Evolution of a Stand-Alone Undergraduate Public Health Program and the Inclusion of a Peace Corps Prep Certificate Program

Abstract

For over a decade there has been a growing interest in undergraduate public health degree programs and global health careers. To this end, colleges and universities across the United States are training undergraduate students to meet these demands. In 2014, the Council on Education for Public Health began to accredit stand-alone, undergraduate public health programs. This article highlights the steps followed by one university to obtain Council accreditation. Additionally, the authors describe how the university’s Peace Corps Prep Certificate Program has been intertwined with the Public Health Studies curriculum to offer public health students a unique opportunity to fulfill both degree and program requirements, while receiving specialized training in global health.