POST-BACCALAUREATE CERTIFICATE IN PUBLIC HEALTH (PBC) 

There has been a consistent demand for focused efforts that address the infrastructure and core services of public health. To address this need, the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health has developed a Certificate in Public Health (PBC) program of study. Those who work in public health but who have never had any formal public health training may have an interest in this program. The certificate is an 18-credit hour program and the content is the same as the core taught in the Master of Public Health graduate degree program.

Moreover, professionals with advanced degrees in related areas such as mental and emotional well-being, family and relationship skills, human growth and development, nutrition, kinesiology, substance abuse prevention, diseases and disorders, safety and injury prevention, community and environment health, consumer health as well as medicine and nursing may also be interested in this program for the purpose of enhancing their professional knowledge of key public health concepts.

This program of study requires eighteen (18) semester credit hours. The six (6) MPH core courses (Introduction to Public Health, Biostatistics I, Environmental and Occupational Health, The Health Care System, Introduction to Health Behavior and Health Education and Epidemiology I) comprise the coursework for the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate program. Description of the course content is as follows.

PBHL 5003: Introduction to Public Health

An introduction to basic and contemporary issues of public health, including tools of community-based health assessment, surveillance, health promotion, disease prevention, policy and ethics will be presented. This course provides an overview in the diverse areas of public health practice.

PBHL 5013: Biostatistics I

Introductory topics in descriptive biostatistics and epidemiology, database principles, basic probability, diagnostic test statistics, tests of hypotheses, sample-size estimation, power of tests, frequency cross-tabulations, correlation, nonparametric tests, regression, randomization, multiple comparisons of means and analysis of variance for one- and two- factor experiments.

PBHL 5113: Environmental and Occupational Health

This course is intended to provide a detailed overview of the fields of environmental and occupational health, with an emphasis on the practical aspects of the recognition, evaluation and control of chemical, physical and biological hazards, including basic quantitative assessment of these hazards. Additional topics include significant legal and historical influences as well as currently important issues in the fields.

PBHL 5123: The Health Care System

Provides an overview of the structure and function of the U.S. healthcare system in delivering health services and public health interventions. Topics include organizational arrangements, financing, health status and system-level determinants of health, health insurance, the health workforce, health services costs and quality, access to care, and regulatory issues.

PBHL 5133: Introduction to Health Behavior and Health Education

Introduction to health behavior, health education, theory, and practice; defines key terms and concepts; theories of individual health behavior; variables influencing responses to interventions; interpersonal theories examining elements in the environment affecting health behavior; basic planning models; and includes discussion of ethical principles and application of theory in culturally distinct and/or other unique populations.

PBHL 5173: Epidemiology I

An introduction to epidemiology and the basic principles and methods of epidemiological research and practice. Overview of the history and the theoretical basis of epidemiology; measures of morbidity, mortality, disease transmission and risk; major study designs; measures of association; bias, confounding and interaction; evaluation of screening tests; inference; casualty. Prerequisite: PBHL 5013: Biostatistics I (may be taken concurrently) or equivalent.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR THE POST-BACCALAUREATE CERTIFICATE IN PUBLIC HEALTH

A Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health completed application form with all required materials must be received by the COPH Office of Student Services by 4:30 p.m. on April 1 for applicants seeking admission in the fall semester and by 4:30 p.m. on October 1 for admission to the spring semester.

To apply to the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate program in the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, applicants must submit the following materials:

1.  A completed and signed original COPH application form.

2.  A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university. Official, original transcripts of all academic work must be sent to the COPH Office of Student Services directly from each college or university attended, whether or not a degree was awarded at that institution. Transcripts showing courses completed at the UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health must also be requested from the COPH Registrar and received by the deadline date. Transcripts from foreign institutions must be translated.

3.  Personal statement or letter of interest (500 to 700 words).

4.  Three (3) COPH recommendation forms. The forms must be completed by separate individuals who can speak to the candidate’s academic, professional and public health experience. (Completed forms may be accompanied by a formal letter of reference, at the discretion of the recommender; however, the letter will not suffice as a recommendation without the completed form.) The envelope containing the completed forms must be signed by the referring party on the form and across the seal of the envelope. The required form may be found online at www. uams.edu/coph/applicants.

5.  In admission reviews, first consideration is given to Arkansas residents. In recognition of the support of COPH programs by private and federal organizations highly qualified applicants who are residents of another state or citizens of a foreign country may compete for admission. Those whose native language is not English or who do not have an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited US college or university, are required to submit a minimum score of 600 on the paper based examination, 250 on the computer based examination, or 100 on the internet based examination on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The test must have been taken within the five (5) years immediately preceding the application deadline (April 1or October 1)of the requested semester for admission. An original report of the test score, sent by the testing agency to the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, is required before any action is taken on an application. Copies are not acceptable. An international student non-refundable application fee of $100, in a check or money order, payable to UAMS COPH, also applies. (Please see “Admission Requirements for International Students” for more information.)

6.  A current curriculum vitae or résumé.

7.  Non-refundable application fee of $42, in a check or money order, payable to UAMS COPH. International students must pay a non-refundable $100 application fee.

8.  Complete a guided telephone interview conducted by COPH Student Services shortly after the application deadline.

*The GRE is not required for applicants to the post-baccalaureate certificate in public health.

The Office of Student Services must receive all required materials by 4:30 p.m. on the published deadline (April 1 or October 1) date. It is the applicant’s responsibility to make sure her/his file is completed and received by the Office of Student Services as required by the deadline. All applicants who have turned in a completed application by the deadline date will be notified in writing of the Admissions Committee decision. An offer of acceptance is valid for a maximum of one calendar year from the admitted term of acceptance. Acceptance is defined as enrolling with the COPH.

For additional specifics about the curricula content and degree requirements refer to the COPH Catalog.