Certificate in Health Equity

Health Equity

Designed to increase the cultural competency of public health and other professionals, this innovative 15-credit health equity graduate certificate program addresses the systemic root causes of health disparities. The certificate provides students with an academic foundation for achieving health equity through...

  • assessing the complexity of inequities among diverse groups of marginalized populations,
  • mobilizing communities where disparities exist,
  • developing culturally tailored interventions, and
  • advocating for healthy public policy.

While racial and ethnic health disparities are examples of the consequences of social and economic disadvantages, disparities may also be related to sexual orientation, religion, gender, native language, age, and disability status. Whether pursuing personal interests or strengthening their career toolbox, students in the health equity certificate program will learn to...

  1. identify and critically discuss a problem in minority health/health disparities using state-of-the-art literature,
  2. access the historical or ongoing determinants of an identified health equity issue using quantitative and/or qualitative methods,
  3. design and/or evaluate an intervention to address an identified health equity issue, as part of a multidisciplinary team, and
  4. evaluate the impact or potential impact of policy measures on overall health, health care access, and quality of care for populations experiencing health disparities.

Academic Requirements

The 15-credit certificate comprises 10 credits of required courses and five credits of approved electives.

Required courses
  • BCHS 2524 Overview of Health Equity
  • BCHS 2526 Health Equity Research: Methods and Interventions*
  • BCHS 2528 Integrative Seminar in Health Equity
  • BCHS 2554 Introduction to Community Health
    * Students enrolled in the certificate are encouraged to substitute a methods course in their own discipline to satisfy this required course.

Admissions

Created to complement students’ primary graduate degree curriculum at Pitt Public Health, the Graduate Certificate in Health Equity is also open to Pitt graduate students in other fields (medicine, nursing, social work, public policy, etc.), and to others interested in health equity. Applicants must submit a statement explaining how they would apply the experience gained in the certificate to their career and to the field of health equity. Applications are reviewed by the certificate program admissions committee.

How to Apply...

Staff Contact
Paul Markgraf
412-624-3107
pjm111@pitt.edu

Faculty Contact
Tiffany L. Gary-Webb, PhD
tgary@pitt.edu

This program is managed by the Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences and the Center for Health Equity.

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