The Department of Public Health & Preventive Medicine has a Public Health Institute (PHI) which offers a Certificate Program in Public Health (CPPH).
The PHI is intended primarily for persons who:
- Work in the field of Public Health but have never had any formal public health education.
- Those wishing to pursue a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree and expect to use CPPH credits towards that goal.
- Persons with advanced degrees in related fields such as medicine and nursing who wish to enhance their professional knowledge of foundational public health concepts.
Purpose and Process of the PHI Certificate Program
The purpose of the Certificate Program is to allow candidates with professional experience, but without a first degree, to enroll in graduate level Public Health courses, with the possibility that these courses can lead to an MPH degree. The aspiring MPH student must demonstrate, during the CPPH, the ability to attain a 3.0 GPA to be eligible for matriculation into the MPH degree program.
Pre-requisites
The pre-requisites for acceptance to the Institute are as follows:
- A minimum of three (3) years’ experience working in public health
- Two (2) O’ Levels, or CSEC Mathematics or equivalent at an 80% pass grade
- Two (2) years post-secondary education
- Excellent demonstrated English language skills
- Be computer literate.
Matriculation
Students can matriculate into the CPPH in May of each year. During the course of their study, students will be required to take the six foundational Public Health courses. They will attend classes with graduate students who are pursuing the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree. All students, regardless of their status, will be held to the same academic standards.
Coursework
Students in the Certificate Program must successfully complete the following six 3-credit courses, totaling 18 credit hours:
- PUBH 803: Principles of Epidemiology
- PUBH 804: Principles of Biostatistics
- PUBH 805: Health Policy & Management
- PUBH 806: Social & Behavioral Aspects of Public Health
- PUBH 807: Principles of Environmental Health
- PUBH 831: Concepts, Practice & Leadership in Public Health
Students who pass all courses in the Certificate Program will be awarded a “Certificate in Public Health.” Those students who achieve a 3.0 or higher G.P.A. in the Certificate Program may be considered for matriculation into the MPH Program, and, if admitted, allowed to apply the credits earned in the Certificate Program toward the MPH degree.
Structure
The structure of the Certificate Program is as follows: students will complete CPPH over the course of two terms: Summer and Fall. In their first term, they will complete PUBH 803: Principles of Epidemiology, PUBH 805: Health Policy & Management and PUBH 831: Concepts, Practice & Leadership in Public Health. In their second term, they will complete the remaining three courses.
Should students fail any of the courses that they are taking, they will be allowed to re-take the course and complete the program. However, they will not be allowed to matriculate into the full MPH program.