Humanitarian Health Certificate Program
EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES
This certificate program focuses on humanitarian assistance in the international health context. The program is a major educational activity of the Center for Humanitarian Health. The Center receives technical assistance from the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Pan American Health Organization, the UN High Commission for Refugees, and various humanitarian agencies and organizations. Graduates will be able to:
- Assess an emergency situation to identify immediate and longer-term assistance needs and additional resources required.
- Identify specific health (including psychosocial and mental health) needs of populations affected; plan and implement activities to meet these needs, and monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of assistance provided.
- Understand the principles of organization and administration of relief services in collaboration and cooperation with local and international non-governmental organizations, host governments, military forces, and United Nations agencies.
- Use epidemiologic skills to collect, analyze, and use information about natural and man-made disasters.
- Plan and implement disaster preparedness, response, and mitigation activities.
- Identify disease outbreaks and know how to contain them in a timely manner.
- Know the public health consequences of natural disasters and their management.
- Outline the basic requirements for a food and nutrition program for a disaster-affected population.
- Use the basic principles of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and human rights principles to understand the protection needs of displaced populations and to identify and document abuses.
- Have a basic understanding of the political environment and use this to explain the various forces that affect population displacement.
ADMISSIONS
Contact information and complete certificate program admissions information are available on the certificate program page on the Bloomberg School of Public Health website.
Sponsoring Department
REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION
The certificate program requires a minimum of 18 credits. All required and elective courses must be taken for a letter grade; a minimum grade of C is required in all certificate coursework, and students must maintain a 2.75 or better overall GPA for all certificate coursework. The certificate program length is flexible and varies from student to student. However, the certificate program must be completed within three years.
The student should review the section of the website that addresses completion before completing certificate program requirements. The student's transcript will not indicate that the certificate was earned until the Notification of Completion has been submitted and verified by the certificate program and processed by the Registrar. In addition, students completing the certificate must submit this form via e-mail to the certificate faculty sponsor.
COURSE OF STUDY
Students should check the course directory to confirm when the course is offered. Students should also check for prerequisites and whether instructor consent is required.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PH.550.860 | Academic & Research Ethics at BSPH (All students are required to complete this online noncredit course in their first term of study) | |
| Required Courses | ||
| PH.221.613 | Introduction to Humanitarian Emergencies (typically offered onsite in 1st term) | 3 |
| PH.221.639 | Health Care in Humanitarian Emergencies (typically offered online in 1st term and onsite in 2nd term) | 3 |
| PH.221.695 | Seminar in Humanitarian Health (typically offered onsite in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd terms) | 0.5 |
| Core Elective Courses: Students must take at least one course (EITHER 221.611 OR 604.721 may be taken, but not both) | ||
| PH.221.611 | Food Security and Nutrition in Humanitarian Emergencies (typically offered onsite in 4th term) | 2 |
| PH.221.641 | Measurement Methods in Humanitarian Emergencies (typically offered onsite in 2nd term) | 2 |
| PH.604.641 | Disaster Preparedness (typically offered online in 2nd term) | 2 |
| PH.604.721 | Securing Food Assistance and Nutrition in Humanitarian Emergencies (typically offered online in 2nd term) | 2 |
| Other Elective Courses: Students must select from the courses listed below to complete a total of 18 certificate credits. Courses are organized in tracks, but students may opt to select course from a single track to develop a more focused topical or methodological area of expertise, or may select courses from across tracks, as desired. | ||
| Health Track | ||
| PH.180.623 | Infectious Disease Threats to Global Health Security (typically offered online in 3rd term) | 3 |
| PH.221.627 | Issues in the Reduction of Maternal and Neonatal Mortality in Low income Countries (typically offered onsite in 2nd term) | 4 |
| PH.221.643 | Armed Conflict and Health (typically offered onsite in 3rd term) | 2 |
| PH.221.661 | Project Development for Primary Health Care in Developing Countries (typically offered onsite in 4th term) | 4 |
| PH.380.750 | Migration and Health: Concepts, Rates, and Relationships (typically offered onsite in 3rd term) | 3 |
| PH.380.765 | Preventing Infant Mortality and Promoting the Health of Women, Infants and Children (typically offered online in 4th term) | 3 |
| Mental Health Track | ||
| PH.221.634 | Stress Management for Relief Workers (typically offered onsite in 2nd term) | 2 |
| PH.221.642 | Mental Health Aspects of Disaster: Public Health Preparedness and Response (typically offered onsite in 2nd term) | 2 |
| PH.224.694 | Mental Health Intervention Programming in Low and Middle-Income Countries (typically offered onsite in 3rd term) | 3 |
| PH.330.620 | Qualitative and Quantitative Methods for Mental Health and Psychosocial Research in Low Resource Settings (typically offered onsite and online in 2nd term) | 3 |
| PH.330.680 | Promoting Mental Health and Preventing Mental Disorders in Low- and Middle-income Countries (typically offered online in 4th term) | 3 |
| Nutrition Track | ||
| PH.222.649 | International Nutrition (typically offered onsite in 4th term) | 3 |
| Water and Sanitation Track | ||
| PH.182.626 | Issues for Water and Sanitation in Tropical Environmental Health (typically offered onsite in 3rd term) | 2 |
| PH.221.623 | Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Humanitarian Emergencies (typically offered online in 3rd term) | 2 |
| Climate Change and Preparedness Track | ||
| PH.180.607 | Climate Change and Public Health (typically offered onsite in 4th term and online in Summer term) | 3 |
| PH.180.611 | The Global Environment, Climate Change, and Public Health (typically offered onsite in 1st term) | 4 |
| Human Rights Track | ||
| PH.340.639 | Assessing Epidemiologic Impact of Human Rights Violations (typically offered onsite in 4th term) | 2 |
| PH.340.683 | Human Rights in Public Health Practice (typically offered onsite in 3rd term) | 2 |
| PH.380.663 | Gender-Based Violence Research, Practice and Policy: Issues and Current Controversies (typically offered onsite in 3rd term) | 3 |
| Management and Leadership Track | ||
| PH.221.602 | Applications in Managing Health Organizations in Low and Middle income Countries (typically offered onsite in 3rd term) | 3 |
| PH.221.614 | International Political Science for Ph Practitioners (typically offered onsite in 2nd term) | 2 |
| PH.221.712 | Leadership & Management in Humanitarian Health (typically offered online in 2nd term) | 2 |
| PH.312.700 | Leading Organizations (typically offered onsite in 1st and Summer Institute terms and online in 1st and Summer Institute terms) | 3 |
| PH.410.622 | Strategic Leadership Principles and Tools for Health System Transformation in Developing Countries (typically offered onsite in 2nd term) | 4 |
| Qualitative Methods Track | ||
| PH.223.664 | Design and Conduct of Community Trials (typically offered onsite in 3rd term) | 4 |
| PH.340.770 | Public Health Surveillance (typically offered onsite in 2nd term and online in 3rd term and Summer Institute) | 3 |
| Spatial Analysis Track | ||
| PH.340.696 | Spatial Analysis I: ArcGIS (typically offered onsite in 1st term) | 3 |