Public Health Certificate Program
Online certificate program
information!
This 15-credit Public Health Certificate is an exciting way to build a foundation in public health, expand your job opportunities, or enhance your current degree program. This certificate program is specifically designed for:
Health professionals, such as physicians, nurses, nutritionists, and veterinarians, who work in public health and would like to increase their expertise and develop confidence in their knowledge of these issues |
Health professionals who wish to move into career positions in public health |
Graduate or professional students who would like to explore the opportunities and challenges of applying their developing professional skills in a public health setting |
The Certificate program consists of five courses - all of which may be applied toward a Master of Public Health degree at the University of Florida's College of Public Health and Health Professions.
PROGRAM DESIGN
The schedule for completing the Public Health Certificate is flexible. You can complete the program in only two semesters, if desired, or you can plan a schedule for completing the five course over a two-year period. The schedule depends on course availability and student status (e.g., graduate student, postbaccalaureate, non-degree seeking student, on campus, or online).
The Public Health Certificate requires completion of 15 credits of public health coursework, either under a general plan of study or a specific plan of study, as described below.
PREREQUSITES
Applicants must have earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited academic institution. International students must provide translated, certified transcripts showing equivalency to the U.S. bachelor’s degree.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis for the certificate program. The deadline for Spring 2009 is November 3, 2008, but applications should be submitted as soon as possible.
All prospective certificate students should open, print and complete the
appropriate certificate application check-list.
Submit this list with all the materials on the list to:
Susan O. White, MEd
Dean's Office, College of Public Health and Health Professions
PO Box 100182
Gainesville, FL 32610-0182
Phone: 352-273-5367
Fax: 352-273-6199
Click on the applications you need, listed below to open them.
| FORMS |
||
| Select one: | On-Campus Certificate Application Check List | Online Certificate Application Check List |
| Complete both: | Postbaccalaureate application form with a $30 check to: University of Florida | Certificate application form |
| Personal Statement: not a form, but a 1-page written statement that outlines your reasons for pursuing the certificate | Two official transcripts from all the colleges you have attended. | |
NOTE: all forms are in pdf format. You may download Acrobat Reader to open them if you do not have it installed on your computer, for free by clicking here.
Graduate or Professional Students: Graduate students should receive written approval of their supervisory committee to complete the certificate program. In addition, students should complete the certificate application form (pdf) and write a personal statement (1-page) outlining reasons for pursuing the certificate. Written graduate committee approval, the completed certificate application and personal statement should be sent to Susan White, in the College of Public Health and Health Professions, Dean’s office (see address above). A formal application to the university is not required. Graduate and professional students accepted into the certificate program will complete an initial plan of study upon admission, which documents the agreed upon course sequence.
Working Professionals or Others Not Currently Registered as Students: Those who are not currently registered as UF students can apply to the certificate program as a postbaccalaureate student. Postbaccalaureate information and application forms can be found online at http://www.admissions.ufl.edu/grad/postbacc.html. View the postbaccalaureate application form. Postbaccalaureate students who complete the certificate courses with a grade of "B" or better can transfer this credit to the MPH degree program if subsequently admitted to the MPH program. Do not mail application forms directly to UF, mail them to Susan White, at the address listed above.
English as a Second Language: If English is not your native language and if you have not been enrolled for one year or longer at an institution in an English-speaking country, the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required. Residents of U.S. territories and protectorates must submit TOEFL scores. See the Graduate School Admissions website for more information at http://gradschool.rgp.ufl.edu/personnel/admissions.html.
APPLICATION OF CERTIFICATE CREDITS TOWARD GRADUATE DEGREE
Postbaccalaureate students who complete the certificate program courses with a grade of “B” or better can transfer these credits to the MPH degree program if subsequently admitted to the MPH program. Application of non-degree coursework to a degree program is handled on a case-by-case basis.
