Academics

Certificates

Certificates

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Certificate in Community-Based Participatory Research and Practice

Contact Persons:

Jessica G. Burke, PhD (Certificate Director) | 412-624-3610 | jgburke@pitt.edu
Craig S. Fryer, DrPH, MPH | 412-624-3236 | cfryer@cmh.pitt.edu
James Butler, DrPH | 412-383-8630 | jbutler9@pitt.edu

THE FIELD OF COMMUNITY-BASED PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH AND PRACTICE

In the last 10 years, Community-Based Participatory Research and Practice (CBPRP) has emerged as a core discipline in behavioral and social science departments within schools of public health.  CBPRP is a collaborative process of research and practice that includes both researchers and community representatives.  Communities are generally defined as those that share a unit of identity (e.g. social ties, geographical locations).  The CBPRP process involves engaging community members, using local knowledge in the understanding of health problems, and a long-term commitment to partnership. CBPRP is oriented towards holistic interventions informed by social ecology modeling, a widely recognized approach that not only targets knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of individuals, but also includes social factors such as family and friendship ties, community norms, and the structure of community services. 

COMMUNITY-BASED PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH AND PRACTICE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH

The CBPRP certificate program is designed to provide a comprehensive set of courses that will prepare graduate students for a career in community-based participatory research and practice.  As part of the program, student interns will work with local community agencies to collaboratively address identified community public health issues.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR ADMISSION

It is anticipated that there will be three groups of students who will enroll in the Certificate Program: 1) currently matriculated graduate GSPH students; 2) currently matriculated graduate students in other schools of the university (e.g. Social Work and Medicine); and 3) non-degree students holding a baccalaureate degree who qualify for admission into the department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences (BCHS) MPH program.  The standards for admission for non-degree students will be equivalent to those for the BCHS MPH degree. 

ADMISSIONS DECISIONS

All applicants are reviewed and decisions are made by the CBPRP certificate admissions and advisory committee and the MPH admissions committee.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

As part of the 15 credit certificate program, students must take three courses and complete a 6 credit internship.  Community Development Approaches to Public Health is an introductory course focused on community development as a strategy to improve health and increase community capacity.  This approach emphasizes communities as cultural systems rather than as mere aggregates of individuals, and takes a strengths-based and social-ecological approach to identifying and defining communities.  The second course, Community-Based Leadership in Public Health, is designed to familiarize students with the basic principles, methodology, and tools for building community leadership.  And the final course, Advanced Methods in Community-Based Participatory Research and Practice in Public Health, is organized around themes central to the conceptualization and implementation of community-based participatory research and practice.  The goal of this advanced course is to familiarize students with methods for conducting community-based participatory research and practice.  As part of the internship, student interns will be matched with a local community agency where they will be expected to work for a minimum of 10 hours a week.  The student intern will work with designated agency staff and the certificate program field coordinator to identify community public health needs, and work collaboratively with community members to address identified needs. 

FOR FURTHER READING

  • Minkler, M. and Wallerstein, N. (2003) Community-based participatory research for health. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.
  • Israel B., Eng, E., Shulz, A., Parker, E. (2005) Methods in community-based participatory research for health. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass. 

While any GSPH student can apply for any of our certificates, this certificate is supported by the Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences.

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Certificate in Environmental Health Risk Assessment

Contact Person:

Conrad (Dan) Volz, DrPH, MPH| 412-648-8541 | cdv5@pitt.edu

THE FIELD OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT

Risk assessment, a process developed in 1983 by the National Academy of Sciences, provides the framework for most current studies of environmental health concerns. From determining the potential hazards of brown-fields to deciding between alternate remediation end-states of former nuclear weapons development sites to evaluating the potential harm from toxic occupational environments, the process of risk assessment has become one of the most useful approaches for assessing and addressing environmental public health problems.

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH

The Environmental Health Risk Assessment Certificate Program in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health provides concentrated graduate education in this well-defined area of environmental health.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR ADMISSION

Candidates for the Environmental Health Risk Assessment Certificate program must meet the general admission requirements of the Graduate School of Public Health graduate programs. Candidates must have a baccalaureate degree with a QPA of at least 3.0 with coursework in the basic sciences. GRE scores, with performance level of at least 1,000, combined verbal and quantitative, and at least a 3.5 analytic writing score, must be submitted.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

A student completing the 15 credits of required coursework in the certificate program will learn the processes and pathways of environmental exposures and how they reach human populations; will comprehend the impact of the environment on human health and how it is manifested both at the organ level and at the cellular level; will learn to integrate this information into the process of risk assessment to determine science-based risk estimates; and will understand the role of environmental law in directing risk assessment activities and applying risk assessment results to the protection of public health.

