Public Health Preparedness and Response Certificate (Graduate)

Learn to identify threats to public health with a specific focus on outbreaks and epidemics with the Public Health Preparedness and Response Certificate (Graduate) in Temple’s College of Public Health. This 12-credit graduate certificate is offered fully online and allows students to acquire the basic skills needed to work within public health agencies and respond to emergencies. Public health and emergency preparedness are considered central concepts in various regional, national and global public health and emergency management agencies and systems. Public health emergencies can include myriad events that can lead to significant health consequences and have the potential to overwhelm emergency services and the healthcare system.

There is increased demand for graduates with training in public health preparedness and response in the public health workforce. Temple’s Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics has taken part in addressing this gap by developing online training modules in contact tracing, put into place in June 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Public Health Preparedness and Response Certificate (Graduate)’s evidence-based curriculum is structured to ensure that, as working professionals, graduates of the program will be prepared to make effective decisions to mitigate future public health emergencies.

Graduates of the program will have developed an in-depth understanding of 

  • bioethics, 
  • cultural sensitivity, 
  • emergency preparedness, 
  • health equity, 
  • public health surveillance systems and 
  • vulnerable populations.

Graduates will also experience additional risk management techniques, such as identifying the root cause of public health risk, performing hazard analysis, and responding to terroristic acts such as the distribution of chemical poisons or bioagents.

Classes & Curriculum

The Public Health Preparedness and Response graduate certificate is a 12-credit program offered completely online. Students may take up to four semesters to complete the program.

Classes you are likely to take as part of the program include the following.

  • Risk Assessment and Preparedness Decision Making
  • Surveillance, Epidemics and Outbreaks

Learn more about courses comprising the certificate's curriculum.

What sets our Public Health Preparedness and Response Certificate apart?

Temple’s College of Public Health offers an interdisciplinary environment highly relevant to training graduate students in public health preparedness competencies and developing a transdisciplinary workforce. Located in Philadelphia, the College of Public Health and its graduate programs capitalize on these training opportunities by sustaining a long tradition of cultivating public health partnerships throughout the region.

Careers

The need for public health professionals who have completed advanced coursework and can demonstrate working knowledge of public health preparedness and response issues is growing rapidly, in the U.S. and abroad. Students who complete the program will be in high demand as long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are uncovered in the coming years.

Tuition & Fees

In keeping with Temple’s commitment to access and affordability, this Graduate Certificate offers a competitive level of tuition with multiple opportunities for financial support.

Tuition rates are set annually by the university and are affected by multiple factors, including program degree level (undergraduate or graduate), course load (full- or part-time), in-state or out-of-state residency, and more. These tuition costs apply to the 2023–2024 academic year.

Pennsylvania resident: $1,109.00 per credit
Out-of-state: $1,521.00 per credit

You can view the full Cost of Attendance breakdown on the Student Financial Services website.

HP-PBPR-GRAD

Additional Program Information