A graduate certificate in public health explores fundamental concepts and practices in this essential field. Graduate certificates deliver college credit, which learners can later apply toward master's degrees in public health.
Students may want to pursue certificates in public health for several reasons. A graduate certificate offers a shorter and less expensive path to graduate-level education for bachelor's degree-holders. Individuals with master's degrees can pursue graduate certificates to develop specialized knowledge and skills that complement their career pursuits.
With demand for healthcare professionals on the rise, public health is a fulfilling, burgeoning field. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects a 32% growth in employment of medical and health services managers from 2019-2029. Check out our rankings of the best graduate certificate programs in public health below.
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Why Get a Grad Certificate? | What to Expect | Public Health Jobs | Top-Ranking Programs
| Rank | School | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Minnesota Twin Cities | Minneapolis, MN |
| 2 | New York University | New York, NY |
| 3 | University of Massachusetts Amherst | Amherst, MA |
| 4 | Michigan State University | East Lansing, MI |
| 5 | SUNY at Albany | Albany, NY |
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Featured Online Programs
Why Get a Public Health Graduate Certificate Online?
A graduate certificate in public health entails the same core courses that a public health master's requires. Online certificates offer a worthwhile investment for individuals interested in advancing their education with lower costs and shorter time commitments.
Public health graduate certificates suit learners from diverse academic backgrounds. Public health professionals earn certificates to advance in their fields. Professionals from other industries may pursue public health certificates to explore more specialized employment.
Three key benefits of pursuing a graduate certificate in public health include:
Short-Term Education
A public health graduate certificate requires 15-20 credits. Students can complete certificate programs in less than a year, compared to the standard two-year schedule for a master's.
Essential Knowledge
Students enrolled in graduate certificate programs take many of the same courses as master's degree students. Learners gain transferable credits while exploring the broad fundamentals of public health concepts and practices.
Diverse Applications
A graduate certificate in public health focuses on fundamentals, allowing learners to apply their new credentials to various industries and sectors.
What To Expect From a Graduate Certificate in Public Health
Graduate certificate programs in public health require approximately 15-20 credits of coursework. Individuals who obtain graduate certificates from accredited universities can typically transfer their credits to master's programs. In most cases, learners who study full time can obtain their graduate certificates within one year.
Certificate courses offer a broad, foundational education in public health concepts and practices.
You can pursue a graduate certificate in public health either on campus or online, typically in a flexible, asynchronous format. Certificate courses offer a broad, foundational education in public health concepts and practices. Some programs offer additional concentrations in global health, biostatistics, and environmental public health.
Graduate certificate costs vary based on school type and state residency. In-state tuition at a public institution typically costs the least, while private universities and out-of-state public universities charge higher tuition rates.
Admissions Process
Admission requirements for a graduate certificate in public health typically mirror those for a master's in public health. Ideal candidates hold a bachelor's degree with a 3.0 GPA at minimum. As an interdisciplinary field, public health welcomes students from diverse academic backgrounds. Most certificate programs do not require public health work experience.
Commonly required materials include personal and/or professional statements, a resume or CV, recommendation forms, and official transcripts. Graduate schools often charge application fees of $40-$100.
Learners considering an online certificate program must research their institution's minimum technology requirements as well.
Different Certificate Types
To accommodate learners' busy lives and work schedules, universities offer graduate students several attendance formats. You may earn your graduate certificate in public health in person, online, or through a hybrid format, which combines online and in-person learning.
If you study online, your courses may use asynchronous or synchronous scheduling. Asynchronous scheduling allows learners to access materials and complete assignments at their convenience within set deadlines. Synchronous scheduling requires students to log in at specific times — typically in the evenings — to attend live class meetings.
Many graduate certificate programs in public health offer a broad, generalized study of the field, but some offer more niche specializations. The most common concentrations and minors include global health, environmental public health, and epidemiology and biostatistics. Less common options include LGBTQ+ health, maternal and child health, food safety, and veterinary public health.
Popular Public Health Certificate Courses
Graduate certificate programs in public health typically include the 5-6 courses typically taken at the beginning of a public health master's program. The certificate curriculum provides a broad, introductory exploration of core public health concepts.
Common courses include:
How Much Do Public Health Graduate Certificates Cost?
The cost of graduate certificate programs in public health range from approximately $6,500 at the low end to more than $20,000 at the high end. Per-credit tuition prices vary largely based on state residency and institution type.
Public colleges and universities typically charge lower tuition rates than private universities. However, private universities do not require a nonresident surcharge for out-of-state students. This additional fee, common at public universities, can more than double the cost of tuition.
Fortunately, some public universities offer tuition breaks to out-of-state learners who study exclusively online. Online learners enjoy other savings by avoiding campus-based fees and expenses associated with commuting.
Students pursuing graduate certificates cannot obtain federal financial aid. Instead, they can pursue private loans, scholarships, and grants to help cover the cost of tuition, fees, textbooks, and supplies.
Public Health Jobs and Salaries
The public health field offers employment in clinical, non-clinical, administrative, and technical positions. While some professionals work directly with the public, others focus on research and management.
Graduate certificate programs in public health complement many academic and professional backgrounds. Individuals with backgrounds in nutrition can pursue work as community dieticians or nutritionists, who earn a median annual salary of $63,090, according to the BLS. Professionals with administrative skills may find employment as health services managers, who earn a median annual salary of $104,280.
Potential career pathways for public health graduate certificate-holders include:
Choosing the Right Certificate Program
Our ranking offers a great place to start your search, but prospective enrollees should also consider other factors, like accreditation, to identify their ideal certificate program. Accredited universities meet rigorous quality standards set by third-party agencies.
Look for indicators that a school demonstrates excellence in public health, including award-winning faculty with extensive experience, the availability of advanced public health degrees, and programmatic accreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health.
Other key factors include program length, location, and available concentrations or specializations. Consider how quickly you want to graduate, how far you would need to travel for any in-person sessions, and whether you want to focus on a specific area of public health.
Finally, program cost may play a significant role in your choice, since certificates do not qualify for federal financial aid.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Top Five Online Public Health Graduate Certificate Programs for 2021
Do you want to advance your public health career? The following ranking details five of the best graduate certificate programs in public health for 2021. Each school in our ranked list holds regional accreditation from one of the following agencies:
Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
New England Commission on Higher Education (NECHE)
Several institutions also hold programmatic accreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) — an independent agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit public health schools and programs.
Our Ranking Methodology