University of Iowa
Certificate in Emerging Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Program Overview

Program Objective
The primary purpose of this Certificate is to support sponsoring organizations (e.g. United States Department of Defense Global Emerging Infections Surveillance and Response System (DoD-GEIS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Fogarty International Center, etc) by providing special graduate level education in emerging infectious disease epidemiology to nominated international public health professionals.  By making advanced training available to international public health practitioners, the program will help to build sustainable epidemiological research capacity in infectious diseases and promote new collaborations between international US laboratories and other countries. 

The program is also open to anyone who provides independent support for his/her studies, including public health professionals and University of Iowa undergraduate and graduate students.

Program Background
Emerging infectious diseases are increasingly recognized as global and regional issues, with potentially serious impacts on human health, animal health and economies. Some diseases have been effectively controlled with the help of modern technology. Yet new diseases—such as SARS, West Nile and avian influenza virus infections—frequently appear. Others, such as malaria, tuberculosis, and bacterial pneumonias, are now appearing in forms that are resistant to drug treatments.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), most countries have inadequate support for building public health and veterinary core capacities in the emerging infectious disease field, including a lack of basic training and education for public health practitioners.

The College of Public Health Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases (CEID), which is part of the Department of Epidemiology, is centrally focused upon studying emerging infectious diseases and is already collaborating with a number of international investigators.  The program will utilize resources already in place at the University of Iowa, including existing distance learning, modern information technology, and programs available, and be managed by the CEID and the Institute for Public Health Practice.

CEID has unique epidemiological, laboratory, and statistical capabilities to support students in their Certificate training, including a large, multi-faceted laboratory with a national reputation for excellence concerning emerging respiratory pathogens.
The proposed graduate certificate will:

• Help to meet the training needs of international public health professionals;
• Strengthen international relationships for the sponsoring organizations that will nominate students for scholarships to complete the certificate;
• Enhance the performance of foreign nationals collaborating with sponsoring organizations;
• Help foreign countries train and retain their most promising new scientists with a strategy that will not demand their long-term absence; and
• Help international students establish an academic track record of excellence such that they might compete and win external scholarships for more formal degree training (MS, MPH, and PhD through organizations such as Fogarty, USAID, etc.).

Description of Certificate Program
Each year, a class of up to 50 international public health professionals will be provided with tuition scholarships and travel funding to participate in this Certificate program. A number of independently funded students and professionals will also be enrolled each year. The Certificate will be earned through18 to 20 days of intensive training at the University of Iowa coupled with year-round Web-based, asynchronous, distance learning training. 

Training will include lectures, tutorials, field experiences, laboratory exercises, public health demonstrations, and written examinations, with the goal of introducing students to the many facets of studying emerging infectious diseases.  Disciplines reviewed will include: epidemiology, biostatistics, zoonotic diseases, entomology, microbiology, water quality assessments, scientific research, and food safety.

All courses will be taught in English. English is the official language of the Certificate program. For distance learners, a reliable internet connection will be required. The Certificate program will use Microsoft Office software.

While English language proficiency tests are not required for the Certificate program, we note that the most successfull previous international students have had TOEFL (or IELTS during the 2006-2007 year) scores >600 for the paper exam, >250 for the computer exam or >100 for the internet exam (>7.0 for the IELTS exam).

The Certificate will be awarded after a student successfully completes the 12 semester hours (s.h.) of prescribed course work with a grade point average (GPA) of at least a 2.75 on a 4.0 scale.  Course work must be completed within a 5-year time period.  After demonstrating excellence in performance, successful certificate trainees may compete for further scholarship support (Fogarty, USAID, etc.) and apply 9 hrs of the training towards a Masters in Public Health at the University of Iowa.

Required courses (6 s.h.) include:

• Applied Infectious Disease Epidemiology (2 s.h.)
• Public Health Laboratory Techniques (1 s.h.)
• Zoonotic Diseases (3 s.h.)

Additional courses include: (6 s.h. required from the following)

• Diagnostic Microbiology (3 s.h.)
• Epidemiology I: Principles (3 s.h.)
• Introduction to Biostatistics (3 s.h.)
• Environmental Health (3 s.h.)

For detailed course descriptions, click here

The timeline for the term beginning in next summer is as follows:
November 1: Nominations from Sponsors due
November 10: Nominees notified
November 30: Applications due for sponsored students (chiefly international nominees)
December-February: Trainees selected and notified
April 30: Deadline for nonsponsored students to apply
May 15: Nonsponsored students selected and notified
February-May: Travel arrangements made, visas acquired
May late: Trainees arrive in Iowa to begin intensive training
June early: Trainees depart Iowa
Next 12 months: Trainees complete elective courses via web-based tutorials

Nomination Process*
Each fiscal year, US sponsoring organizations (e.g. DoD-GEIS, CDC, USAID, Fogarty) will nominate international students for certificate training in accordance with their funding sponsorship.  Click here for Nomination Form (Abode Acrobat software required.)
Pre-doctoral or post-doctoral students or working medical, veterinary, or public health professionals, with at least an undergraduate degree in a biological field, will be eligible for nomination.  An emphasis will be placed on early or mid-career candidates who have more productive years ahead of them than a senior medical or public health professional.

Nominations for the next term are due November 1
*The Certificate program is also open to other trainees (both US and abroad) who have independent support to pay for tuition, books, travel, housing, etc.  Nominations are not required.  Submission of all application materials by the application deadline is sufficient.

Costs

Tuition cost information for students without sponsorship can be found by clicking here or contacting Amy-Englemann@uiowa.edu, tel (319) 384 5469.

Application Process
Please note: the application process is different for 1) nominated overseas trainees and 2) current graduate students at the University of Iowa and public health professionals with independent funding.

1. Overseas trainees nominated for sponsorship
Nominated students must electronically submit an application for training to the University of Iowa no later than November 30.  Supporting documents that also must be submitted include:

• English proficiency form,
• official transcript(s) and
• resume or curriculum vitae

2. Current University of Iowa students and public health professionals supported through independent funding
Students and professionals must electronically submit an application for training to the University of Iowa no later than April 30.  Supporting documents that also must be submitted include:

• resume or curriculum vitae.

Click here for detailed application instructions
Application packets will be reviewed by a committee of CEID and IPHP faculty and accepted applicants will be electronically sent letters of acceptance and instructions regarding training dates and distance learning. 

Eligibility
International public health professionals of various training backgrounds will be accepted into the program.  While the core 6 semester hours of training will be the same for everyone, the elective distance learning courses will be adjusted to meet the trainee’s needs.  A minimum of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is required with a minimum GPA of 2.5 out of a 4.0 scale or the foreign equivalent. 

Who Should Seek Certificate Training?
Graduate students, public health professionals, laboratory professionals, physicians, nurses, veterinarians, medical technologists, who are seeking graduate level training in emerging infectious diseases.

Trainee Candidate Evaluation and Criteria for Selection
Applicants may be asked to participate in a voluntary, 15 minute, Web-based Elluminate Live!® interview.  Each candidate will enter the interview without coaching and be asked a series of questions.  After all interviews are completed, each candidate will be ranked (see below). 

The selected candidates will be asked to email a letter of agreement within 2 weeks of receiving an offer for training.  This agreement will detail their proposed involvement and indicate their commitment in participating in this training. 

For more information please click on the links below:

Application instructions

Course descriptions