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Certificate Admissions Criteria & Deadlines

Overview

  • Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution with 2.75 GPA 
  • Statement of purpose and objectives
  • 1 Letter of Recommendation
  • Resume/CV
  • TOEFL or IELTS scores for international applicants
  • Certificate-Specific Admissions Criteria*

*Please look at Certificate-Specific Admissions Criteria for more information as some certificates will have more requirements than stated above.

Deadlines

Fall

June 1st

Spring

October 1st

*International applicants are encouraged to apply to certificates in the online campus. Certificates offered on main campus may not meet educational visa requirements.

More Information

Academic Background

Applicants are expected to have an educational background sufficient to succeed in graduate public health courses, and must submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, including community colleges.

Students planning to concentrate in a specific area of public health will be expected to have adequate preparation in that area, as determined by the admissions committee. Please see certificate-specific admissions criteria below for possible additional prerequisites. Under special circumstances, applicants lacking adequate preparation may be admitted to the program and will be advised at the time of admission on how to remedy any deficiencies.

Bachelor's Degree with 2.75 GPA

  • Applicants must hold a Bachelor's degree or equivalent from an accredited college or university and show evidence of strong academic achievement and high motivation. 
  • A GPA of 2.75 is required for most certificate programs. GPA is calculated in the last 60 undergraduate units, or if the applicant has 12 or more graduate units, the GPA will be based on graduate units. 
  • Official transcripts from any college or university attended are required for proof of previous degree and GPA. More information on how to submit transcripts can be found here.
  • Individuals with graduate education and/or work experience in a field relevant to public health are especially encouraged to apply.

Statement of Purpose and Objectives

Applicants will need to provide a written statement explaining their background and goals (one page single spaced) that addresses the following questions: 

  1. Why do you want to enroll into the graduate certificate you are applying for?
  2. How will the knowledge and skills acquired through your successful participation in this certificate be applied in your current job and/or support your career goals?

Please note that MEZCOPH uses a software to detect plagiarism in statements of purpose. It is important to ensure that an applicant’s statement is written in their own words and, when appropriate, that quotations and citations/references are used for a direct quote.

Letters of Recommendation

Applicants must provide a minimum of one letter of recommendation is required from a supervisor, mentor, or other individual familiar with your work and professional abilities. The letter should be from someone who can adequately describe why they would recommend you for the program. 

Resume or CV

Applicants are asked to submit a resume or CV outlining their academic and professional experience and achievements.

TOEFL/IELTS Scores for International Applicants

All international applicants are required to submit a TOEFL or IELTS score. A TOEFL iBT score of 90 or above is required. Please see more information, including when the TOEFL/IELTS requirement is waived, for international applicants.

Other Factors

Other factors considered in the determination of a candidate's potential for success in the certificates are:

  • Long range goals and commitment to public health
  • Successful leadership experience or potential
  • Work and volunteer experience related to the concentration's public health focus
  • Demonstrated community service
  • Public health experience or interest
  • Documented experience and/or commitment to under-served areas and populations

Certificate-Specific Admissions Criteria

Global Health & Development, Health Administration, Indigenous Health, and One Health do not have additional requirements. Below are the certificates with additional admissions requirements.

Arizona’s Clinical & Translational Research

Applicants to the ACTR graduate certificate must hold a graduate degree (eg: DC, DDS, DMD, DO, MD, ND, OD, PharmD, PhD, RN, MS) and possess the appropriate qualifications, experience, and desire to pursue careers in clinical & translational research. Those intending to apply for K23 or similar NIH awards are urged to apply to the program. Clinical & translational research is multidisciplinary, and scholars in this program should represent diverse academic backgrounds. The ACTR has additional requirements from the other certificate programs:

  • A 3.0 GPA minimum
  • A completed graduate degree

Admission to the ACTR is competitive. All complete applications will be reviewed by the admission committee, which includes the chair and co-chairs of the ACTR. The decision of this committee is final. Several criteria are used to evaluate each applicant, including:

  • appropriateness of clinical & translational research interest
  • commitment to a career in clinical & translational research
  • quality of written expression
  • quality of professional and academic records

Maternal & Child Health Epidemiology

  • One course in college biology
  • Once course in college algebra or a more advanced math course

Public Health

  • One course in college biology
  • Once course in college algebra or a more advanced math course

Additional Information

Tuition & Fees

The cost for the certificate includes tuition and fees and varies by the campus the student selects. Students eligible for Qualified Tuition Reduction as a university employee, spouse or eligible dependent of a university employee may use this benefit to offset a majority of the cost. Certificate students are ineligible to receive most other forms of financial aid, including federal loans and graduate assistantship benefits.

Questions?

Contact the Certificate Coordinator at: coph-certificate@email.arizona.edu 

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