Certificate in Public Health
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the Certificate designed for?
Public health professionals who desire to strengthen their knowledge and skills in basic public health competencies; students who want to compliment their primary major with knowledge and skills in basic public health competencies; individuals considering earning an M.P.H.
Is the Certificate in Public Health a distance-education program?
Yes; all coursework needed for completing the Certificate in Public Health is taught via the internet. You need not ever come to campus in order to complete the Certificate.
What if I’m already on campus? Are all the courses still distance-education?
Certificate students may choose to register for the on-campus sections of Certificate courses, with the exception of the course Evidence-Based Public Health Methods, which is only offered as an internet course.
How long does it take to complete the Certificate?
The Certificate only requires four courses (12 semester hours). However, not every course is offered every semester. It takes a minimum of 2 semesters (at least one of them a summer semester) to complete the Certificate. Students may take up to five years to complete the coursework.
Will I receive graduate credit for certificate coursework?
If you have completed an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university, you will be admitted to the College of Public Health in graduate status. If earned in graduate status, nine of the twelve certificate credits are eligible to count toward an M.P.H. Credit earned as a graduate certificate student may not be applied to any other University of Iowa Graduate College degree programs.
Students without an undergraduate degree will be admitted to the College of Public Health as undergraduates, and will not receive any graduate credit.
Can I take courses not required for the Certificate in Public Health?
If your primary program at the University of Iowa is the Certificate in Public Health, you may only take courses required to earn the certificate.
I’m currently completing an undergraduate degree. Would certificate courses count towards that program?
They very likely may. You should check with your degree program academic advisor.
How much does it cost to complete the certificate?
Tuition for distance education couses is $346 per s.h. (undergraduate) or $500 per s.h. (graduate). This is the total cost, there are no additional fees. For on-campus courses, different tuition rates apply.
Is financial aid or scholarship money available? Unfortunately, being enrolled in the Certificate alone does not make you eligible for federal financial aid. However, if you are already receiving financial aid for a degree program at the UI or another University, and taking certificate course concurrently, in most cases you could apply your financial aid towards Certificate courses. Check with your financial aid office.
The College of Public Health does not provide scholarships to complete the Certificate, however some of our students receive funding or scholarships through their employers.
Contact Information
For additional information or answers to any question you may have, contact:
Katie Yamaki
Certificate Program Coordinator
College of Public Health
The University of Iowa
200 Hawkins Dr., E173 GH
Iowa City, IA 52242
Tel: 319-384-5469 or 1-800-553-4692, Ext. 4-5469
E-mail: katie-yamaki@uiowa.edu