Graduate Certificates

Degree seeking

If you are applying to an MPH, MS, DrPH, PhD or dual-degree program, you are a degree-seeking applicant. Please note that if you are seeking readmission to the School or are applying to the accelerated master’s (4+1) program, you are considered a non-degree seeking applicant.

Non-degree seeking

If you are applying to one of our accelerated master’s, certificate, or concurrent/inter-institutional enrollment programs, or are applying to seek readmission, audit a class, or complete non-degree coursework, you are a non-degree seeking applicant.

Certificate Overview

UTHealth Houston School of Public Health offers graduate certificate programs in various specialties, reviewing the latest research and developments in the field. A certificate confirms that graduates are well-informed and prepared to make meaningful contributions to public and population health initiatives. Whether you are a current student looking to enhance your education or a working professional wanting to build your skill set, a certificate compliments a learner's professional experience and personal development.

Certificates are available to degree and non-degree-seeking students. Non-degree-seeking certificate students may be eligible to apply up to 16 credit hours toward a degree-seeking program.

Admissions Requirements

Applicants must meet the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health’s general admission requirements for non-degree seeking students.

Certificates Available:

Advanced Data Science Certificate

Degree Overview

The Advanced Data Science certificate is designed for both students and working professionals who intend to elevate their knowledge and skill-set regarding data science processes and their application. This certificate is an extension of the established Data Science Certificate and consists of learning modules in data science crafted to meet the needs of students, employers, and community partners. Topics include data mining, data science computing, and programming in Python and R.

Please see the Advanced Data Science certificate planner for more information about course requirements.

The faculty coordinator for this certificate is Ashraf Yaseen, PhD.

Degree Requirements

Please see the Advanced Data Science certificate planner for more information about course requirements.
Advanced Planning and Evaluation for Health Promotion Programs Certificate

Degree Overview

The certificate in Advanced Planning and Evaluation for Health Promotion Programs is designed to prepare those in the public health workforce to identify behavioral and environmental determinants of health that are modifiable, and to plan and evaluate effective health promotion programs and policies to promote healthy lifestyles and prevent disease in diverse populations and settings.

Please see the Advanced Planning and Evaluation for Health Promotion Programs certificate planner for more information about course requirements.

The faculty coordinators for this certificate are Christine Markham, PhD and Melissa Fleschler Peskin, PhD.

Degree Requirements

Please see the Advanced Planning and Evaluation for Health Promotion Programs certificate planner for more information about course requirements.
Advanced Quantitative Methods for Behavioral Sciences Certificate

Degree Overview

The Advanced Quantitative Methods for Behavioral Sciences certificate builds on the Introduction to Quantitative Methods for Behavioral Sciences certificate and provides advanced training in research design and quantitative methods relevant to practitioners and researchers working in the fields of health promotion, social and behavioral sciences and preventative medicine. The course offerings in this certificate are designed to provide education in advanced design and analysis methods. This certificate will be suitable for students who have prior experience or training through multivariate linear and logistic regression modeling.

Please see the Advanced Quantitative Methods for Behavioral Sciences certificate planner for more information on course requirements.

The faculty coordinators for this certificate are Kayo Fujimoto and Nalini Ranjit.

Degree Requirements

Please see the Advanced Quantitative Methods for Behavioral Sciences certificate planner for more information about course requirements.
Applied Biostatistics in Public Health Certificate

Degree Overview

This certificate is designed to provide students or professionals basic quantitative and analytic skills for working in public health or health care related industries. The goal is to train public health professionals the basic analysis skills and critical thinking for performing analysis as part of public health research.

For more information, see the Applied Biostatistics in Public Health certificate planner.

Degree Requirements

Please see the Applied Biostatistics in Public Health certificate planner for more information about course requirements.
Culinary Nutrition and Public Health Certificate

Degree Overview

This certificate is designed to prepare those in the public health and health care workforce to understand the role of nutrition in disease prevention and health promotion, nutrition assessment, nutritional physiology, nutritional health policy, and culinary medicine.

Please see the Culinary Nutrition and Public Health certificate planner for more information on course requirements.

The faculty coordinator for this certificate is Shreela V. Sharma, PhD, RD, LD.

Degree Requirements

Please see the Culinary Nutrition and Public Health certificate planner for more information on course requirements.
Data Science Certificate

Degree Overview

This certificate is intended for professionals working in health care or industries related to public health research and biostatistics, and consists of coursework in data science, data analytics and predictions, analytic methods, and data management.

