Division of Public Health
Dr. Michelle Gamber, Director
Health Professions Building, 1775 North Sector Court, Office 232, (540) 665-5560

Public Health Program

The Division of Public Health is designed to advance the School of Health Professions’ mission by preparing public health students to approach population level health issues with evidence-based approaches that address a broad range of health issues at the individual, community, national and global level. This program will provide students with an opportunity to analyze current health problems from a variety of interdisciplinary and interprofessional viewpoints. This program focuses on rural and underserved populations, providing students with training in public health issues facing those living and working in rural and underserved areas. The MPH program blends the strengths and experiences of the Health Professions programs at Shenandoah University along with the community health agencies of Virginia and the surrounding areas.

Public Health Certificate

The Public Health Certificate offers working professionals, current health profession students, and other traditional and nontraditional students an opportunity to advance their public health training. The certificate is affiliated with the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree and consists of core foundational courses and the introductory public health course that is required of all MPH graduates. In this certificate program, students gain a foundation in the core principles of public health, including epidemiology, biostatistics, health policy and administration, health behavior and health communication.

Upon completion of this program of study, students will be able to:

• Use evidence-based approaches for the development and evaluation of social and behavioral health interventions.
• Apply the principles of program planning, development, budgeting, management and evaluation in organizational and community initiatives.
• Examine patterns of disease and injury in human populations and apply findings to the control of health problems.
• Evaluate communication theories and methods for behavior change.
• Apply statistical reasoning and methods in addressing problems in public health. 

Admission Requirements

The Public Health Certificate offers a graduate program delivered in a fully online format. This learning model requires students to work independently, think critically and to be fully engaged in the online learning environment.  Students are expected to act professionally in interpersonal, interprofessional, group and community-based experiences.

Admission requirements include:

• SU Graduate Application
• Official transcripts from all institutions of higher education previously attended
• A 3.0 cumulative grade point average
• A bachelor’s degree or higher
• One letter of reference
• CV or resume
• Personal Statement
• TOEFL exam (for non-native speakers of English)

For additional information, check the website at: www.su.edu/admissions/graduate-students/public-health-application-information/.

Degree Requirements

The Public Health Certificate requires a minimum of 18 credit hours of graduate public health courses for graduation. The certificate consists of public health foundational courses and the introductory public health course that is required of all MPH graduates.  The Public Health Certificate is expected to be a one-year certificate for full-time students and part-time students may take up to three years to complete it.  Students must begin coursework in the fall semester of the year they gained acceptance into the program. Full-time students must progress through the program within two years and part-time students must progress through the program within three years.