Certificate in the Foundations of Public Health (CFPH) - Online Program

Program Benefits

Dr. Rich Lichtenstein, S.J. Axelrod Collegiate
Professor of Health Management and Policy.

• Experience excellence in distance education
• Learn from anywhere
• Survey the entire field of public health
• World-class faculty
• Flexibility in study

The Certificate in the Foundations of Public Health is a 16-hour interdepartmental online program that offers coursework in each of the 5 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. Credits may be transferable to a degree program within UM SPH or to other schools 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!
• Learn from the same professors who teach residential students
• Build a professional network with faculty and classmates
• Gain faculty mentorship through real-time, weekly interactive discussions
• Study at your convenience from any place
• Take one or more courses each semester
• Earn your certificate in 8 to 28 months

Watch our 30-second intro to the program:

Who Should Apply?

Those who would benefit from CFPH coursework include, but are not limited to:

• Public 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.

Cost of the Certificate

The current tuition rate for Michigan residents is $1,000.00 per credit hour. There are additional mandatory fees of $97.19 per term in addition to tuition.

The current tuition rate for non-Michigan residents is $1,100.00 per credit hour, plus additional mandatory fees of $97.19 per term in addition to tuition.

Tuition & fees are subject to change without notice by the Regents of the University, have been updated for Fall 2012 and typically change in the fall term.

Top of page

How the Online Courses Work

For 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.
• 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.