Graduate Certificate in Public Health
Our program offers a Graduate Certificate in Public Health. The certificate is an 16 credit (six courses listed below) online and/or in person program that includes the core courses in our Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program. The Graduate Certificate in Public Health is helpful to non-degree seeking students who have completed an undergraduate degree in a related discipline and want to demonstrate content competence in public health. The certificate is also helpful to current graduate students at Virginia Tech from another discipline that want to gain essential public health knowledge to complement their other disciplinary area.
Public Health Graduate Certificate course requirements (courses can be completed in person or online):
- PHS 5004 Foundations of Public Health (1 credit)
- PHS 5025 Epidemiology and Quantitative Methods in Public Health I (3 credits)
- PHS 5026 Epidemiology and Quantitative Methods in Public Health II (3 credits)
- PHS 5044 Public Health Policy and Administration (3 credits)
- PHS 5034 Health Behavior and Health Education (3 credits)
- PHS 5014 Environmental Health (3 credits)
If you need help designing a course sequencing that works best for you, please contact the program (phs@vt.edu).
For individuals currently pursuing a Virginia Tech graduate degree:
- Students pursuing a degree and a certificate simultaneously are classified within their degree program. Academic background meets the requirements of the admitting academic unit.
- Certificate credits may be used to meet degree requirements if they are appropriate for inclusion on the degree Plan of Study.
For individuals not currently pursuing a Virginia Tech graduate degree:
- Undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university
- GPA of 3.0 or above for the last 60 hours/credits of the undergraduate degree
- Prospective students from countries where the native language is not English: TOEFL score of 80
If you are a current Virginia Tech graduate student, complete the Application to Graduate Certificate Program form found on the Graduate School website here under "Admissions."
- The form should be completed by the student and then submitted to Becky Jones (bjones57@vt.edu) for signatures and processing.
If you are not currently working towards a graduate degree at Virginia Tech, please apply to the certificate program using the directions below:
- Apply online here.
- Required application materials include:
- Resume or CV
- Personal statement, 1-2 pages
- Transcripts
Certificate courses fall under the Graduate Blacksburg Campus tuition and fee rates. The tuition and fee amount is based on the number of credit hours enrolled. Complete information regarding tuition and fee rates can be found on the university's Bursar Office website here.
In recognition of students living and studying away from the Blacksburg campus, comprehensive fees may be reduced for students enrolled in an all virtual schedule (or who have only research hours/ independent study not located on campus). Students must certify that they will reside more than 50 miles from the Blacksburg campus for the entire semester. More information and the waiver request form can be found here.
When you have completed all Public Health Graduate Certificate courses, please complete the Degree or Certificate Conferral Request found here.
- The form should be completed by the student and then submitted to the Graduate School.
Students that have completed the Graduate Certificate in Public Health have the option to transfer all of the completed certificate courses into our Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program. Please contact the program (phs@vt.edu) if you are interested in exploring this option.