CAREER PROSPECTS

By means of highly focused coursework, the objective of the Environmental Health Risk Assessment Certificate program is to impart proficiency in the risk sciences to individuals who desire positions requiring the application of risk assessment strategies or who already have such positions and are seeking to strengthen their professional competency.

While any GSPH student can apply for any of our certificates, this certificate is supported by the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health.

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Certificate in Evaluation of Public Health Promotion and Health Education Programs

Contact Person:

Natalie Arnold Blaise  | 412-624-3107 | narnold@pitt.edu

THE FIELD OF EVALUATION OF PUBLIC HEALTH PROMOTION AND HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Demand for comprehensive program evaluations is rising in a range of public and private organizations dealing with the health and social welfare needs of populations in the U.S. as well as worldwide.  Graduates with a specialization in program evaluation in public health have expanded opportunities for employment in organizations such as health departments and ministries of health, health and hospital systems, educational programs, philanthropic foundations, and consulting firms.

EVALUATION OF PUBLIC HEALTH PROMOTION AND HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH

Students in the program evaluation concentration study under nationally recognized expert faculty and research staff. Students are trained in the application of both quantitative and qualitative methods for evaluation, exposed to the newest cutting-edge strategies, and have the opportunity to participate directly on interdisciplinary evaluation teams of actual community-based projects. The evaluation concentration typically involves taking courses in basic and advanced evaluation methods, qualitative approaches, health survey methods, and the evaluation practicum. A total of 15 graduate credits are required, including a 3 credit applied evaluation internship experience under the supervision of a designated faculty member.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR ADMISSION

The program is open to students presently enrolled in the Graduate School of Public Health as well as graduate students in other schools and departments at the University of Pittsburgh. In addition, the certificate program is open to community-based professionals in health, social welfare, and other related fields.

ADMISSIONS DECISIONS

All applicants are reviewed and admissions decisions are made by the evaluation certificate admissions and advisory committee.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

This certificate program is designed to link the university and community in practical applied evaluation initiatives at the community level. The academic component of the certificate program is designed to provide students with a range of skills and tools to enable them to participate in various types of evaluation projects in the public health arena. The practicum experience provides an opportunity to work on an evaluation project as part of an interdisciplinary team managed by an expert in the field of program evaluation. Examples of practicum experiences include:

  • Evaluation of falls prevention interventions in residential programs for elderly
  • Assisting in the implementation and evaluation of specialized services for young mothers and their children
  • Monitoring and providing evaluation technical assistance to community-based smoking prevention and cessation programs
  • Participating on evaluation team for comprehensive child development-early education childcare initiative
  • Assisting in the development of methodologies for the evaluation of disaster response efforts

FOR FURTHER READING

  • Windsor, R.E., Clark, N.A., Boyd, R., Goodman, R. M. Evaluation of Health Promotion, Health Education and Disease Prevention Programs,3rd Edition. McGraw Hill (2003).
  • Suchman, E. (1967). Evaluative research: Principles and practice in public service and social action programs. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.
  • Patton, M. (1997). Utilization-focused evaluation, 3rd Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
  • Green L, Lewis F. Measurement and evaluation in health education and health promotion. California, Mayfield, 1986.
  • Peter H. Rossi, Howard E. Freeman, and Mark W. Lipsey. Evaluation: A Systematic Approach, Sixth edition. Newbury Park: Sage, 1993.

While any GSPH student can apply for any of our certificates, this certificate is supported by the Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences.

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Certificate in Global Health 

Contact Person:

Joanne Russell, MPPM | 412-624-1634| JoanneR@pitt.edu

THE FIELD OF GLOBAL HEALTH

Global health refers to health issues that transcend national boundaries. It is a field that, today, faces unprecedented challenges brought on by issues such as shifting immigration patterns, climate change, conflict, and global commerce. The Global Health Certificate prepares students for occupations in public health, health care, and affiliated fields that increasingly demand interdisciplinary and international thinking skills and competence in responding to challenges brought on by this dynamic global environment.