Please see the Data Science certificate planner for more information about course requirements.

The faculty coordinator for this certificate is Ashraf Yaseen, PhD.

Degree Requirements

Please see the Data Science certificate planner for more information about course requirements.
Dissemination and Implementation Science

Degree Overview

This certificate in Dissemination and Implementation Science introduces the concepts of dissemination and implementation to students and other health professionals. The concepts learned while pursuing this certificate will assist researchers and practitioners in translating and testing research advances in public health and healthcare delivery to effective and efficient interventions in multiple settings.

Please see the Dissemination and Implementation Science Certificate planner for more information about course requirements.

The faculty coordinators for this certificate are:
Maria E. Fernandez, PhD, Gretchen Gemeinhardt, PhD, [email protected], Timothy Walker, PhD, and Belinda Hernandez, PhD

Degree Requirements

Please see the Dissemination and Implementation Science Certificate planner for more information about course requirements.
Genomics and Bioinformatics Certificate

Degree Overview

This certificate is intended for professionals in academic, clinical, and research settings who are now or soon to be faced with genomic and related data. The goal is to enable a generation of investigators and academicians capable of integrating genomic and related high-dimensional data seamlessly into population and personalized health.

Please see the Genomics and Bioinformatics certificate planner for more information about course requirements.

The coordinator for this certificate is JR Bright.

Degree Requirements

Please see the Genomics and Bioinformatics certificate planner for more information about course requirements.
Global Health Certificate

Degree Overview

This certificate is intended for students interested in exploring how globalization is affecting the determinants of health, the health status of the population, and the capacity of nation-states to deal with the determinants of health and disease. The goal is to prepare students for positions that involve public health decision-making and research in a changing world.

Please see the Global Health certificate planner for more information on course requirements.

The faculty coordinator for this certificate is Lu-Yu Hwang, MD.

Degree Requirements

Please see the Global Health certificate planner for more information on course requirements.
Health Disparities Certificate

Degree Overview

This certificate provides an orientation for individuals who are working in public health or health care and seeking to focus their work to the recognition, description and elimination of health disparities that have been defined as differences in “the overall rate of disease incidence, prevalence, morbidity, mortality or survival rates.”

Please see the Health Disparities certificate planner for more information on course requirements.

The faculty coordinators for this certificate are Maria E. Fernandez, PhD and J. Michael Wilkerson, PhD.

Degree Requirements

Please see the Health Disparities certificate planner for more information on course requirements.
Health Promotion Program Planning and Evaluation Certificate

Degree Overview

The certificate in Health Promotion Program Planning and Evaluation is designed to prepare those in the public health workforce to identify behavioral and environmental determinants of health that are modifiable, and to plan and evaluate effective health promotion programs and policies to promote healthy lifestyles and prevent disease in diverse populations and settings.

Please see the Health Promotion Program Planning and Evaluation certificate planner for more information about course requirements.

The faculty coordinators for this certificate are Melissa Fleschler Peskin, PhD, and Christine Markham, PhD.

Degree Requirements

Please see the Health Promotion Program Planning and Evaluation certificate planner for more information about course requirements.
Healthcare Administration Certificate

Degree Overview

This certificate is intended for professionals working in healthcare management and students enrolled in post-baccalaureate degree programs in complementary graduate level disciplines such as business, health care, public policy, public administration, or health sciences. This certificate is designed to meet the needs of students, employers, and community partners.

Please see the Healthcare Administration certificate planner for more information about course requirements.

The faculty coordinator for this certificate is Laura M. Uribarri, PhD, MPAff.

Degree Requirements

Please see the Healthcare Administration certificate planner for more information about course requirements.
Infectious Disease Epidemiology Certificate

Degree Overview

This certificate is intended for students to gain skills and expertise in infectious disease epidemiology, covering fundamental concepts of infectious disease epidemiology, outbreak investigation, microbiology and immunology, and tropical infectious diseases. The goal is to prepare students for public health positions that require knowledge and expertise in infectious disease epidemiology.

Please see the Infectious Disease Epidemiology certificate planner for more information about course requirements.

The faculty coordinators for this certificate are Blake Hanson, PhD and Eric Brown, PhD.

Degree Requirements

Please see the Infectious Disease Epidemiology certificate planner for more information about course requirements.
Introduction to Quantitative Methods for Behavioral Sciences Certificate

Degree Overview

The Introduction to Quantitative Methods for Behavioral Sciences certificate provides introductory training in research design and quantitative methods relevant to practitioners and researchers working in the fields of health promotion, social and behavioral sciences and preventative medicine. The course offerings in this certificate are designed to provide an introduction to basic design and analysis concepts. This will be suitable for certificate students entering with little or no prior quantitative methods experience.

