Brief History

College of Health Professions

Established in 2010, the College of Health Professions (CHP) at Pace University offers programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral level that are designed to prepare students for impactful careers in health care practice and health-related research. It is the college’s goal to create innovative and complex programs that reflect the changing landscape of the health care system. 

At CHP, students receive hands-on clinical training and have the opportunity to gain experience by applying their developing skills in real world settings at many of the regions' clinical facilities.

The college is currently made up of several growing and important areas of study, which include nursing, physician assistant, communication sciences and disorders, health informatics, occupational therapy, public health, and nutrition and dietetics. 

Communication Sciences and Disorders, MS

Enter the dynamic field of communication sciences and disorders in one the world’s greatest multi-cultural hubs. Our graduate-level, professional degree will offer you offer an exciting host of opportunities to further your knowledge and enable you to emerge fully prepared to truly make a difference as a speech-language pathologist.

The master of science program in Speech-Language Pathology (residential) at Pace University s accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2200 Research Boulevard, #310, Rockville, MD 20850, (800) 498-2071 or (301) 296-5700.

Facilities include an on-site Speech and Hearing Center, audiology test suite, and technology-rich speech lab with state-of-the-art equipment. Graduates from the master’s program will be eligible for American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) certification. Graduates of the program are prepared to sit for the PRAXIS examination in speech-language pathology.

Health Informatics, MS

The Master of Science in Health Informatics welcomed its first class in Fall 2023. It is a program designed by both the College of Health Professions and the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems to prepare students to work in a variety of areas including analytics for clinical quality, health outcomes, and population health as well as business intelligence roles at top institutions in the field. The program began as a fully-online program and has since expanded to include a full-time, on-campus option at the New York City campus.

Lienhard School of Nursing

The Lienhard School of Nursing is named for the late Gustav O. Lienhard, Pace alumnus and honorary trustee of the University. Nursing was first established at Pace in 1966 with the introduction of a pre-professional program at the Pleasantville campus. By 1971, nursing was offered at the New York City campus and the Undergraduate School of Nursing was founded. Responding to community needs, the first professional bachelor of science nursing program was established in 1973. At the same time, the Graduate School of Nursing, formerly associated with the New York Medical College, became an official school of the University. In keeping with the current organizational structure of the various schools within the University, the Graduate and Undergraduate Schools of Nursing were unified in 1979 into the Lienhard School of Nursing.

Nutrition and Dietetics, MS

The Nutrition and Dietetics program is designed to prepare students for a career in nutrition and dietetics as registered dietitians (RD). Our program blends didactic learning with supervised practice to help students meet the knowledge and skill requirements of RDs as defined by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). The program was built with major nutritional challenges of today’s world in mind—rising rates of overweight and obesity and their related comorbidities, a growing focus on sustainability and local food, an environment replete with unhealthful foods, a culture of convenience that has dented the family meal tradition, and socio-economic inequality that has left many Americans hungry.

Occupational Therapy, MS

The hybrid MSOT program at Pace University College of Health Professions, Pleasantville Campus was established in 2019. It is a weekday graduate program designed to be delivered in a blended format combining online and face-to-face classroom instruction. The program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. Phone number: (301) 652-AOTA. ACOTE Website . The MSOT program accepted the first cohort of students in September 2019.

Pace University-Lenox Hill Hospital Physician Assistant Program NYC

The PA program’s inception in 1995 was a unique arrangement between Lenox Hill Hospital, an employer of 70 PAs, and Pace University’s Department of Biological Sciences, which had a strong allied health component. Lenox Hill Hospital now employs approximately 165 PAs – more than double the number from 1995.  In 2010, the PA Program relocated from Pace University’s Department of Biological Sciences into the College of Health Professions. Learn more about the history of the PA program, including key dates in the program's history.

Physician Assistant Program - Pleasantville

The Pace University Physician Assistant Program - Pleasantville is a rigorous course of study leading to a Master of Science. Students integrate courses in basic science, pharmacology, clinical medicine, and behavioral health, as well as unique courses providing a comprehensive approach to patient care and practice in underserved settings. The program welcomed its inaugural class in Fall 2017. 

Public Health, MPH

The Master of Public Health in Global Health Equity welcomed its first class in Fall 2024. CHP's newest program is an interdisciplinary professional degree program designed to train the next generation of innovative global public health practitioners to assume leadership roles in the critical work of identifying and eliminating health disparities.