U of S School of Public Health earns international accreditation
The University of Saskatchewan’s School of Public Health (SPH) has received accreditation from the Agency for Public Health Education Accreditation. The school is the first non-European school of public health to receive the designation from this agency, and is one of only two accredited programs in the country.
Accreditation was granted for the Master of Public Health program for a fiveyear period, which means the graduate program currently meets and exceeds the competencies of the field and a set of quality standards, and must continue to do so.
“Achieving these standards means graduates from the school are well-prepared when they enter the workforce and display the skills needed to improve health by identifying and solving public health problems,” explained SPH Director, Robert Buckingham.
“Accreditation for our program means we have met an international standard of excellence and competencies in the five arenas of public health: epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, health policy and health management,” said Buckingham. “We are one of the few schools in Canada to have our master’s program accredited which puts us on par with many renowned international schools in Europe and the United States.”
Holding the accreditation status means the school will be able to recruit more international and national students and faculty as well as potentially increase research capacity in the future.
“This is an outstanding accomplishment for the School of Public Health’s students, faculty, and staff,” said President Ilene Busch-Vishniac. “’One Health’ is one of the university’s signature areas and the SPH is well placed to prepare its graduates for a rewarding and challenging career in health fields, here in Saskatchewan and around the world. This is indeed an exciting milestone for the U of S.”
The school’s success is a reflection of its growth said Buckingham, adding that in 2008 only 17 students were enrolled and today more than 240 students are in the program. The school annually receives more than 700 applications from more than 20 countries for only 80 seats in first-year classes. Nearly 40 per cent of the school’s students come from outside of Canada.