College of Education and Health Services

Public Health Certificate Programs

Certificates are offered to persons who are interested in acquiring a specialized set of skills and may or may not choose to continue in a degree program. Certificates offered in Health Management and Policy, Health Education and Promotion, Epidemiology, and Emergency Preparedness appeal to mid-career professionals and to students new to the field of public health.  Hours earned in certificate programs are transferable to the MPH degree program if the student meets degree admission requirements.

Health Management and Policy

The Certificate in Health Management and Policy is designed for those who are currently working in management positions or at the policy level or to those who would like to move into administrative positions. The certificate program requires a total of 16 credit hours in the areas of management, finance, accounting, regulation and law, policy and marketing. Courses may be taken in any order.

Courses:

• Public Health System (4)
• Health Policy (4)
• Management for Health Services Organizations (4)
• Choose One:
• Marketing in Public Health (4),
• The Business of Healthcare (4),
• or Grant Writing for Public Health (4) [will apply to one certificate only]
  

Health Education and Promotion

The Certificate in Health Education and Promotion provides or strengthens the skill sets of persons interested in improving the health of communities through a population-based approach.The program requires 16 credit hours in the areas of health research methods, community health analysis, health and risk communication, and health behavior and biology. Courses may be taken in any order.

Courses:

• Behavioral and Social Aspects of Public Health (4)
• Cultural Context of Health (4)
• Public Health Education Methods (4)
• Choose One:
• Grant Writing for Public Health (4) [will apply to one certificate only]
  
• Public Health Education Programs and Skills (4)

Emergency Preparedness Certificate (online only - 16 credit hours)

The Certificate in Emergency Preparedness provides the skills necessary to meet the challenge of planning for, mitigating, and recovering from natural and man-made disasters.  The program requires 16 credit hours in the areas of assessment and mitigation of natural and man-made disasters, the sociology of response to disasters, risk communication and regulation.  Courses may be taken in any order.

Courses:

• Environmental Health (4)
• Emergency Preparedness and Planning (4)
  
• Psychology and Sociology of Disasters (4)
• Emergency Response and Recovery (4)

Epidemiology Certificate (16 credit hours)

The new Benedictine University Master of Public Health Certificate in Epidemiology allows students to acquire the competencies necessary for successful work in the field of epidemiology. Successful completion of the certificate will involve attainment of professional skills in biostatistics, epidemiology, methods of research, and applied epidemiology. Upon completion of the certificate, practitioners will be able to conduct a research study in all aspects from the initial development of a research hypothesis, through literature review, full data analyses, and reporting of the findings in manuscript, abstract, poster, and Power Point presentation. Students will also acquire the competencies necessary to perform original data collection and study design, and how to respond in the field in applied epidemiology. MPH students who complete the Certificate in Epidemiology will not only graduate as successful public health practitioners, but will also acquire the specialized skill set necessary to perform in epidemiology in the field, providing them with the strongest foundation to compete in today's job market.

Courses:

• Biostatistics (4)
  
• Epidemiology (4)
• Research Methods in Public Health (4)
  
• Applied Epidemiology - online only (4)

The Master of Public Health program at Benedictine University is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).

The final accreditation report is available upon request. To obtain a copy of the report please contact Georgeen Polyak, PhD at gpolyak@ben.edu or 630-829-6217.