Certificate in Public Health
Available to Online Learners
This academic program can be completed online in its entirety. Alternatively, some courses can be taken on-campus for those students living in the Iowa City area.
Purpose of the Program
The Certificate in Public Health is a program designed to strengthen knowledge and skills in basic public health competencies.
Description of the Program
The program started in the fall of 2002 to allow professionals to augment their education with a 12-hour Certificate in Public Health offered by the college. All of the courses needed for completing the Certificate in Public Health are taught via the internet and are offered on-campus. Students have up to five years to successfully complete the certificate program.
Nine of the 12 hours of certificate coursework can be applied toward the Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) degree if the student has an undergraduate degree, is registered in graduate status for all of the certificate course work and is admitted to the M.P.H. program.
Qualifications for Admission
60 semester hours of undergraduate education.
Minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale.
How to Apply
Official transcript(s), a statement of purpose, two reference letters, a resume, and application form (pdf) and must be furnished to be considered for admission to the Certificate Program. At this time, we are unable to admit students who reside outside of the U.S.
Certificate Completion Requirements
Successful completion of the Certificate program requires that the overall GPA for the Certificate courses be 2.75 or above and that the course work is less than 5 years old upon successful completion.
Course Listing
Required Courses (6 s.h.)
| 170:101 | Intro to Public Health Practice | 3 s.h. |
| This course introduces students to concepts, structures and activities in public health practice. Offered on-campus fall semesters, distance-ed summer semesters. | ||
| 173:099 | Evidence-Based Public Health Methods | 3 s.h. |
| Provides instruction on choosing, conducting, and evaluating evidence-based programs and policies in public health. Contents focused on finding and using scientific evidence, implementing and evaluating interventions that produce new evidence. Offered distance-ed summer semesters. | ||
Additional Courses (6 s.h. required from the following)
| 172:101 | Intro to Health Promotion and Disease Prevention | 3 s.h. |
| This course introduces basic concepts, strategies and methods of health promotion and disease prevention. It places health promotion within the context of public health, and provides a broad overview of policy formation planning, implementation and evaluation. Offered on-campus spring semesters, distance-ed fall semesters. | ||
| 174:102 | Intro to the US Healthcare System | 3 s.h. |
| The course covers socioeconomic, political and environmental forces influencing the organization, financing and delivery of personal and public health services. Health services and policy concepts and terminology including health determinants, access to care, system integration, policy development and federalism are emphasized. Offered distance-ed summer semesters. | ||
| 175:197 | Environmental Health | 3 s.h. |
| Environmental health comprises those aspects of human health that are determined by interactions with physical, chemical, biological and social factors in the global environment. This course surveys all aspects, focusing on issues most relevant today. Offered on-campus fall semesters, distance-ed spring semesters. | ||
Tuition
Tuition for distance education students is $290 per s.h. (undergraduate) or $416 per s.h. (graduate) billed by The University of Iowa. For students enrolled in on-campus degree programs at the University of Iowa, different tuition rates may apply.
Contact Information
For additional information or answers to any question you may have, contact:
Amy Engelmann
Certificate Program Coordinator
College of Public Health
The University of Iowa
200 Hawkins Dr., E172 GH
Iowa City, IA 52242
Tel: (319) 384-5469 or 1-800-553-4692, Ext. 4-5469
E-mail: amy-engelmann@uiowa.edu