Cap off your public health education and gain an important professional credential by taking the Certified in Public Health (CPH) exam. 
About CPH and Pitt Public Health's Initiative
Why Become CPH
Eligibility
How: Current Students | Alumni
Details about Paper & Pencil Test on Campus
Frequently Asked Questions
Test Prep Resources
Pitt Public Health Contact
About CPH and Pitt Public Health's Initiative
- Attention Pitt Public Health students! Please do not register yet for the October 2013 exam, as the school does not yet have a registration process in place. The school expects to pay for eligible students for the 2013-14 CPH exams.
- Read more about the 2013-14 test cycle on the NBPHE Web site.
- Pitt Public Health students and alumni are eligible to utilize the online CPH study guide free of charge. | Read more
- Offered by the National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE).
- Available only to alumni or students of accredited schools of public health | NBPHE eligibility and Pitt Public Health eligibility.
- This was the second year of the Pitt Public Health CPH initiative providing financial support to students to sit for the CPH exam.
Why Become CPH
- Give yourself a boost in the public health job market.
- Becoming CPH distinguishes you from the other 8,000 world-wide public health graduates.
- Helps to establish your credentials when coming to the table with other health professionals.
- More and more public health employers give hiring, salary, and promotion preference to people with the CPH credential.
- Increase the credibility of the public health profession and increase your credibility as a public health professional.
- Become part of the movement to set professional standards for the field.
Read more of the benefits at www.publichealthexam.org.
Eligibility
Students must have earned 21 or more credits. For DrPH and MPH students, the credits must include the five core public health areas of: biostatistics, environmental health sciences, epidemiology, health services/policy management, and social and behavioral sciences. For MS and PhD students the Essentials of Public Health (PUBHLT 2011) course will substitute for the core areas of environmental health sciences, health services/policy management, and social and behavioral sciences. Students concurrently enrolled in one core course when scheduled to sit for the exam are considered eligible.
How
Current Students | 2012-13 Testing Cycle Instructions
- Students complete the CPH exam registration, selecting pay by check in the payment section. Do not submit payment.
- NBPHE will send the school a list of students who registered for the exam by the registration deadline.
- The school will e-mail students who have registered to confirm registration and provide log-in for CPH online study guide.
- The school will certify student eligibility. Once certified, the school will e-mail students confirmation of eligibility. If eligibility issues are discovered, students will be e-mailed directly to clarify core course enrollment plans.
- Once students are certified eligible, the test administration company AMP will send scheduling permits directly to the students.
- The school will submit payment to NBPHE for all eligible students.
Alumni | 2012-13 Testing Cycle Instructions
- Alumni complete all steps of the CPH exam registration (including payment).
- NBPHE will send the school a list of alumni who registered for the exam by the registration deadline.
- The school will certify alumni eligibility and send alumni the log-in for the CPH online study guide.
- Alumni will receive scheduling permits from AMP.
- Alumni pay full exam price at time of exam registration. Then a rebate totaling $80 from the Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH), to reflect the Pitt Public Health discounted exam rate of $315, will be mailed directly to the alumnus.
Details on Paper & Pencil Test on Campus
Pitt Public Health hosted an on-campus CPH exam on Saturday, February 9.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will this offer be made in future years?
What if I will graduate in the summer of 2013?
Do I have to be graduating this year to take the exam?
When is the exam offered?
How should I prepare for the test?
Are there test centers in the Greater Pittsburgh area?
Where are there testing centers in the US and abroad?
Will this offer be made in future years?
Yes. We expect this to be an ongoing program.
What if I will graduate in the summer of 2013?
You may take the 2012-2013 exam if you meet eligibility criteria, but you will also be eligible for the Pitt Public Health sponsored registration for the 2013-2014 exam.
Do I have to be graduating this year to take the exam?
No, if you meet the eligibility requirements then the school will pay for your exam this year regardless of your intended graduation date. For example, students in joint degree programs or students who are staying for a PhD beyond the MPH may take the exam as soon as they have completed courses in the five MPH core areas. Students are encouraged to contact Robin Leaf with eligibility inquiries.
When is the exam offered?
The exam will be offered in October 2013 and February 2014. Visit the NBPHE Web site for further details.
How should I prepare for the test?
Test prep resources are listed below. The school will provide access to the online CPH Study Guide for all alumni and students registered during the 2012-13 CPH exam cycle. Students will receive the log-in code via e-mail. Alumni registered for the exam should contact Robin Leaf.
Are there test centers in the Greater Pittsburgh area?
Yes, there is an AMP test center located in the south hills neighborhood of Upper Saint Clair,approximately 7 miles from downtown Pittsburgh. The test center is located in the H & R Block Office at 1720 Washington Road, Norman Center I, Pittsburgh, PA 15241.
Transit directions: The test center is accessible via the 36 route PAT bus with a five minute walk or the "T" light rail PAT transit blue line to South Hills Village with a 15 minute walk.
Where are there testing centers in the US and abroad?
Search for US testing centers here.
Search for international testing centers here.
Test Prep Resources
Sample exam questions
Special social media networks
Other Notable Resources for Test Prep
CPH Study Guide
*All alumni and students registered for the 2012-2013 CPH exam are eligible to access these online materials using the GSPH log-in code. Please contact Robin Leaf for details.
CPH Exam Quick Reference Review Book
Author: Larry Holmes, Jr., PhD, DrPH, Publisher: Jones & Bartlett Publishers, Inc., Second edition printed in 2009
National Public Health Training Centers Network
Distance Education Center offering listings of free online training sessions on various public health topics
Open Courseware Project at JHSPH
Offering free online lectures on various public health topics
Pitt Public Health Contact
Contact Robin with questions regarding the Pitt Public Health process or eligibility.
Robin Leaf, MEd
Educational Programs Coordinator
Office of Student Affairs | 114 Parran Hall
ral9@pitt.edu | 412-648-5984