10.0 Graduate certificates and graduate minors

College of Public Health graduate minors

Any student enrolled in a graduate program outside the College of Public Health is eligible to declare a minor offered by the College of Public Health. 

The College currently offers graduate minors in biostatistics, health services research, occupational safety and health, and public health behavior and promotion. Learn more about the specific guidelines including credit hours and courses that comprise these minors.

A graduate minor requires a minimum of 10 hours of graduate-level coursework in at least three courses. The student must receive a grade of “B” or better or “S” in each course comprising the graduate minor. The completed graduate minor will appear on the student’s transcript after the student has completed the transcript designation form available through GRADFORMS. Only one course may overlap between the graduate degree and the graduate minor. The minor must be completed prior to graduation.

College of Public Health graduate certificates

To be eligible to pursue a graduate certificate, all students must have earned a bachelor’s degree. Current public health graduate students may pursue a College of Public Health graduate certificate by completing the courses outlined for the program. Any current Ohio State graduate student should use the certificate declaration form to declare the certificate. Non-Ohio State students must apply through Graduate and Professional Admissions as a graduate non-degree student in order to enroll in classes and complete the graduate certificate.

The college currently offers graduate certificates in biostatistics, environmental public health risk assessment, global one health, health services research, and occupational safety and health. Learn more about the specific guidelines including credit hours and courses that comprise these certificates.

Graduate certificate programs must consist of at least 12 credit hours. Students must achieve a cumulative graduate GPA of at least a 3.0 to be considered for the awarding of a certificate. Only grades of “A” through “B-,” as well as “S,” may be counted toward the completion of the certificate program. Students pursuing a graduate degree in the College of Public Health may overlap a maximum of six credits with their graduate degree and the certificate. Students may not transfer graduate credits earned at another institution to a graduate certificate program. Students have five years to complete the graduate certificate because course offerings can change and requirements may change. 

Students who finished or are finishing the final coursework for the certificate need to complete the Application for Certificate Completion no later than the third Friday of the autumn semester, spring semester or summer term in which completion from the student’s certificate program is expected.

The Graduate School outlines specific guidelines and lists all minors and certificates in Section 8.0 of the Graduate School Handbook.