Educational Objectives
The certificate recipient will be able to:
- Identify, analyze and use available disease and behavioral surveillance data;
- Apply leadership in the management of health systems organizations;
- Communicate effectively to constituencies both within and outside of the health system;
- Determine public health information needs;
- Use appropriate basic statistical, demographic, and epidemiologic techniques to evaluate data with attention to quality control issues;
- Support state and local public health agency efforts in assessing health needs, quality of services, and strategies for health services research;
- Identify and help fill needs for information and responses to new threats to public health.

Intended Audience
- Members of the public health workforce who seek formal education and training in public health principles, problem solving skills, quantitative methods, social and behavioral determinants of disease, organization and management of health programs, and preparation for new and emerging threats to the health of the public.
- Public health practitioners interested in obtaining the Master of Public Health degree in the part-time and internet-based programs of the School may apply the course credits of the Certificate upon application and admission to the MPH program.
- Matriculated degree candidates are not eligible for this certificate.
- This program is intended to be taken on a part-time basis. Most of the courses are available on the internet.

Admissions Criteria
Bachelor's degree with at least one college level biology course and one college level math or statistics course; a strong record of successful academic performance.

No more than 8 credits may be accrued before submission of an application to the certificate program, complete with all supporting documents. Matriculated students must begin the program within one year of admission unless granted a deferment.

To apply, please go to the admissions application.

Course of Study

Required courses:

550.608 Problem Solving in Public Health (4 credits) NOTE: This course should be taken first.
305.607 Public Health Practice (4 credits)

550.694 Fundamentals of Epidemiology I (3 credits) AND
550.695 Fundamentals of Epidemiology II (3 credits)
OR
340.601 Principles of Epidemiology (5 credits)

410.616 Social and Behavioral Aspects of Public Health (4 credits) OR
380.604 Health Across the Life Span: Frameworks, Contexts, and Measurements (4 credits) OR
410.650 Introduction to Persuasive Communications: Theories and Practice (4 credits)

Elective Courses:

410.620 Program Planning for Health Behavior Change (3 credits)
300.600 Introduction to Health Policy (4 credits)
551.601 Managing Health Services Organizations (4 credits)
180.620 Nutritional Health, Food Production, and the Environment (3 credits)
220.601 Introduction to International Health (4 credits)
222.637 Health Information Systems (3 credits)

Requirements for Successful Completion
Successful completion of all required courses and at least six credits of elective courses with a GPA of 2.75. In addition, all students must complete the online Introduction to Academic Ethics module within the first two terms of enrollment.

The Certificate must be completed within two years of entry to the program.

More Detailed Information

Faculty Sponsor
Thomas Burke

410-614-4587

tburke@jhsph.edu

Faculty Co-Sponsor
Sukon Kanchanaraksa

410-223-1851

skanchan@jhsph.edu

Administrative Contact
Helen Walters

410-614-5985

hwalters@jhsph.edu