About the School of Community Health Sciences

Our History

The University of Nevada, Reno, School of Community Health Sciences (public health) was created through an initiative of faculty in the former Department of Health Ecology, which offered a popular undergraduate degree. Since the MPH was first offered in 2000, the program has had near 100 graduates, who have gone on to positions at universities, hospitals, state and county health departments, and into Ph.D. programs and medical school.

The current school was established by the Board of Regents on September 1st, 2004, with a long-range development plan calling for substantial growth in the numbers of faculty and graduate students, MPH programs in each of the core areas of public health, doctoral degrees in selected areas, and engagement in cutting-edge research and community service.

In June, 2011, the MPH programs were accredited by CEPH as our most recent milestone.

Our Mission

Our mission in the School of Community Health Sciences (public health) is to develop, disseminate, and apply knowledge with an ecological approach to protect and promote the health of populations statewide and worldwide. We carry out this mission through the following goals:

• To prepare future public health practitioners, researchers, educators and leaders.
• To develop the knowledge base for public health through research.
• To engage with multiple communities through professional and scholarly service.
• To expose students to diversity in multiple venues.
• To be recognized for leadership in innovative approaches to public health.

Values of the School of Community Health Sciences

• The values were determined by a vote of faculty and students. The program's values reflect what guides our work as a faculty, our interactions with the community, and what actions we want to model to our students.

• Professionalism
• Integrity
• Diversity
• Community and Collaboration
• Advancement of Knowledge and Learners