UVA Northern Virginia Certificate in Public Health

The Graduate Certificate in Public Health is designed to provide students with core knowledge and skills in the design, conduct and interpretation of clinical and public health research. Students will learn to develop and implement research studies in areas such as chronic and infectious diseases, and behavioral science. Students will gain knowledge of methodological tools (e.g., R Programming, SAS), approaches (e.g., Lean, clinical trials, and biostatistical modeling), and applicable ethical and regulatory standards for public health research. Graduates will be able to conduct basic clinical and public health research and incorporate public health knowledge and training to improve practice in their primary field of expertise.

The primary audience is health services research professionals, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and allied health professionals. Individuals who recently finished their undergraduate degree and are looking for additional research training before pursuing a health professions career may also be interested. The certificate will be offered on a part-time basis only. Students can choose between 1 year (2 classes a semester) or 2 year (1 class a semester) options for completion.

The curriculum will provide specific background and education in key facets of public health research (e.g., study design, data analysis, human subject research). Students will learn methods for measuring population health and designing epidemiological studies. Core coursework will guide students through the selection and application of appropriate statistical analyses. Students will also develop the necessary knowledge and skills to interpret the finding of leading public health scholarship, tools, and models.

Total Number of Credit Hours: 12 credit hours

• Online:  Weekly pre-recorded or live lectures and/or office hours (generally one weeknight per week)

• In-Person:  One Saturday morning per month, generally 4 hours, at the UVA Northern Virginia campus in Fairfax, VA

FALL 2025 SEMESTER

• PHS 7010 Fund of Epidemiology
• PHS 7000 Intro to Biostatistics

SPRING 2026 SEMESTER

• PHS 7310 Clinical Trials Methodology
• PHS 7365 LEAN for Healthcare

All students must apply to the certificate program. The following admissions requirements will apply to all applicants:

• Completion of online application form;
• BA/BS from a regionally accredited institution or international equivalent;
• Official undergraduate transcripts;
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in current or closely related role;
• Resume or CV; and
• For residents and physicians currently in training, a letter of endorsement of their participation in the certificate program from their training program director.

Students who did not earn their undergraduate degree in the U.S. must submit proof of English proficiency. International students must submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) academic exam meeting the following minimum requirements:

• TOEFL minimum total score of 90 on computer-based portion; section minimums of 22 in speaking, 22 in writing, 23 in reading, and 23 in listening.
• IELTS minimum score of 6.5 in each band.

TO APPLY for the PHS Certificate Program: click here for Application Management.

For more information please contact:

Director of Academic Programs and Registrar
Department of Public Health Sciences
Tel: 434-924-8646

Email: phsdegrees@virginia.edu