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.

APPLICATION PROCESS FOR THE POST-BACCALAUREATE CERTIFICATE IN PUBLIC HEALTH

PRINT VERSION

Step 1: Review specific COPH program requirements at www.UAMS.edu/coph.                                                                                                     

Step 2: Complete application through SOPHAS (see www.sophas.org for information and checklists) COPH does not require a supplemental application.   

Step 3: Forward a check or money order for $25 processing fee ($50 for international applicants) made payable to UAMS COPH.  

Step 4: Log in and monitor the status of application and documents in SOPHAS regularly. 

Step 5: Once SOPHAS has received all application requirements, it may take up to four weeks for them to verify and deliver the file to COPH.  Please take this time into account when adhering to COPH deadlines.   

Please note: SOPHAS will not hold your application for the following items: 

-Standardized test scores

-International transcripts 

Thus, COPH may receive the file incomplete.  We will not move forward with the admission review process until the necessary documents either from SOPHAS or the corresponding test agencies or academic institutions are received. Continue to monitor your SOPHAS account for updates regarding the status of these items.  

Step 6: After receipt of completed application packet from SOPHAS, COPH will send a confirmation email to the applicant to the preferred email address entered on the application. 

Step 7: COPH will schedule a brief telephone interview with each completed and qualifying applicant within three weeks of receipt of file from SOPHAS.  Please monitor your preferred email address for this and other communications.  

Step 8: The COPH Admissions Committee will review the files and each applicant interviewed will be notified in writing of an admission decision within 4 weeks of the completed telephone interview.

For additional specifics about the curricula content and degree requirements refer to the COPH Catalog or contact the Assistant Dean of Student Services at 501-526-6747.