GLOBAL HEALTH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH

Today’s complex global health problems require solutions grounded in a broad range of disciplines, and the Global Health Certificate is designed to meet this challenge. As a participant in the Interdisciplinary Curriculum in Global Health Training (INCIGHT) project, the Graduate School of Public Health (GSPH) incorporates specially designed courses and co-curricular activities into the Global Health Certificate. The INCIGHT program is a collaboration of four professional schools at the University of Pittsburgh—Graduate School of Public Health, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, School of Law, and School of Medicine. With funding from a prestigious Fogarty Framework in Global Health award, these four schools developed a unique interdisciplinary curriculum that can be used by the global health programs of the participating schools. 

This curriculum consists of three components—a set of three common courses, co-curricular activities, and opportunities for mentored field study. All of the INCIGHT components are integrated into the GSPH Global Health Certificate, offering students unique learning opportunities in an unparalleled multidisciplinary environment.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR ADMISSION

The certificate attracts three groups of students: matriculated GSPH students, students in the other health sciences schools or other graduate programs at the university, and non-degree students who take the program for academic credit (e.g., public health professionals with degrees in other fields). Admission standards for the Global Health Certificate program are equivalent to those for a Master of Public Health degree at GSPH.  See Degree and Certificate Admission Requirements. Non-degree students must demonstrate graduate standing or equivalent experience.

If you are a current GSPH student, a student who has been accepted to another GSPH program, or a prospective student who has already submitted an application for another program, please contact Ms. Karrie Presutti, GSPH Admissions Coordinator, at presutti@pitt.edu, 412-624-3003, and ask to be considered for admission to the Global Health Certificate program. 

If you are a prospective student who has not yet applied to any GSPH program, you may apply for admission to the Global Health Certificate program through the SOPHAS system at http://www.sophas.org.

ADMISSIONS DECISIONS  

Admissions decisions are made by the program director and are based on the criteria articulated in the previous section.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The 15 credit certificate program is designed to augment the student’s degree program and emphasizes an integrative problem-solving approach to global health. Students develop competence in their discipline through their degree program curriculum. The certificate provides a global perspective to the degree through focused course work and field study.

Students enrolled in the certificate will complete three core courses. Critical Issues in Global Health (PUBHLT 2009, 2 credits), Global Health Policy and Development (PIA 2553, 3 credits), and Transforming Global Health Education into Action (LAW 5134, 2 credits). Students will also complete a field practicum that is coordinated with the practicum requirement of the degree program; credit hours for the practicum vary by degree program. Students will also complete one methods course and one elective course to be selected from a list of approved courses. In addition, students in the certificate program are expected to participate in at least two INCIGHT co-curricular activities per term. Co-curriculars consist of events such as symposia, film and video programs, workshops, and lectures. Content covers a range of issues relevant to global health, such as policy analysis, ethics, human rights, epidemiologic trends, and evaluation of global health programs. 

CAREER PROSPECTS

Graduates with a certificate in global health will have expanded career opportunities with a variety of organizations that are dedicated to addressing global health challenges. This certificate adds value to professionals with existing credentials in their respective fields.

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Certificate in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Individuals’ Health and Wellness

Contacts:

Nina Markovic, PhD | 412-648-8447 | ninam@pitt.edu
Ron Stall, PhD | 412-624-7933 | RStall@pitt.edu
Anthony Silvestre, PhD | 412-624-5080 | tonys@pitt.edu 

LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER (LGBT) INDIVIDUALS’ HEALTH AND WELLNESS

LGBT health and wellness focuses on a public health perspective on social, cultural, and individual factors that influence the health and wellbeing of LGBT communities. There are conceptual and practical skills necessary to identify, analyze, and address health issues of the LGBT communities.

These skills include the design, implementation, and evaluation of programs to improve health levels among LGBT populations as well as the conduct of intervention research, epidemiological research, and policy analysis to enhance the health and wellbeing of individuals related to sexual orientation and/or gender identity/presentation. Additionally, the LGBT community reflects the diversity of the general population, including racial/ethnic, disability, rural, aging, and socio-economic minorities. These minority communities have been identified as target populations for improving health disparities by U.S. public health officials. Examining and addressing LGBT disparity issues provides benefits to the larger community of public health professionals dedicated to improving health disparities and may help to disentangle the impact of multiple minority statuses.

LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER INDIVIDUALS’ HEALTH AND WELLNESS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH

This 15-credit certificate program offers students an opportunity to learn from and work with leading faculty and researchers in the field of LGBT health.

Members of the Center for Research on Health and Sexual Orientation (CRHSO) provide multidisciplinary and collaborative opportunities within the academic medical center and the local community. Faculty members also work collaboratively with faculty at other universities and leaders in LGBT healthcare across the nation, which can provide additional research and learning opportunities for students.

The certificate program is designed for post-baccalaureate and graduate students who have an interest in LGBT communities and are seeking to develop skills necessary to effectively address health issues of the LGBT communities. Core course work topics include historical development of LGBT health focus area, a systems overview of conditions of greater prevalence among LGBT populations, review of theories of personal and community based health interventions, cultural competency skill development related to LGBT health care delivery, and development of critical thinking skills. The certificate program will work closely with the CRHSO to identify appropriate optional practica for students, monitor those practica, and evaluate student performance. The practica may take place within the center itself or with a variety of public and private sector agencies. Students will be required to submit a written thesis or project related to LGBT health and wellness and to present their work to peers and members of the CRHSO.

Students enrolled in degree programs within the Graduate School of Public Health will be subject to requirements for comprehensive examinations and master’s essay through their respective department.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR ADMISSION

Post-baccalaureate or graduate students may apply for the program, including currently matriculated students, non-degree post-baccalaureate students who may take the certificate for academic credit(for example, public health professionals with degrees in other fields), and students from other graduate programs at the University. For graduate students taking the program for academic credit, the program will have admission standards equivalent to those for a master’s degree at the Graduate School of Public Health. Matriculated students must meet all departmental and school wide requirements for admission. Non-degree post-baccalaureate students must meet the school’s requirements for admission for non-degree students.

ADMISSIONS DECISIONS

Applications meeting school admissions criteria are reviewed by the faculty throughout the year. If the committee recommends admission and the assistant dean approves, the applicant receives an official letter of the offer of admission. Applicants denied admission receive a letter from the program directors with suggestions to improve qualifications should they choose to reapply at a later time.

CAREER PROSPECTS

The need for trained professionals in this area is great; graduates will be well prepared to assume positions in LGBT health-related programs, or develop LGBT programs within current programs.
This program is relevant to a broad array of public health professionals, including those who lead LGBT agencies, provide health care services to the LGBT community, or conduct research related to LGBT populations.

FOR FURTHER READING

While any GSPH student can apply for any of our certificates, this certificate is supported by the Departments of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases and Microbiology.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

View additional information about the LGBT certificate on the Infectious Diseases and Microbiology web site. 

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Certificate in Minority Health and Health Disparities

Contacts:

Craig Fryer, DrPH | 412-624-3236 | cfryer@cmh.pitt.edu
Mary Garza, PhD, MPH | 412-624-5531 | mgarza@cmh.pitt.edu

THE FIELD OF MINORITY HEALTH AND HEALTH DISPARITIES

‘Minority health’ and ‘health disparity’ are terms often used interchangeably to describe an inequitable situation in public health in which African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Alaskan Natives not only commonly live under the burden of poverty, but die more frequently from preventable diseases than their white peers.  Heart disease, obesity, HIV, diabetes, cancer, depression, disability and infant mortality are among the generally cited health problems that afflict one or more of these groups at alarming and disturbing rates. To limit this crisis solely to socio-economic, racially based, or genetic origins is to consider a complex problem superficially, and to miss the opportunity to identify and implement solutions.  Cultural beliefs, language barriers, discrimination and targeted marketing, stereotypical medical models, and uninformed policy are just a few of the factors that perpetuate premature illness and death in minority populations. Future policy-makers and health professionals need the ability to view the composite picture of minority health and health disparities with a critical eye that detects the more subtle contributors to health disparities, and they need the transferable skills to detect and correct these inequalities.

