School of Public Health Self-Study Report > 3.0 Creation, Application and Advancement of Knowledge > 3.3 Workforce Development > 3.3.b.

3.3.b.

Description of certificate programs or other non-degree offerings, including enrollment data for each of the last three years.

Certificate Programs (See Chapter 2.6.c for competency-based curriculum)

With the introduction of a new academic major in Public Health Practice (PHP) in 2001, the School took an important step in meeting the need for lifelong learning for working health and human service professionals who wish to enhance their knowledge and skills in population science. The PHP major was designed to provide physicians, medical students, nurses, veterinarians, healthcare and human services professionals, as well as public health workers without formal public health training, a comprehensive overview of public health knowledge and the skills needed to understand, assess and manage population health in a variety of settings – from public health to healthcare and human service. Structured to offer the flexibility working professionals require, the PHP major assumes most of its students will have little time for on-campus attendance. It thus makes available a broad array of technology-enhanced and distributed-learning opportunities.

The School offers seven University of Minnesota Regents’ Certificates through the PHP program for working health and human services professionals who have little or no formal public health education and who wish to develop skills and knowledge in a specific area of public health or healthcare administration. All course credits are approved as graduate university course credits and are eligible for transfer to applicable programs, subject to program approval. Certificate courses are available through distance-learning or summer-intensive programs.

 The Public Health Certificate programs build on close ties between the School and the practicing community to address the need for more flexible training and to meet the demand to safeguard the health of our communities. The Certificate Programs provide a public health credential that can be obtained in a shorter time and via a more flexible method than a Master of Public Health degree.

The School’s Certificate Programs managed under the PHP major include: http://www.sph.umn.edu/education/certificates/home.html

• The Public Health Certificate in Core Concepts is a 15 semester-credit program focusing on public health knowledge, skills and attitudes to understand, assess, and manage population health in public health, health care and human resources settings. It provides foundational skills in epidemiology, biostatistics, social and behavioral sciences, ethics, management and environmental and occupational health.
• The Public Health Certificate in Food Safety and Biosecurity is a 14 semester-credit program for working health and human service professionals with completed baccalaureate or advanced degrees who wish to develop a credential in the area of food safety and biosecurity, and who do not currently seek full M.P.H. training.
• The Public Health Certificate in Preparedness, Response and Recovery is, at minimum, a 12 semester-credit program for working health and human service professionals with completed baccalaureate or advanced degrees that focuses on public health knowledge, skills and attitudes to protect the health of the community in times of bio-terrorist incidents, infectious disease outbreaks and emergent public health threats.
• Public Health Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health is a 13-to-17 semester-credit program for working health and human service professionals with completed baccalaureate or advanced degrees aimed at developing a credential in occupational health and safety to protect the health and well-being of workers.
• Certificate of Management Studies in Health Services Administration (ISP I and II); Certificate of Advanced Management Studies in Health Services Administration (ISP III) (http://www.sph.umn.edu/education/certificates/isp.html). ISP is designed specifically for executives in healthcare to develop knowledge to meet changing market demand, respond to better informed consumers, integrate new ideas of wellness and embrace alternative strategies for care and the means for providing them. Eligibility is based on the executive’s job responsibility and authority to implement the units of study, not on prior formal education. Students select a sequence of study from three tracks: Hospital Administration; Ambulatory Care; and Patient Care Administration. They complete three year-long courses, each beginning with an on-campus session during the summer. The remainder of the learning is conducted through monthly applications of units of study, preceptor/student groups and regional seminars. Upon successful completion of the three year-long ISP courses, students have the option, after separate admission, of applying ISP credits to an M.P.H. degree, through the Executive Program in Public Health Practice, or to an M.H.A. degree. Some additional coursework for the degree is required.

Public Health Roundtable

The Public Health Roundtable, planned by a committee of faculty and public health professionals, is a half-day forum, held three to four times a year, that brings together participants from research, practice and public policy for in-depth exploration of a public health issue. The goal is to inform public discourse on key issues. Topics have included:

• 2001-2002: Youth Health
• 2002-2003: Aging and Its Public Health Consequences
• 2003-2004: Global Public Health Issues – Minnesota Perspectives
• 2004-2005: Foods and Health
• 2005-2006: Public Health Responses to Diverse Community Needs
• 2006-2007: Public Health and Human Rights Around the Globe