Please see the Introduction to Quantitative Methods for Behavioral Sciences certificate planner for more information on course requirements.

The faculty coordinator for this certificate is Nalini Ranjit.

Degree Requirements

Please see the Introduction to Quantitative Methods for Behavioral Sciences certificate planner for more information about course requirements.
Leadership Theory and Practice Certificate

Degree Overview

The certificate in Leadership Theory and Practice provides students with the theories behind leadership excellence as well as discussion on current leadership issues. It helps train present and future public health leaders in personal leadership qualities and skills needed for effective leadership including systems thinking; team work, cultural humility, strategic planning, and other leadership skills.

Please see the Leadership Theory and Practice certificate planner for course requirements.

The faculty coordinators for this certificate are Gabriela A. Gallegos, JD, MPP, and Catherine L. Troisi, PhD.

Degree Requirements

Please see the Leadership Theory and Practice certificate planner for course requirements.
Maternal and Child Health Certificate

Degree Overview

This certificate is designed to equip students with skills to professionally promote and enhance the health of women, children, and their communities on a local, state, federal, and international level, while working as advocates in health care organizations, academic institutions, and other public and private organizations. An in-depth diverse curriculum provides skills development in reproductive, perinatal, child, and adolescent health.

Please see the Maternal and Child Health certificate planner for more information about course requirements.

The faculty coordinator for this certificate is Courtney E. Byrd-Williams, PhD.

Degree Requirements

Please see the Maternal and Child Health certificate planner for more information about course requirements.
Nutrition and Public Health Certificate

Degree Overview

This certificate provides opportunities and training for students to focus on dietary assessment methodology, nutritional epidemiology, food policy and systems, behavioral nutrition interventions, and medical nutrition therapy. The goal is to prepare students to understand the role of nutrition in disease prevention and health promotion, dietary assessment, nutritional epidemiologic methods, nutritional physiology, and food and nutrition policy.

Please see the Nutrition and Public Health certificate planner for more information about course requirements.

The faculty coordinator for this certificate is Shreela V. Sharma, PhD.

Degree Requirements

Please see the Nutrition and Public Health certificate planner for more information about course requirements.
Physical Activity and Health Certificate

Degree Overview

This certificate provides opportunities and training for students to focus on physical activity assessment, epidemiologic methods, intervention planning, physiologic mechanisms and health outcomes, and policy development. This certificate also focuses on the possible causes and consequences of physical inactivity on health in individuals and populations and provides hands-on opportunities for skills development in the areas of measurement, intervention, and environmental and policy change.

Please see the Physical Activity and Health certificate planner for more information about course requirements.

The faculty coordinators for this certificate are Natalia I. Heredia, PhD, Timothy Walker, PhD, and Augusto Cesar Ferreira de Moraes, PhD

Degree Requirements

Please see the Physical Activity and Health certificate planner for more information about course requirements.
Public Health Certificate

Degree Overview

This certificate is intended for public health practitioners and individuals who are interested in increasing their basic public health knowledge or are considering a graduate degree in the field. These courses cover the core content of the disciplines that are basic to public health.

Please see the Public Health certificate planner for more information about course requirements.

Degree Requirements

Please see the Public Health certificate planner for more information about course requirements.
Public Health Informatics Certificate

Degree Overview

This certificate is a joint program between UTHealth Houston School of Biomedical Informatics and UTHealth Houston School of Public Health and was created to address the growing emphasis of public health informatics at the national level and the increased market demand.

Please see the Public Health Informatics non-degree seeking certificate planner for more information about course requirements.

The faculty coordinator for this certificate is Ross Shegog, PhD.

Degree Requirements

Please see the Public Health Informatics non-degree seeking certificate planner for more information about course requirements.
Public Health Law Research and Policy Surveillance Certificate

Degree Overview

This certificate program is designed to train governmental, health care, and public health professionals to engage in public health policy research, analysis and practice as policy researchers and legal epidemiologists, with skills that bridge public health law.

Please see the Public Health Law Research and Policy Surveillance Graduate Certificate Planner for more information about course requirements.

The faculty coordinator for this certificate is Ellen Breckenridge, JD, PhD.

Degree Requirements

Please see the Public Health Law Research and Policy Surveillance Graduate Certificate Planner for more information about course requirements.