CUNY School of Public Health

What CUNY School of Public Health does

CUNY School of Public Health (legal name: CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy; dba: CUNY SPH) is a public, CEPH-accredited graduate school established in 2015 within the City University of New York system, operating from its main campus at 55 West 125th Street in Harlem, New York, and currently developing an additional facility at Kips Bay through the SPARC project. The institution delivers graduate public-health education across four academic departments—Community Health and Social Sciences, Environmental/Occupational/Geospatial Health Sciences, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and Health Policy and Management—offering MPH and MS degrees (delivered in-person, hybrid, and fully online formats via the CUNY SPH Online platform), doctoral programs (PhD and DPH), accelerated pathways including 4+1 and one-year MPH options, and certificate programs in Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology, Environmental Risk Assessment, Industrial Hygiene, and Public Health. Its research enterprise includes 10+ centers and initiatives such as the Center for Innovation in Mental Health (CIMH), NYU-CUNY Prevention Research Center, Sexual & Reproductive Justice Hub, Global Health Justice Initiative, CONVINCE USA, NYC Preparedness & Recovery Institute, and the Center for Systems and Community Design, anchored by ~50 faculty serving ~600+ graduate students.

The school's revenue model rests on three streams: tuition and fees from degree and certificate enrollment, sponsored research funding from federal agencies (NIH, CDC, NIDA) and state/city partners, and philanthropic giving channeled through the CUNY SPH Foundation. Distribution mixes self-serve online enrollment, in-person and hybrid campus delivery, fieldwork placements across NYC health organizations, and an international channel via the University of Alcalá study-abroad fellowship in Madrid. Customer-facing technology consists of standard academic infrastructure—REDCap for research data capture with an API for programmatic access, Brightspace and Blackboard LMS, CUNY Virtual Desktop, Microsoft Office 365, SAS, SPSS, ArcGIS, Zoom, Handshake for career services, and an IRB Manager Portal—rather than proprietary AI/ML systems.

As a unit of a government state entity (City University of New York), CUNY SPH has no private shareholders, no funding rounds, and no M&A activity; leadership is anchored by Dean Ayman El-Mohandes, MD MPH (elected APHA executive board member, previously Dean at University of Nebraska), and core academic leadership including Distinguished Professors such as Terry Huang (Center for Systems and Community Design / Firefly Innovations), Christian Grov (CFAR Co-Director; 2023 SSSS Fellow), Luisa N. Borrell (Epi & Biostatistics chair), Nicholas Freudenberg (Emeritus; CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute co-founder), and Diana Romero (Center for Immigrant, Refugee and Global Health). Institutional partnerships span NYC DOHMH (evaluation and research arm), Albert Einstein College of Medicine (4+1 MPH pathway), NYU School of Medicine (CDC Prevention Research Center), Coordinated Behavioral Care (50+ organization Medicaid network), Montefiore Medical Group (influenza research cohort), RAND Corporation (adjunct behavioral scientist), and University of Alcalá (international exchange).

Name

CUNY School of Public Health

Legal name

CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy

Website

https://sph.cuny.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Short description

CUNY School of Public Health (CUNY SPH) is a public graduate school within the City University of New York system, offering MPH, MS, PhD, DPH, and certificate programs in public health through in-person, hybrid, and fully online formats to ~600 graduate students from its Harlem, NYC campus, supported by ~50 faculty and an applied research enterprise spanning 10+ centers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Health Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAGAD

Schools of Public Health

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Medical & Health Sciences Universities

Keywords

• Public health education
• Graduate degree programs
• Epidemiology research
• Health policy training
• Community health sciences

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Graduate education tuition revenue from MPH, MS, PhD, and certificate programs. Both in-person and online delivery formats available.
2. Sponsored Research Funding: Grants and contracts from NIH, CDC, NIDA, and other federal/state agencies supporting faculty research programs
3. Philanthropic Giving: CUNY SPH Foundation raises funds for scholarships, fellowships, workforce development, and student success programs through donations and alumni engagement

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CUNY School of Public Health is a public graduate school offering Master of Public Health (MPH), Master of Science (MS), doctoral (PhD and DPH), and certificate programs in public health disciplines, delivered through in-person, hybrid, and fully online formats. The school operates multiple research centers and institutes, including the Center for Innovation in Mental Health, NYU-CUNY Prevention Research Center, Sexual & Reproductive Justice Hub, and Global Health Justice Initiative, supported by ~50 faculty and serving 600+ graduate students from its Harlem campus.

