Nov 23, 2024  
2024-2025 Graduate Studies Bulletin 
    
2024-2025 Graduate Studies Bulletin

Foundations of Public Health, Adv. Cert.


Associate Professor Hackett, Graduate Program Director, 516-463-6517

Public health is an interdisciplinary field that seeks to prevent injuries, illness, and premature death, promote health and wellness and prolong life at the group, community, and population levels.

The Advanced Certificate in Foundations of Public Health is intended for professionals working in a public health agency or organization, or professionals in a related health or human services field who wish to gain the skills and evidence-based approaches used in the profession of public health.

To earn the advanced certificate, students will be required to complete 12 semester hours (4 courses) in addition to attending a mandatory prerequisite Foundations of Public Health Seminar.  The 12 semester hours may be applied as transfer credit to the Hofstra MPH program.

Hofstra’s MPH program is 42 semester hours and is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).  It emphasizes both the theoretical foundations of public health as well as its practical application. Students are trained to understand, conduct, interpret, and apply public health research, assess public health problems in communities, apply health education and social science theory to developing interventions to improve community health, and understand the role of public health within society.

On average, advanced certificate students complete this program in one academic year.

Admission Requirements


  1. A bachelor’s degree.
  2. A minimum grade point average of 3.0.
  3. A personal interview with a faculty member.
  4. A detailed resume including related professional experience.
  5. Two letters of recommendation, one from an academic source and one from a professional source.

Program Requirements - Total Semester Hours: 12


Graduation Requirements


  1. Completion of all program requirements.
  2. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 in overall graduate course work.