The Graduate Certificate in Public Health Practice program is designed for individuals interested in gaining knowledge about disease prevention and population health. This certificate prepares individuals to address the systemic factors that impact community health. Students will enroll in select courses from the Des Moines University CEPH – Accredited MPH program. All courses are 100% online, and can be applied toward the MPH degree for students who choose to apply to the MPH program after completion of the certificate. Students who complete the graduate certificate in public health may be eligible to sit for the Certified in Public Health (CPH) Exam by the National Board of Public Health Examiners. 

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

The Graduate Certificate in Public Health Practice includes competencies in the following CEPH-defined competency areas:

Evidence Based-approaches to public health
Public Health & Health Care systems
Planning and Management to Promote Health
Policy in Public Health
Leadership
Communication
Systems Thinking

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

To be eligible to apply for admission to the Graduate Certificate in Public Health Practice at DMU, applicants must have a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution from within the United states or equivalent evaluation from a DMU approved international evaluation service. 

Additional information regarding admission to the program can be found on the Graduate Certificate Admissions Requirements website.

PROGRAM APPLICATION PROCESS

Detailed information regarding the process can be found on the MPH program admissions website.

Applicants' admissions accounts will reflect status updates throughout the process.

PROGRAM OUTCOMES

The Graduate Certificate in public health requires completion of 15 credit hours.

TECHNICAL STANDARDS FOR ADMISSION, ACADEMIC PROMOTION AND GRADUATION

The purpose of this document is to specify the technical standards the University deems necessary for a student to matriculate, remain in good standing and ultimately achieve all the competencies necessary for graduation within their program. The University, therefore, requires candidates to confirm their ability to comply with these standards, with or without accommodation, as a condition of admission and on an annual basis thereafter.

Fulfilment of the technical standards for graduation does not guarantee that a graduate will be able to fulfill the technical requirements of any specific residency program or employment setting.

A candidate who is seeking a Graduate Certificate in Public Health Practice  at Des Moines University must be capable of completing core educational requirements and achieving all Foundational Knowledge items (MPH only), all core competencies (MHA and MPH), and all concentration competencies (MPH) to qualify for graduation. DMU seeks to develop candidates who will acquire a deep and robust knowledge base with the ability to apply it, effectively interpret information, and contribute to decisions across a broad spectrum of public health and/or health care management settings. The critical skills required to be successful are outlined below, and include the ability to observe, communicate, understand, integrate core knowledge and skills, and to behave appropriately in varied educational and professional situations. 

Reasonable accommodations may be required by otherwise qualified individual candidates to meet the technical standards specified below. Requests for University-provided accommodations will be granted if the requests are reasonable, do not cause a fundamental alteration of the education program, do not cause an undue hardship, are consistent with the standards of the public health and/or health care management profession, and are recommended by the Accommodations and Educational Support Specialist.

1. Observation: Candidates and students must be able to acquire required information from readings, lectures, educational materials, and demonstrations. 
2. Communication: Candidates and students must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the English language such that they can communicate effectively in oral and written form with all members of the public health and/or health care team. Candidates and students must be able to communicate with others in order to elicit and share information. They must have the capacity for comfortable verbal and non-verbal communication and interpersonal skills that enable effective collaboration within a multidisciplinary team. In any case where a candidate’s ability to communicate is compromised, the candidate must demonstrate alternative means and/or abilities to communicate.
3. Intellectual, Conceptual, Integrative, and Quantitative Abilities: Candidates and students must have the ability to accurately measure, calculate, reason, analyze, synthesize, problem solve, and think critically. They must also have the ability to participate and learn through a variety of modalities including, but not limited to, digital learning and communication environments, classroom instruction, small groups, teams, and collaborative activities. Candidates and students must be able to concentrate, timely analyze and interpret data, and make decisions within areas in which there is a reasonable amount of visual and auditory distraction.
4. Behavioral Attributes, Social Skills, and Professional Expectation: Candidates and students must be able to effectively utilize their intellectual abilities, exercise good judgment, timely complete all responsibilities, and develop mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with others. Candidates and students must be able to professionally manage heavy workloads, prioritize conflicting demands, and function effectively under stress. They must be able to adapt to changing environments; to display flexibility, to learn to function in the face of their own possible biases and uncertainties inherent in public health and health care management settings, and to not engage in substance abuse. Candidates and students must be able to understand and determine the impact of the social determinants of health and other systemic issues which impact the care of all individuals in a respectful and effective manner regardless of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, creed, religion, age, disability, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other protected status. Professionalism, compassion, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, interest, and motivation are all qualities that are required throughout the educational process.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS

Des Moines University welcomes qualified candidates and students with disabilities who meet the technical standards of the program, with or without reasonable accommodations. Students with a disability who may need accommodations during their educational career at DMU will be asked to reaffirm their need for accommodations when acknowledging the ability to meet technical standards annually.  The student is responsible for requesting accommodations through the Accommodations and Educational Support Specialist in Academic Support within the Center for Educational Enhancement. Please reach out in person, by email (accommodations@dmu.edu), or by calling Academic Support at 515-271-1516.  The Accommodations and Educational Support Specialist reviews all requests for accommodations through an individualized, interactive process.

The use of an intermediary may be a reasonable accommodation while performing some non-essential physical maneuvers or non-technical data gathering. However, an intermediary cannot substitute for the candidates’ or student’s interpretation and judgement. Intermediaries may not perform essential skills on behalf of the candidate or student, nor can they replace technical skills related to selection and observation.

PROCESS FOR ASSESSING COMPLIANCE WITH THE TECHNICAL STANDARDS

Candidates are required to attest at the time they accept an offer to matriculate that they meet the applicable technical standards, with or without reasonable accommodation, and annually confirm they continue to meet these standards. These standards are not intended to deter any candidate or student who might be able to complete the requirements of the curriculum with reasonable accommodations.

The University will provide reasonable accommodations as may be required by the Americans with Disabilities Act or the Iowa Civil Rights Act

A student whose behavior or performance raises questions concerning his or her ability to fulfill these technical standards may be required to obtain evaluation or testing by a health care provider designated by the University, and to provide the results to the Center for Educational Enhancement to be considered as part of the interactive process to determine possible reasonable accommodations.

Technological compensation can be made with respect to certain technical standards, but candidates and students should be able to perform these standards in a reasonably independent manner.

PHYSICAL HEALTH

In addition to the technical standards set forth, candidates and students must possess the general physical health necessary for performing the duties of a student in the health sciences and a health professional in training without endangering the lives of patients and/or colleagues with whom they might have contact.  

COURSE SEQUENCE

Certificate Completion REQUIREMENTS

A student must successfully complete of all course requirements to receive the Graduate Certificate in Public Health. To be eligible for graduation, students must have a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA, and demonstrated competence on all MHA key competencies by obtaining a minimum of 70% one or more times for each competency. All students completing the Graduate Certificate in Public Health are required to submit a completion petition form prior to their intended completion date. Students must submit this form and pay all fees in order to receive their Graduate Certificate.