There are several different reasons why a public health professional may want to contemplate joining a professional association.
Industry associations, which are common in a wide variety of different professions and disciplines, are crucial because they keep public health practitioners stay on top of evolving trends and issues that will influence the people that they work with.
Connecting with other professionals in your field by being part of industry associations is a great way to learn more about the career field you chose and gain experience while beginning a job hunt or a career change. It may also lead to professional networking and career enhancement opportunities, engaging with like-minded professionals.
Of course, with public health being such a broad and diverse career path, the professional associations that a public health professional may be interested in joining might not be linked to public health at all.
QUICK LINKS
Public Health Associations
- American College Health Association (ACHA)
- American Public Health Association (APHA)
- Association of Academic Health Centers (AAHC)
- Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL)
- Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH)
- Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)
- International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI)
- National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
- National Association of Health Data Organizations (NAHDO)
- National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. (NCHEC)
- New York State Public Health Association (NYSPHA)
- Public Health Association of New York City (PHANYC)
- Public Health Learning Network (PHLN)
- Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE)
- U.S. State & Regional Public Health Associations
- World Federation of Public Health Association
Biostatistics Associations
- American Association for the Advancement for Science
- American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA)
- American Statistical Association (ASA)
- Biometrics Society (ENAR)
- Institute of Mathematical Statistics (IMSTAT)
- International Biometric Society
- International Society for Clinical Biostatistics (ISCB)
- National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems (NAPHSIS)
Environmental Health Associations
- Air and Waste Management Association (AWMA)
- American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR)
- Association for the Healthcare Environment (AHE)
- Environmental Grantmakers Association (EGA)
- National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP)
- National Environmental Health Association (NEHA)
- Society for Risk Analysis (SRA)
- Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC)
- Student Conservation Association (SCA)
Epidemiology Associations
- American Board of Toxicology (ABT)
- American College of Epidemiology (ACE)
- American Society for Microbiology (ASM)
- American Society for Preventive Oncology (ASPO)
- American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH)
- American Statistical Association (ASA), Section on Statistics in Epidemiology (SIE)
- Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC)
- Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE)
- HIV Medicine Association
- Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA)
- International Epidemiological Association (IEA)
- International Society for Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE)
- International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology (ISPE)
- Society for Clinical Trials
- Society for Epidemiologic Research (SER)
- Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA)
Global Health Associations
- Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP)
- Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations & Voluntary Action (ARNOVA)
- Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH)
- Global Health Council
- Global Health Workforce Network
- New York Association for Volunteer Administration
- United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA)
- United Philanthropy Forum
- World Health Professions Alliance (WHPA)
Health Education Associations
Management Associations
- America's Essential Hospitals
- America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP)
- American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management (AAHAM)
- American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE)
- American Evaluation Association (AEA)
- American Health Care Association (AHCA)
- American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)
- American Health Quality Association (AHQA)
- American Hospital Association (AHA)
- American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE)
- American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM)
- Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME)
- Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA)
- Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA)
- Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS)
- International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM)
- Medical Group Management Association (MGMA)
- National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ)
- National Association of Healthcare Access Management (NAHAM)
- National Committee for Quality Assurance in Healthcare (NCQA)
- National Society of Healthcare Business Consultants (NSCHBC)
- Society for Healthcare Strategy & Market Development (SHSMD)
- Women in Healthcare Management (WHCM)
Maternal & Reproductive Health Associations
Mental Health Associations
Group-Specific Associations
Nutrition Associations
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
- American College of Nutrition
- American Nutrition Association
- American Society for Clinical Nutrition
- American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN)
- International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA)
- National Association for Nutrition Professionals (NANP)
- National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research (NCCOR)
- Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior (SNEB)
Pharma & BioTech Associations
- American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS)
- Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO)
- Drug Information Association (DIA)
- International Council of Biotechnology Associations (ICBA)
- International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturer Associations (IFPMA)
- Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA)
- Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)
Policy Associations
- AcademyHealth
- American Political Science Association
- American Society of Health Economists (ASHEcon)
- Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM)
- International Health Economics Association
- International Society of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR)
- National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD)
- National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI)
- Society of Medical Decision Making (SMDM)
Patients & Disease-Specific Associations
- Alzheimer’s Association
- American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI)
- American Association of Blood Banks (ABB)
- American Cancer Society
- American Diabetes Association
- American Geriatrics Society (AGS)
- American Heart Association
- American Lung Association
- American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)
- MedlinePlus | U.S. National Library of Medicine: A collection of organizations providing health information arranged by topic
- National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC)
Social & Behavioral Health Associations
Professional Certifications
Currently, in the U.S. there is no single national-level public health certification.
However, there are a few credentials available to students and alumni in Public Health. Credentials may help you demonstrate to potential employers your continuing dedication to the Public Health sector.
It's important to study your choices independently while planning out your path to becoming a public health professional.
Find out below what qualifications may be available to you.
1. Certification in Public Health (CPH)
The National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE) offers the Certified in Public Health (CPH) credential as the only voluntary core credential for public health professionals. The CPH designation demonstrates that an individual graduate from a CEPH-accredited school or program of public health has mastered foundational competencies in public health. CPH professionals raise the bar and enhance the public health profession through their exemplary academic and leadership skills.
Learn more about the CPH Exam.
GPH Students and Alumni automatically receive a discount of $70 when applying to take the CPH exam.
GPH Students and Alumni are also able to access the ASPPH CPH study guide at no cost by requesting a code to the Office of Student & Alumni Affairs at gph.studentaffairs@nyu.edu.
2. Health Education Specialist (CHES) & Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES)
To signify professional competency in health education, the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC) offers the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES®) and Master Certified Health Education (MCHES®). These examinations are competency-based tools used to measure possession, application, and interpretation of knowledge in the Seven Areas of Responsibility for Health Education Specialists delineated by A Competency-Based Framework for Health Education Specialists 2015. The CHES® and MCHES® certifications create a national and international standard for health education specialists practicing at both entry and advanced levels.
3. National Environmental Health Credentials
The National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) has developed several certifications that evidence mastery of specialized knowledge of environmental health (e.g., Food Safety, Foodborne Outbreak Investigation, Environmental Health).
4. Physical Activity in Public Health Specialist (CPAPHS)
One of the most common public health certifications offered by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) is the Certified Physical Activity in Public Health Specialist (CPAPHS). This credential demonstrates competency in public health and wellness, with a focus on physical activity in the community.
5. Certified Correctional Health Professionals
To improve the quality of health care in jails, prisons, and juvenile confinement facilities, the National Commission on Correctional Health Care has developed several certifications for health care professionals from a variety of disciplines and settings. These certifications recognize the mastery of national standards and the knowledge expected of leaders in the complex and ever-changing field of correctional health care.
6. Project Management Institute Certifications
The Project Management Institute (PMI) is the world's leading association for those who consider project, program, or portfolio management their profession.
PMI offers eight certifications that recognize knowledge and competency, including the Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification – renowned as the global gold standard of project management.