The Graduate Certificate Disaster Management prepares professionals in disaster preparedness, response and management. This is non-degree standalone graduate certificate for students in the distance learning programs. The graduate certificate provides skills for responding to public health aspects of disasters, including crises communication, population issues and psychosocial aspects of disasters. It also addresses the management structure and operational models unique to disasters.
Courses carry graduate degree credit and may be applied toward the MPH degree in disaster management.
Professionals who select the graduate certificate may already have a master’s degree and seek a specialization in disaster management. Others seek a credential to work in the disaster management fields.
Backgrounds of professionals in the disaster management certificate have experience in public health, on disaster management teams, occupational or environmental health professionals with disaster management responsibilities and a wide range of other professional experiences.
Faculty Lead: Stephen Murphy, PhD
Program Competencies
At the completion of the Graduate Certificate in Disaster Management, the student will be able to:
- Apply public health, policy, practice and scientific principles to address the health threats resulting from natural and intentional disasters.
- Integrate environmental public health strategies in disaster preparedness, response, containment, and recovery.
- Integrate public health skills in emergency planning and response, crisis communications, protecting vulnerable populations, and managing the psychosocial impact of disasters.
The Graduate Certificate in Disaster management requires 15 credits includes:
Course List | Course ID | Title | Credits |
| ENHS 6430 | Disaster & Emergency Communication | 3 |
| ENHS 6600 | Principles of Toxicology | 3 |
| ENHS 6910 | Environmental Aspects of Disaster Management | 3 |
| ENHS 6930 | Planning and Implementation in Disaster Management | 3 |
| ENHS 6950 | Psychosocial Aspects of Disaster | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 15 |
Apply Graduate Certificate credits toward the MPH in Disaster Management
This graduate certificate may be taken as a standalone graduate certificate for students in the distance learning programs. For those wishing to pursue a MPH in Disaster Management, the course credits obtained in the graduate certificate may be applied to the MPH degree. Students proceeding into the MPH degree complete a total of 42 credits that include the remainder of the required Disaster Management courses and the SPHTM foundational courses. Only the MPH degree in Disaster Management is awarded. Student must have a GPA of 3.0 in coursework and meet the MPH degree admission requirements to transfer to the degree program.
Combined Graduate Certificate in Disaster Management with a MPH degree in another area.
Student in another MPH degree program seeking to add a graduate certificate in Disaster Management may use the elective credits available in the degree program, but not required courses, for the graduate certificate. Required courses cannot be double counted toward both the MPH and a graduate certificate. If there is an overlap in required courses, the student, in consultation with their advisor, selects another disaster management courses to meet the 15 credits. The combined MPH and graduate certificate may take 5 to 6 additional credits beyond the total for the degree alone. If the graduate certificate in disaster management is combined with the MSPH in industrial hygiene, the student will take an additional 14 credits since the industrial hygiene degree does not have electives.
