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Certificate in the Foundations of Public Health

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Certificate in the Foundations of Public Health (CFPH)

The Winter 2009 and Fall 2009 Certificate in the Foundations of Public Health application is available now via SOPHAS (Schools of Public Health Application Service). Details.

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Experience the online program.

Now you have the opportunity to explore the new CFPH curriculum and learning environment at your own pace, with the convenience that only distance learning can offer.

View a sample course presentation regarding the use of theory to understand health behavior.

Technical questions about the online experience? Send them to sph.web@umich.edu (People with slow Internet connections should expect initial lag time.)

Online - Beginning Fall 2008

Program Description and Benefits

group at computerThe Certificate in the Foundations of Public Health is a 16-hour interdepartmental program that offers coursework in each of the five major disciplines of public health for students wishing to earn graduate credit. Courses are taught by University of Michigan School of Public Health faculty using distance learning. Certificate coursework may be transferable to a degree program within UM SPH or to other schools or programs of public health.

The certificate program offers flexibility in study for those wishing to develop foundational skills in public health without the commitment of pursuing a graduate degree. Benefits include:

  • No travel to campus
  • Courses taught by the same faculty who teach residential students
  • Flexibility to study at a student's convenience, any time/any place
  • Instructors mentoring students through interactive coursework
  • Developing a public health network through course discussion boards, team assignments, and faculty interaction
  • Flexibility to take one course each semester

The following comprise the required courses of the Certificate in the Foundations of Public Health.

Students who successfully complete the five required courses with a B average (a G.P.A. 5.0 on at 9.0 point scale) within four years of entry into the program will receive a credential from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, awarding the Certificate in the Foundations of Public Health. The certificate will be noted on the student’s transcript.

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Who Should Apply?

  • group of professionals at tablePublic health workers who desire formal graduate training but who are unable to commit to full-time study
  • Working professionals who want to take the first step toward a master's degree (16 credit hours may apply to the M.P.H. or M.H.S.A. degree)
  • Public and private sector employees who deal with the public health system
  • Students in the health sciences who seek to enhance their public health knowledge without completing a master’s degree
  • Lifelong learners

Is distance learning right for you?

Take this self assessment to get more information about distance learning and to help you decide whether it is a good option for you.

Take the self assessment for distance learning.

Cost of the Certificate

The current tuition rate for U.S. residents is $649.50 per credit hour. There are additional mandatory fees of $94.69 per term in addition to tuition.

The current tuition rate for non-U.S. residents is $1,074.14 per credit hour, plus additional mandatory fees of $94.69 per term in addition to tuition. As part of our admissions process, non-U.S. residents will be considered for financial aid to bring their net cost down to the resident tuition rate.

Tuition & fees are subject to change without notice by the Regents of the University, have been updated for Fall 2008 and typically change in the fall term.


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How Will the Online Courses Work?

screen shot from CToolsFor the certificate program:

  • Courses will be accessed via the Internet, using C-Tools – the course management system of the University of Michigan.
  • Videos and narrated presentations of class lectures and discussions will be available online and distributed as DVD/CD-ROM.
  • Each class session has web pages that contain the media (videos and narrated presentations), readings, assignments, and discussion question links for that class, along with a checklist to help students stay on track.
  • Assignments, quizzes and exams which need hand written elements will be scanned into multipage PDFs for submission.
  • Office hours with instructors will be available through both teleconference and the Internet meeting software, Centra.

Interested in the Next Step?

For more information, email us at sph.inquiries@umich.edu or call 734-764-5425.

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