COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH

Learn more about the graduate certificate in Public Health Preparedness and Response.

About the Certificate

Public health and emergency preparedness are considered central concepts in regional, national and global public health and emergency management agencies and systems. To prevent and respond to future public health emergencies, including outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics, the number of public health professionals with training in public health preparedness and emergency response needs to increase. To prepare students for employment in this field, the College of Public Health's graduate certificate in Public Health Preparedness and Response (PHPR) provides students with training in bioethics, cultural sensitivity, emergency preparedness, health equity, outbreak response, public health surveillance and vulnerable populations. Students learn to identify and respond to public health threats with a focus on outbreaks and epidemics and leave the program with the skills required to work with public health agencies to make effective decisions in responding to emergencies and mitigating risk. Courses in the PHPR certificate program provide a risk-assessment and decision-making framework for students' graduate study and a foundation for a career in public health leadership.

Time Limit for Certificate Completion: 2 years

Campus Location: Online

Full-Time/Part-Time Status: The graduate certificate may be completed on a part-time basis.

Non-Matriculated Student Policy: The certificate program is currently not open to non-matriculated graduate students. It is structured to be completed by graduate students currently enrolled in MPH and public health-related doctoral programs or in other graduate programs at Temple. Students are permitted to take up to 9 credits of certificate coursework before applying. Those who are accepted into the certificate program may then apply the coursework completed prior to matriculation toward the certificate requirements. Matriculation is required to earn the certificate.

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:
Fall and Spring admissions are on a rolling basis. Students who are currently enrolled in a graduate program in Temple University's College of Public Health or in another Temple school or college are welcome to apply to the PHPR graduate certificate program. For more information on how to apply, interested applicants should contact Natasha Benoit, Senior Academic Advisor, at nbenoit@temple.edu or 215-204-5105.

Laptop: All incoming students in the College of Public Health are required to have a laptop. Academic programs in the college are technology intensive. They incorporate statistical and database analyses; utilize specialized tools for athletic training, kinesiology and physical therapy; stream audio and video for communication sciences; facilitate online interactive counseling for social work; and foster clinical experiences and online assessments. The laptop requirement enables the College of Public Health to improve opportunities for active learning and provide greater access to specialized software and required tools in and out of the classroom, better preparing students for the workforce. Learn more about device specifications and suggested vendors. Students can use excess financial aid (i.e., funds that are reimbursed after all tuition and fees are paid) to meet student needs, including the purchase of a laptop. Scholarships may also provide funding.

Certificate Requirements

Number of Credits Required to Complete the Certificate: 12

Required Courses:

Core Courses
EPBI 5205Surveillance, Epidemics and Outbreaks3
EPBI 5206Risk Assessment and Preparedness Decision Making3
Electives
Select two from the following:6
Genomics and Infectious Disease Dynamics
Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS
GIS for Health Data Analysis
Privacy and Security: Protecting Healthcare Data
Public Health Policy and Legal Issues
Risk Communication and Public Health
Health Communication
Dynamics of Health, Health Care, and Health Systems
Total Credit Hours12

GPA Required to be Awarded the Certificate: 3.0 minimum

Contacts

Certificate Program Web Address:

https://www.temple.edu/academics/degree-programs/public-health-preparedness-and-response-certificate-graduate-hp-pbpr-grad

Department Information:

Dept. of Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Ritter Hall Annex, 9th Floor (004-09)

1301 Cecil B. Moore Avenue

Philadelphia, PA 19122-6005

epibio@temple.edu

215-204-8726

Department Contacts:

Admissions:

CPH Office of Admissions

cph@temple.edu

215-204-5200

Graduate Program Director:

Aimee J. Palumbo, PhD, MPH

Associate Professor

aimee.palumbo@temple.edu

215-204-4023

Chairperson:

Resa M. Jones, MPH, PhD

Associate Professor

resa.jones@temple.edu

215-204-7881