Certificate Overview
The Public Health Certificate Program is offered through the Graduate Programs in Epidemiology and Public Health. The Public Health Certificate Program covers the core content of the Master of Public Health degree program in the areas of epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, administration, and health education, and behavior. The Public Health certificate program provides a foundation in public health training for interested students in other disciplines, and earned certificate credit may be used towards completion of the MPH or MSPH degree programs at the University of Miami.
- Course Descriptions
EPH 621 Fundamentals of Epidemiology (3 credits):
This course presents basic concepts in Epidemiology concerning the distribution and determinants of disease frequency in human populations and their investigation. Familiarity with epidemiologic principles is essential to the student’s understanding of the important health problems faced by our society, scientific and clinical activities designed to ameliorate these problems, strategies to promote health and prevent disease, and the lifestyle-related behaviors, disease-producing agents, and environmental exposures related to serious health problems. Topics covered will include basic demography, measures of disease frequency, disease screening and surveillance, descriptive and analytic study design, introduction to clinical trials, analysis of epidemiologic studies, sources of error in investigations, and investigation of disease outbreaks. |
EPH 601 Medical Biostatistics I (4 credits):
This course offers students a focused introduction to the field of biostatistics. An introduction to the basic principles of inferential statistics as applied to public health will be the primary focus of the course. Finally, the course also provides students with the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to perform analysis of public health data using statistical software. |
EPH 641 Environmental Health (3 credits):
This course is a survey course directed specifically at providing an overview of the broad topic of environmental health. Lectures and discussions focus on local as well as international environmental health problems. The course is comprised of a broad range of topics, including environmental regulation and ethics, toxicology, global change, food safety, sanitation, different forms and media of pollution, built environment, and occupational disease and injury. |
EPH 631 Public Health Administration (3 credits):
This course provides an overview of the philosophy and the historical background and development of public health. Topics covered include the legislative basis, the organization and the function of public health services in the United States at the federal, state and local level; intergovernmental and interagency relationships and policy-making; basic concepts in public health management including planning, organization, financing, quality assurance, and program evaluation; a brief overview of global health and the role of the World Health Organization, and current issues in public health and the future of public health in the 21st century. |
EPH 620 Health Education and Behavior (3 credits):
The goal of this course is to introduce students to the social and behavioral theories that provide a framework for the practice of health education and promotion in public health. Emphasis is placed on understanding the social, cultural, and psychological factors that influence health behaviors, and how changes in health behaviors can be related to disease acquisition and transmission. The attitudes, intentions, values, knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors of individuals, groups, and communities are explored. |
- Application Requirements
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| Requirement |
Description |
| Qualifications |
In order to be considered for this post-baccalaureate certificate, you must be a US citizen or permanent resident who holds an earned bachelor degree. |
| Application Deadlines |
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Keep in mind that it may take 2-4 weeks to review your application. |
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| SOPHAS Express Online Application |
Apply online through SOPHAS express.
Applicants must use their full legal name as it appears on their passport on all application materials.
Please note that the application and review process for certificates are separate from the application process. Students admitted to the certificate program that later decide to complete an MPH must submit a complete and full SOPHASapplication and be considered by the faculty admission committee. Please contact us if you are unsure or have additional questions. |
| Application Fee |
All applicants are required to pay a fee of $50 for use of the SOPHAS express application service. |
| Official Transcripts |
ALL academic records including degree and certificate programs, English language programs, and incomplete coursework/degrees from all previously attended colleges and universities must be submitted with your application.
Upload scanned PDF files of your official documentation in the attachments section of the online application. Students who are admitted to the certificate program will be asked to supply official transcripts upon enrollment. |
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| Test Scores |
Certificate applicants are not required to submit GRE exam scores. |
| Statement of Purpose and Objectives |
Your personal essay is intended to give you the opportunity to submit a narrative discussing your past education, experience, and current professional career objectives. Your statement of purpose should describe your:
- Reasons for interest in a public health certificate
- Your specific area(s) of research/professional interest
- Career goals including how you hope to contribute to public health
- Reasons for interest in the University of Miami
You are encouraged to compose your statement in a text-only word processor such as Notepad or TextEdit, review your statement for errors, then cut and paste the final version into the text box on your SOPHAS application. You are limited to 1,500 words. Upload your personal statement under the attachments section of the online application. |
| Resume / Curriculum Vitae |
All applicants must submit a complete, up-to-date resume / CV that includes all employment, activities, community service, education and academic or professional honors. Upload your resume / CV to the attachments section of the online application. Applicants should remove all biographical information typically found in international CVs such as age, race, marital status, religious affiliation and photographs from their resume / CV. |
| Recommendations |
All applicants are required to submit one letter of recommendation from those who are best able to assess your ability to be successful in a graduate degree program. Ideally, your recommenders are recent professors, researchers or employers in a related field. You will be asked for your recommenders’ contact information on the online application under the evaluations section. They will be sent an online form to complete via email. Applications are not reviewed until this requirement is met. |
