Graduate Certificate in Public Health

• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university in the United States or proof of an equivalent degree from a foreign institution. Unofficial transcripts from each college or university currently and previously attended reflecting completed and in-progress coursework will be accepted for application purposes. Transcripts from institutions outside the United States must be submitted in the original language and evaluated by an approved organization of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). If accepted to the UTSPHSA graduate certificate program, official transcripts must be provided prior to enrollment.

• Competitive applicants typically have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale in the last 60 semester credit hours or a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 for any graduate-level coursework completed.

• Current resume or curriculum vita (CV).

• At least one letter of recommendation, preferably from someone who can speak to past academic performance and highlight the potential for success in graduate-level courses and/or the likelihood of contributing to the field of public health.

• International applicants whose native language is not English must present evidence of proficiency in English by satisfactorily completing either the Test of English as a Foreign Language examination (TOEFL) with a minimum score of 84; or the English Language Test for Study (IELTS) with a minimum score of 7.0; or a Duolingo English Test with a minimum score of 115. Only TOEFL, IELTS, and Duolingo test scores taken within two years of the application date will be accepted. A waiver of this requirement may be requested if the individual has graduated from a high school or a higher education degree program (associate’s degree or higher) in the United States or another country where English is the official language.

• If accepted to the UTSPHSA graduate certificate program, students must complete the required immunizations, criminal background and sanction checks, and technical and additional regulatory requirements mandated by UTSPHSA or UT Health San Antonio.

The curriculum for the graduate certificate in Public Health includes a portion of the existing quality MPH graduate program courses. The graduate certificate will include the five foundational courses that cover the range of public health content and the foundational competencies: environmental and occupational health; epidemiology and statistics; health behavior and health promotion; health policy and health advocacy; and quantitative and qualitative research methods.

To obtain the certificate, students must receive a grade of at least “C” in all five courses. If a student later applies and is accepted to the UTSPHSA MPH program, only courses where students received a grade of “B” or better can be applied toward the MPH degree. While courses with a grade of B or better will not need to be repeated if taken within the last five years, a maximum of nine credits can be applied toward the 45-credit-hour MPH degree.  Grades from any transferred credits will not count toward the GPA for the MPH program.

Those who complete the certificate and wish to obtain an MPH degree must apply to the MPH program. All admissions requirements for the MPH degree will be applied. Admission is not automatic or guaranteed. If a certificate student applies and is accepted to the MPH degree program before completing the certificate, they will be an MPH student and will not be awarded a certificate upon completion of the core courses. Similarly, MPH students who do not want to continue in the MPH program but have successfully completed the five core courses may apply to the certificate program; automatic certificates will not be given.