MINORITY HEALTH AND HEALTH DISPARITIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH

The Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences and the Center for Minority Health have created this innovative certificate that addresses the systemic root causes of health disparities and trains students in appropriate interventions. This certificate provides students with an academic foundation for eliminating racial and ethnic disparities through conducting community based interventions, mobilizing communities where disparities exist, advocating for healthy public policy and for culturally tailoring interventions that are appropriate to minority populations.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR ADMISSION

This certificate will be appealing to three distinct groups of students: current GSPH students, students in schools of the health sciences and other graduate programs at the university and non-degree students who may take the certificate for academic credit, such as public health and human service professionals with degrees in other fields. For graduate students taking the program for academic credit, the program will have admissions standards equivalent to those for a master’s degree at GSPH. Matriculated students must meet all departmental and school wide requirements for admission. Non-degree students must meet GSPH’s requirements for admissions to a master’s program.

ADMISSIONS DECISIONS

Applications are reviewed by the Minority Health and Health Disparities Admissions Committee.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The overall goals of this certificate program are:

  • to develop professionals with an understanding of the root causes of health disparities;
  • to increase cultural competence of public health and other professionals;
  • to equip public health professionals with appropriate methods of research and intervention in minority health and health disparities; and
  • to provide an interdisciplinary vehicle through which students can pursue and strengthen their individual career interests relevant to health disparities and minority health.

The 15 credit certificate requires the following courses: Overview of Minority Health and Health Disparities, Community Development Approaches to Public Health, Health Disparities: Research and Interventions, and the Integrative Seminar. The remaining credits will be taken as approved electives.

CAREER PROSPECTS

This certificate adds value to professionals with existing credentials in their respective fields. Additionally, increasing numbers of health and human service organizations, local, state and federal agencies are creating offices of minority health, offices of health equity and other institutional components dedicated to the elimination of health disparities. Students earning this certificate may serve as experts in minority populations in national organizations or as senior staff in community based organizations.

SAMPLE FIELD EXPERIENCES

  • Working on health equity and policy issues at the level of the state health department
  • Working as a program officer in a health related foundation or other philanthropic organizations
  • Working with mass media to create targeted programming for minority communities

FOR FURTHER READING

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2000). Healthy people 2010 Understanding and improving health (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Please visit the minority health archives at the Center for Minority Health’s homepage, www.cmh.pitt.edu

While any GSPH student can apply for any of our certificates, this certificate is supported by the Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences.

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Certificate in Public Health Genetics

Contact Person:

Elizabeth Gettig, MS, CGC | 412-624-3066 | betsy.gettig@hgen.pitt.edu

THE FIELD OF PUBLIC HEALTH GENETICS

Advances in genetics are occurring at a pace that challenges our collective ability to respond to the many social, legal, ethical, and public health policy implications generated by this revolution of knowledge. Consequently, there is a compelling need to prepare future public health professionals in the biology, technology, applications, responsibilities, and issues of genetics information, which will play an increasing role in our understanding of health and disease. All areas of public health can be improved and expanded by examining the role of genetics in public health issues.

PUBLIC HEALTH GENETICS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH

The purpose of the Certificate in Public Health Genetics is to provide graduates with a basic grounding in public health genetics that will enable them to function as public health professionals at the cutting edge of this important new area. Students enrolled in this certificate program are trained to incorporate knowledge of how genes, together with the environment and behavior, influence health and apply this insight into their area of practice or research.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR ADMISSION

There are two distinct groups of students that will be interested in enrolling in the certificate program: currently matriculated Graduate School of Public Health students and non-degree students who may take the program to enhance their career opportunities (public health professionals with or without MPH degrees). Some students from other areas of the university may also be interested in this certificate.

The standards for admission are essentially equivalent to those for the MPH, i.e. an adequate background in mathematics, biology, and social science to successfully complete the required coursework for the certificate. In addition, applicants must demonstrate prior public health experience in the form of academic work or appropriate job experience.

ADMISSIONS DECISIONS

Admissions decisions for the certificate program will be made by the Human Genetics MPH admissions committee.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The objectives of the Public Health Genetics Certificate are:

  • To provide opportunities for professional-level interdisciplinary training in genetics, risk assessment, and communication for public health students and professionals in the non-profit, public, and private sectors as well as graduate students from other departments and schools
  • To provide a conduit for high quality students to enter the Graduate School of Public Health The curriculum will consist of 15 credits, of which at least 12 must be traditional classroom courses.

The remaining 3 credits can be seminar, project, or practicum work, as described below.

