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. The Council is supported by a combination of fees and contributions from the profession and the academic community. The Council establishes, monitors, and periodically revises the criteria by which it evaluates graduate public health schools and programs. The criteria define expectations in regard to mission and goals, organizational setting, governance, resources, instructional programs, research, service, faculty, students and evaluation and planning.
Accreditation is a voluntary process initiated by the university.
Consultation prior to an accreditation review is available to any school or program, before or after it initiates the review process. 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 and may offer additional observations and recommendations. The report is forwarded to the CEPH board and to the chief executive officer of the university. Based on the team report and other information demonstrating compliance with the criteria, the board makes the final decision.