Graduate Certificate in Public Health

Admission Requirements

  1. Completion of the UND School of Graduate Studies application.
  2. A baccalaureate degree or equivalent from an accredited college or university (for U.S. degrees, accreditation by one of the six regional accrediting associations: MSA, NASC, NCA, NEASC-CIHE, SACS-CC or WACS-Sr.).
  3. An undergraduate and graduate (if applicable) cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.00. Undergraduate coursework in fields related to public health should generally exceed a GPA of 3.00.
  4. Fluency in written and spoken English. All non-native speakers of English must meet the School of Graduate Studies requirements regarding fluency in written and spoken English. Please refer to the School of Graduate Studies website.

Applicants are required to submit the following supporting documentation in the School of Graduate Studies application:

  1. A written statement that describes the applicant’s professional goals and motivation for seeking a certificate in public health. In addition, applicants should comment on any personal qualities, characteristics, and abilities they believe will enable them to be successful in achieving their career goals. (limit 2 pages)
  2. Resume listing work experience, including voluntary, and relevant accomplishments, awards, and honors.
  3. Official post-secondary academic transcripts from all institutions attended.
  4. Three (3) letters of recommendation from individuals who the applicant feels are most qualified to evaluate their academic potential and leadership potential in public health.

The Admissions Committee may request an in-person or Zoom interview with an applicant to assist in the decision process. A background check will be completed on each student before admission is final.

Certificate Requirements

The Graduate Certificate in Public Health is offered as part of the Public Health Program. It is designed for people who wish to obtain formal training in public health, but do not want to earn the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree. These include people currently working in the public health and health care fields, as well as others.  Depending on the area of emphasis, the Graduate Certificate in Public Health requires completion of 12-13 credits. Students may earn the certificate in one of three emphases: General Public Health, Population Health Research & Analytics or Indigenous Health. The General Public Health and Population Health Research & Analytics emphases require completion of 13 credits, and both require biostatistics and epidemiology. In addition to these two common courses, the General Public Health emphasis requires 3 other MPH core courses, and the Population Health Research & Analytics emphasis requires research methods and two analytics electives. The Indigenous Health emphasis requires completion of 12 credits. Applicants must meet all admissions requirements of the MPH Program. A standardized test is not required. All credits from the certificate program can be transferred into the MPH Program, if the student wishes. In addition, some students who complete the Graduate Certificate in Public Health will be eligible to sit for the Certified in Public Health (CPH) examination. For more information and CPH eligibility requirements visit: https://www.nbphe.org. 

Area of Emphasis:  General Public Health

The following courses are required for the General Public Health emphasis in the Graduate Certificate in Public Health.

PH 504Planning & Management to Promote Health3
PH 510Public Health & Health Care Systems2
PH 531Biostatistics 13
PH 541Public Health Communication2
PH 551Epidemiology 13

Area of Emphasis:  Population Health Research & Analytics

The following courses are required for the Population Health Research & Analytics emphasis in the Graduate Certificate in Public Health. 

PH 505Public Health Data Management in SAS1
PH 531Biostatistics 13
PH 551Epidemiology 13
PH 532Biostatistics 23
or PH 550 Population Health Research Methods
PH 552Epidemiology 23

Area of Emphasis:  Indigenous Health

The following courses are required for the Indigenous Health emphasis in the Graduate Certificate in Public Health. 

PH 581Principles of Indigenous Health3
PH 582Social & Ecological Determinants of Indigenous Health3
PH 583American Indian Health Policy3
PH 584Public Health Programming in Indigenous Populations3