All students must take the course Public Health Genetics. Students must take at least two of the following four courses: Human Population Genetics, Introduction to Human Biochemical and Molecular Genetics, Molecular Genetics of Human Inherited Disease, and Chromosomes and Human Diseases. A maximum of 3 credits may come from the following courses: Clinical Genetics Case Conference, Human Genetics Journal Club, and Special Studies in Human Genetics-Practicum.

Additional courses permitted for the certificate include all other human genetics courses in addition to the epidemiology course, Molecular Epidemiology Laboratory and the Behavioral and Community Health Sciences course, Risk Communication. Other courses must be approved by the director of graduate studies for the Department of Human Genetics.  In addition, all students receiving the certificate must do one presentation at the Human Genetics Journal Club, regardless of whether they register for the journal club course for credit.  Students enrolled in human genetics degree programs other than the MPH in Public Health Genetics may receive the certificate, with the stipulation that the certificate curriculum must include at least 6 credits of public health-related coursework that is not part of the coursework for their degree.

While any GSPH student can apply for any of our certificates, this certificate is supported by the Department of Human Genetics.

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Certificate in Public Health Preparedness and Disaster Response

www.prepare.pitt.edu

Contacts:

Samuel Stebbins, MD, MPH | 412-383-1967| stebbins@pitt.edu   
Donna Murr | 412-624-3155 | sherk@pitt.edu

THE FIELD OF PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS AND DISASTER RESPONSE

Local public health authorities have the primary responsibility for the health of the population after a disaster. It is important for public health professionals to improve their ability to collaborate with local first responders, emergency operations centers, and other providers to ensure an adequate response. This field emphasizes, in addition to collaboration, improvement in the public health infrastructure to monitor the environment, assess the needs of especially vulnerable populations, provide surveillance and injury prevention programs, and allocate public health resources in times of community emergency.

PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS AND DISASTER RESPONSE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH

This certificate seeks to improve the preparedness of local health units by training public health students and professionals to participate and collaborate, as well as play leadership roles in emergency planning, disaster response (including bioterrorism), and recovery efforts. The curriculum responds to national calls for an improved public health infrastructure by addressing three priority areas identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

  • Preparedness planning
  • Risk communication
  • Improved competency of the public health workforce to deliver services in the event of a bioterrorist attack or other public health threat

QUALIFICATIONS FOR ADMISSION

Students already enrolled in the Graduate School of Public Health may apply to the certificate program by submitting a letter of request to the Office of Student Affairs. The letter should include the student’s name, department, semester in which the student intends to start the program and the statement “This is an official request for my application to be considered for admittance to the Graduate Certificate Program in Public Health Preparedness and Disaster Response.” The Office of Student Affairs will forward a copy of the student’s academic records to the certificate program administrator. When the records are received, the administrator will contact the student to schedule an interview with the program director. Students matriculated in any graduate program in the university may apply directly to the certificate program.  Non-degree students must apply to the Graduate School of Public Health. Admission of non-degree students is based on completion of a bachelor’s degree, job experience, and career plans.

ADMISSIONS DECISIONS

Admission decisions are made by the program director following a personal interview and are based on qualifications.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Certificate in Public Health Preparedness and Disaster Response was launched in fall 2003. This innovative, interdisciplinary certificate program was created to provide students and professionals with a practical academic foundation in order to further strengthen the public health workforce and infrastructure.  Students must complete 15 credits (10 required credits and five elective credits). Required courses include Risk Communication, Environmental Preparedness, Issues in Bioterrorism, Introduction to Public Health Emergency Response, and Evaluation of Health Programs.

CAREER PROSPECTS

Career opportunities in disaster preparedness and emergency response have grown dramatically since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The face of today’s public health workforce includes positions such as:

  • Emergency management analyst
  • Domestic preparedness coordinator
  • Community disaster educator
  • Emergency preparedness health planner
  • Public health preparedness coordinator
  • Emergency preparedness director
  • Bioterrorism/chemical epidemiologist

SAMPLE FIELD EXPERIENCES

  • Development of emergency operations plans for local health department programs
  • Public education for the American Red Cross
  • Assistant at local emergency operations center

SAMPLE FINAL PROJECTS

“Survey of vulnerable populations”
“Issues in agro-terrorism”

While any GSPH student can apply for any of our certificates, this certificate is supported by the Departments of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences and Environmental and Occupational Health.

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