Product overview

CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy is an academic institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of graduate-level public health education and research services. The institution provides a unified platform of degree programs centered around Master of Public Health (MPH) and Master of Science (MS) programs offered in hybrid, online, and in-person formats, complemented by doctoral programs (PhD and DPH) and certificate programs. The academic offerings are organized into five core departments: Community Health and Social Sciences, Environmental/Occupational/Geospatial Health Sciences, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and Health Policy and Management. The institution also operates numerous research centers and initiatives including the Center for Innovation in Mental Health (CIMH), Center for Systems and Community Design, NYU-CUNY Prevention Research Center, Sexual & Reproductive Justice Hub, Global Health Justice Initiative, CONVINCE USA, and NYC Preparedness & Recovery Institute. Student support services include the Career Skills Academy, Harlem Health Fellowship, and Student Emergency Fund. The institution partners with University of Alcalá (Spain) for study abroad programs and maintains technology infrastructure including REDCap, SharePoint, and CUNY Virtual Desktop for academic and research purposes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master of Public Health (MPH) Programs Graduate-level public health degree programs offered in hybrid and online formats, covering specializations in Community Health, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Health Policy and Management, Public Health Nutrition, and Sexual and Reproductive Justice & Health, designed for students pursuing public health careers.
• Master of Science (MS) Programs Online-only graduate degree programs (except MS in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences) including Global and Migrant Health Policy, Health Communication for Social Change, and Population Health Informatics, designed for students seeking specialized public health training.
• Doctoral Programs (PhD and DPH) PhD programs with interdisciplinary foundations in Community Health and Health Policy, Environmental and Planetary Health Sciences, and Epidemiology, plus Doctor of Public Health (DPH) programs, designed for students pursuing advanced public health research and leadership careers.
• Certificate Programs Advanced certificates for students and professionals working in or interested in the public health field, including Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology, Environmental Risk Assessment, Industrial Hygiene, and Public Health.
• One-Year MPH Degree Accelerated one-year Master of Public Health degree program for students seeking expedited completion of MPH studies.
• 4+1 Accelerated Graduate Degree Accelerated program allowing students to fast-track their graduate degree by combining undergraduate and graduate coursework, including a partnership pathway with Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
• CUNY SPH Online Online education platform offering fully online degree programs, allowing students to learn from anywhere in the world.
• Semester Study Abroad Fellowship at University of Alcalá Study abroad fellowship program partnership with University of Alcalá in Madrid, Spain, offering tuition coverage, accommodations, and meals for Epidemiology and Biostatistics track students, with up to 12 credits earned.
• Nutrition and Dietetic Internship Program Post-baccalaureate supervised practice program for students pursuing careers as registered dietitians.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% of graduates are employed or continuing education within their field
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration16 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Alcalá (UAH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Academic partnership for semester study abroad program in Madrid, Spain. Open to Epidemiology & Biostatistics track master's students. Fellowship covers tuition, accommodations, and meals. Students earn up to 12 credits. Faculty exchange and collaborative research also part of the agreement.
• Coordinated Behavioral Care (CBC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 December 2018Partnership between CUNY SPH's Center for Innovation in Mental Health (CIMH) and CBC to evaluate programs across the CBC Network of 50+ community-based behavioral health organizations serving 100,000 NYC Medicaid recipients. Focus on quality improvement initiatives and establishing innovative best practices.
• Albert Einstein College of MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Academic partnership offering MPH programs in Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Health Policy and Management specifically for Einstein medical students. 4+1 accelerated degree pathway.
• NYC Department of Health and Mental HygienecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Expanded collaboration with NYC DOHMH including completion of NYC NHANES study, community health workers initiative in East Harlem, and CDC Prevention Center collaboration with NYU.
• NYU School of MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Collaborative home with NYU School of Medicine for the CDC Prevention Center in New York City, focusing on prevention research.
• CDC Prevention CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDC-funded Prevention Research Center collaborative with NYU School of Medicine, conducting prevention research in New York City.
• RAND CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Victoria Ngo serves as adjunct behavioral scientist at RAND Corporation, facilitating research collaborations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• NYU School of Global Public Health: Direct peer in NYC offering MPH, MS, and doctoral programs with overlapping research centers. The two schools already partner on the CDC-funded NYU-CUNY Prevention Research Center, indicating deep operational overlap in faculty and research areas.
• Albert Einstein College of Medicine: Partner and peer offering MPH programs in Epidemiology & Biostatistics and Health Policy & Management specifically for Einstein medical students via the 4+1 pathway. Operates an adjacent graduate public health curriculum targeting a similar NYC talent pool.
• George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health: Urban-based graduate school of public health with strong policy and health-equity focus and federal government proximity. Comparable in mission and applicant profile to CUNY SPH.
• Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health: A peer NYC-based graduate school of public health offering MPH, MS, and doctoral degrees with comparable urban-health research portfolio and NYC Department of Health partnerships. CUNY SPH competes with Mailman for the same NYC applicant pool and faculty talent.
• SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University School of Public Health: Another NYC-area public graduate school of public health within the SUNY system, competing for the same New York State resident applicant pool and offering comparable MPH and doctoral programs.

Broad incumbents

• Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: Elite private school of public health offering MPH and doctoral degrees. Competes with CUNY SPH for top-tier applicants and sets the upper bound on public health school brand value and graduate outcomes.
• Emory Rollins School of Public Health: Top-ranked U.S. public health school with strong CDC and federal research ties. Competes with CUNY SPH for federally-funded research prestige and online MPH enrollment.
• University of Michigan School of Public Health: A leading public university school of public health with comparable affordable, high-ranking MPH and doctoral programs. Competes for the same value-driven U.S. graduate applicants considering public over private options.
• Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: The largest and most established U.S. school of public health. Sets the national benchmark for rankings, research output, and faculty scale against which CUNY SPH's top-8% USNWR standing is measured; competes with CUNY SPH in online MPH enrollment nationally.

Regional players

• Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai - Public Health Programs: NYC-based medical school with public health research and education programs; Montefiore Medical Group (a CUNY SPH research partner) is part of the same regional health ecosystem, making Mount Sinai a relevant adjacent peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CUNYSPH
• YouTubeyoutube.com/cunysph
• Facebookfacebook.com/CUNYSPH
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/cuny-school-of-public-health

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CUNY School of Public Health