Foundations of Public Health
Immerse yourself in the science of public health and better respond to complex health challenges affecting communities.
Gain a greater understanding of public health practice and develop the skills needed to investigate threats to community health and improve well-being for all people in this fully online Foundations of Public Health graduate certificate.
In six courses, you’ll learn with students from across Ohio and the nation to gain public health expertise and skills to advance your career. You will learn:
- how to analyze essential health data
- track and monitor diseases
- design public health programs that deliver results
- examine how the environment shapes human health
- gain a clear understanding of how our public health and healthcare systems operate
These flexible online courses allow you to gain a broad public health education on your time. Plus, the credits you earn can apply toward our fully online Master of Public Health or, with certain courses, an MPH in Biostatistics or Biomedical Informatics.
Learning Outcomes
After completing your Foundations of Public Health certification, you will be able to:
- Interpret public health information using epidemiologic, qualitative and quantitative methods
- Compare the impact of systems, structural biases and social inequities on health outcomes
- Plan and evaluate public health interventions using population health needs and values
- Plan and evaluate health-related polices
- Apply leadership skills to address, advocate and negotiate for public health issues
- Communicate public health information effectively to academic and non-academic audiences
Requirements
- Prerequisites: Bachelor’s degree
- Minimum program credits: 13 credit hours
- Maximum overlap of six credits from the graduate certificate program if pursued concurrently with another degree program
Curriculum
Required courses
| Course number | Course name | Credits | Term offered |
|---|---|---|---|
| PUBHLTH 6012 | Applied Quantitative Methods in Population Health* | 2 | SP |
| PUBHBIO 6210 | Applied Biostatistics I* | 3 | AU, SP, SU |
| PUBHLTH 6013 | Current Topics in Environmental Public Health | 2 | AU |
| PUBHLTH 6014 | Epidemiology through Disease Investigation | 2 | AU |
| PUBHLTH 6015 | Program Planning and Evaluation | 2 | SP |
| PUBHLTH 6016 | Public Health and Health Care Systems | 2 | AU |
*Students choose either PUBHLTH 6012 or PUBHBIO 6210. Those interested in the MPH in Biostatistics or Biomedical Informatics should take PUBHBIO 6210 Applied Biostatistics I.
Selective courses
| Course number | Course name | Credits | Term offered |
|---|---|---|---|
| PUBHEPI 7411 | Epidemiology in Environmental Health | 3 | SP |
| PUBHBIO 6211 | Applied Biostatistics II** | 3 | AU, SP, SU |
| PUBHHBP 6535 | Community Engagement and Collaborative Community Problem Solving | 3 | AU |
| PUBBHMP 6615 | Leadership and Organizational Behavior | 3 | SU |
| PUBHHMP 6630 | Project Management | 3 | SU |
| PUBHEHS 5325 | Principles of Occupational Health Science | 3 | AU |
| PUBHEHS 6390 | Major Human Diseases in Global Public Health | 3 | AU |
| PUBHLTH/BMI 5760 | Public Health Informatics | 3 | AU |
| PUBHLTH 5558 | Policy as a Prevention Strategy | 3 | AU |
| VETPREV 7721 | Epidemiology of Zoonotic Disease | 3 | AU |
** PUBHBIO 6210 is a prerequisite for PUBHBIO 6211.