This 15-credit Public Health Certificate contains courses that will build a foundation in public health with a focus on food safety. It is specifically designed for the working professional or student who wants to increase their knowledge of food safety in a public health context, but cannot come to a university campus for courses. The certificate combines course work in foodborne diseases with epidemiology, statistics, and environmental health.
PHC 6001 – Principles of Epidemiology in Public Health (3)
Overview of epidemiology methods used in research studies that address disease patterns in community and clinic-based populations. Includes distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in specific populations and application to control of health problems. Sample syllabi are available via the Course Descriptions and Syllabi page.
PHC 6937 – Introduction to Foodborne Diseases (3)
This is an intermediate level course, which will introduce students to the major pathogens associated with foodborne diseases, their epidemiology, and approaches to outbreak investigation and control of foodborne illness. Sample syllabi are available via the Course Descriptions and Syllabi page.
PHC 6313—Environmental Health Concepts in Public Health (3) - this course moves to spring semester starting spring 2013
Survey of major topics of environmental health. Sources, routes, media, and health outcomes associated with biological, chemical, and physical agents in environment. Effects of agents on disease, water quality, air quality, food safety, and land resources. Current legal framework, policies, and practices associated with environmental health and intended to improve public health. Sample syllabi are available via the Course Descriptions and Syllabi page.
PHC 6050 – Statistical Methods for Health Science I (3)
Appropriate use of data summarization and presentation of basic statistical methods, including ANOVA, nonparametric methods, inference on discrete data, inference on survival data, and regression methods for continuous, binary, and survival data. Sample syllabi are available via the Course Descriptions and Syllabi page.
Pick 1 of the following courses:
PHC 6002 – Epidemiology of Infectious Disease (3)
Epidemiology, prevention, and control of infectious diseases impacting local, national, and global community health; epidemiology methods used in disease surveillance and measures used in slowing or preventing spread of disease. – Prerequisite: PHC 6001 and PHC 6050. Sample syllabi are available via the Course Descriptions and Syllabi page.
PHC 6519– Zoonotic Diseases in Humans and Animals (3)
Introduction to major zoonotic diseases, including human and animal presentations, epidemiology, means of prevention and control, available diagnostics, available treatments, and associated human and animal regulations for each disease. Sample syllabi are available via the Course Descriptions and Syllabi page.
PHC 6937 – Health, Risk, and Crisis Communication in Public Health (3)
Communication is a key component of the job description of all public health professionals. While a single course can not convey all of the subtleties of good oral and written communication, the overall goal of this course is to describe “best practices” under ordinary, risk, and crisis situations. Through the use of lectures, exercises, discussion boards, readings, and assignments, students will be encouraged to reflect on the role of communication in their careers and how they can work to maximize their personal effectiveness.Sample syllabi are available via the Course Descriptions and Syllabi page.
PHC 6937 – Fundamentals of Public Health Nutrition (3)
This course will provide an introduction to Public Health Nutrition and the role of the Public Health Nutrition professional. Emphasis will be on definition, identification and prevention of nutrition related disease, as well as improving health of a population by improving nutrition. Malnutrition will be discussed on a societal, economic, and environmental level. It will include the basics of nutritional biochemistry as it relates to malnutrition of a community and targeted intervention. Finally, it will review existing programs and policies, including strengths, weaknesses and areas for modification or new interventions. Textbook: Community Nutrition in Action: An Entrepreneurial Approach, 6th Edition, Boyle, MA, Holben, DH, ISBN‐10: 1‐11198968‐0, ISBN‐13:978‐1‐
11198968‐2. Comes as an ebook and has web‐based support. Click here for the Fall 2013 syllabus
*The summer PHC 6313 course is offered in a shortened semester.