every year each March. Visit our Delta Omega Honorary Public Health Society – Beta Xi Chapter site for the application.
Certification Exams:

Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES): http://www.nchec.org/

Certified Health Education Specialists are professionals who plan, implement, and evaluate activities and programs that help improve the health of all people. These programs can take place in a variety of settings including schools, communities, health care facilities, businesses and colleges and many more.

Note: Students in the Community Health Concentration are eligible for the CHES Exam as the required courses in this concentration prepares students for the exam. Students from other concentrations may also be eligible for this exam if they take the required community health courses in order to prepare for it. Contact a Community Health Concentration advisor to help determine eligibility.

This exam is more specialized than the CPH exam and signifies that an individual has met eligibility requirements for, and has successfully passed a competency-based examination demonstrating skill and knowledge of seven areas of responsibility upon which the credential is based. The student fee for this exam ranges from $210 to $265 depending on the date of registration. More information can be found on the website.

Certified in Public Health (CPH): http://www.publichealthexam.org/

Public health professionals will be confronted by complex health issues, such as controlling infectious diseases, reducing environmental hazards, public health preparedness and substance abuse. This is why they need to be dedicated to staying at the forefront of their field by understanding the interaction between the different specialized areas of public health.

Becoming a Certified Public Health Professional Has Multiple Benefits:
	Sets a standard of knowledge and skills in public health Encourages life-long learning Adds credibility to public health profession Increasing public health awareness Fosters environment of a professional community

The exam is rooted in five basic core competencies of public health to reflect the nature of the field and the way one area of knowledge blends into another. The certification exam is administered to graduates of CEPH-accredited schools and programs of public health. The student fee for this exam is $400 or $425 depending on the date of registration. More information can be found on the website.