COURSE REGISTRATION
Individual course registration is coordinated between the student and the certificate program advisor or graduate advisor based on a student’s individual plan of study. Each certificate student develops a plan of study in collaboration with the certificate advisor (see the application checklist). Students do not register for classes via ISIS, registration for certificate courses are handeled by the Program Assistant, Brigette Hart at bhart@phhp.ufl.edu. Postbaccalaureate certificate students are not permitted to register for additional courses while in the program.
TIME LIMIT FOR CERTIFICATE COMPLETION
Three years.
COURSE DELIVERY
All five certificate courses are currently offered on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville in a rotating schedule. The certificate courses are offered online via the University of Florida WebCT. All five courses are offered in a 12-month program via the Internet.
CONTACT US
Information: ph@phhp.ufl.edu, 1-866-62-UFMPH
Academic advisor: mgarel@phhp.ufl.edu,
352-273-6444
Applications and Online advisor: swhite@phhp.ufl.edu,
352-273-5367
Registration: bhart@phhp.ufl.edu,
352-273-6443 or 1-866-62-UFMPH
GENERAL PLAN OF STUDY
The General Plan of Study is for individuals with no previous public health training or with limited experience in public health. In the General Plan of Study, students take the core course in each of the five areas of Public Health: Biostatistics, Environmental Health, Epidemiology, Public Health Management and Policy, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. The program is available both on campus and online.
Typically, certificate students who are enrolled in a UF graduate or professional program take the courses on campus. Three courses, Statistical Methods for Health Sciences, Principles of Epidemiology, and Psychological, Behavioral, and Social Issues in Public Health, are generally offered in the fall semester. Environmental Health Concepts in Public Health and Introduction to Public Health Administrative Systems are generally offered in the spring semester.
The online versions of the courses are available in the following semesters: Fall - Psychological, Behavioral, and Social Issues in Public Health and Environmental Health Concepts in Public Health; Spring - Statistical Methods for Health Sciences and Principles of Epidemiology; Summer - Introduction to Public Health Administrative Systems.
THE FIVE CORE COURSES IN THE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
All five courses must be taken to complete a general plan of study.
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PHC 6050—Statistical Methods for Health Science I (3)
Appropriate use of data summarization and presentation of basic statistical methods, including ANOVA, nonparametric methods, inference on discrete data, inference on survival data, and regression methods for continuous, binary, and survival data. Click here for a full syllabusPHC 6001—Principles of Epidemiology in Public Health (3)
Overview of epidemiology methods used in research studies that address disease patterns in community and clinic-based populations. Includes distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in specific populations and application to control of health problems. Click here for a full syllabusPHC 6102—Introduction to Public Health Administrative Systems (3)
Overview of the public health system, including public health concepts and practice and health care delivery and financing. Focus on understanding of organization and administration of health services, structure and functions of U.S. public health system, and health insurance programs. Click here for a full syllabusPHC 6313—Environmental Health Concepts in Public Health (3)
Survey of major topics of environmental health. Sources, routes, media, and health outcomes associated with biological, chemical, and physical agents in environment. Effects of agents on disease, water quality, air quality, food safety, and land resources. Current legal framework, policies, and practices associated with environmental health and intended to improve public health. Click here for a full syllabusPHC 6410 (previously 6406)—Psychological, Behavioral, and Social Issues in Public Health (3)
Health and behavior from social and community perspectives, including comparison of various theories regarding social and behavioral approaches to public health. Click here for a full syllabus
COURSE TEXT BOOK REQUIREMENTS
A printable version of textbook requirements for certificate courses is available by clicking on the "textbook requirements" link. Textbook and material requirements for each course are also listed in the course syllabi.
SPECIFIC PLAN OF STUDY
The Specific Plan of Study is for individuals who work in Public Health or a related field and wish to obtain a greater depth of knowledge in a specific concentration area. This program is available to selected students on campus only.
In the specific plan of study, students take the core course in their chosen area (3 credits), 9 credits of intermediate and advanced course work in that concentration, and an additional 3 credits selected from another core course or within the chosen concentration area.
Applicants who wish to pursue a specific plan of study will be contacted before an admission decision is made to discuss the appropriateness of a specific program for them and to identify the courses they would take to complete the certificate requirements.
