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Certificates in the College of Health Sciences and Professions

Several undergraduate and graduate certificates are offered to CHSP students and many of them are available to students of all majors.

Undergraduate Certificates

Graduate Certificates


Undergraduate Certificates

Appalachian Studies Certificate

  • Enhance your degree with a foundation in Appalachian issues
  • Engage in service to benefit the region and yourself
  • Empower yourself to be a better professional through interdisciplinary study

The certificate is a place-based study that provides transferrable skills for students to use to understand other places beyond Appalachia. It is especially beneficial for students who plan to work with underserved populations for their careers.

More information is available on the program webpage of the academic catalog or by contacting Tiffany Arnold , Department of Social and Public Health. 

Diabetes Certificate

  • Educates and prepares students to better understand the multifaceted and complex condition of diabetes.
  • Offers a unique opportunity for students to obtain interdisciplinary education and training opportunities as well as service learning, clinical and/or research opportunities guided by experts in diabetes.
  • The need for this diabetes program is underscored by the high prevalence of this condition locally and nationwide, as well as by the vibrant diabetes-related infrastructure currently available at Ohio University.

More information is available on the program webpage of the  academic catalog  or by contacting Jessica Arquette , School of Applied Health Sciences and Wellness.

Experimental Study of Language Certificate

  • Interdisciplinary complement to any undergraduate baccalaureate degree program.
  • Designed to enhance the preparation for students who plan to enter graduate study in an area of language investigation that has an experimental focus. Such areas include but are not restricted to hearing, speech, and language sciences; experimental and applied phonetics; psycholinguistics; computational linguistics; and instructional design in language teaching.
  • Coursework from outside academic majors and research opportunities in the form of individual, guided research experiences in faculty research labs.
  • Core coursework that provides content in the areas of linguistics, psycholinguistics, statistics and research methods.
  • Senior thesis gives students experience in all steps involved in a research project.

More information is available on the program webpage of the  academic catalog  or by contacting Sally Marinellie , College of Health Sciences and Professions.

Gerontology Certificate

  • For students in any major program who want to gain knowledge and skills for a career that involves working with the elderly.
  • Includes coursework in a number of established departments facilitates student learning opportunities.
  • Health care, social services, recreation, mental health, education, administration and business are examples of service areas that now employ large numbers of persons working with and for the aging population.

More information is available on the program webpage of the  academic catalog  or by contacting Julie Brown , Social and Public Health.

Global Health Certificate

  • Encourages an understanding of the complex nature of health in resource-poor settings and the ability to access information concerning specific topics on global health.
  • Instruction takes a broad-based approach, focusing on determinants of health, access to health and health care, and primary care and interdisciplinary team-based models of sustainable health care, as opposed to vertical, disease-specific approaches.
  • A blended approach of online, hands-on, and lab-based coursework is used to deliver content.

More information is available on the program webpage of the  academic catalog  or by contacting Debra McBride , Global Health.

Interprofessional Care Certificate

  • Focuses on interprofessional collaboration and teamwork in health care.
  • Largely based on the The Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) competencies and includes coursework that focuses on how health care professionals work as team members to improve health outcomes.
  • The certificate is appropriate for any student who plans to work in the health care industry.

Ohio School Nurse License Certificate

  • Core courses are 100% online
  • Must be a licensed RN in the state of Ohio
  • Designed to meet the requirements for the Ohio Department of Education School Nurse Professional Pupil Services Licensure
  • Builds upon undergraduate education in preparation to serve a primary school population
  • Taught by faculty who are experts in school and pediatric nursing

More information is available on the program webpage of the academic catalog .

Performing Arts Health and Wellness Certificate

This certificate provides a foundation in the health and wellness aspects of participating in performing arts. There are two primary target groups: [1] performing arts students desiring added qualification in health and wellness to meet the increasing attention of arts organizations to the well-being of artists, and [2] health care and other health science students (e.g., athletic training, exercise physiology, nutrition) desiring added qualification in health and wellness for performing artists as a means of entering the field of performing arts medicine.

Students will engage with the field of performing arts medicine by understanding how the human body functions and how performing arts induce substantial physical demands on artists. The health, and health care, of performing artists is receiving increasing attention today. Because of its program in Science and Health in Artistic Performance (SHAPe), including the  SHAPe Clinic , Ohio University is an international leader in performing arts medicine.

Examples of opportunities upon graduation:

  • Performing arts faculty member with special expertise in artistic health and wellness
  • Health care professional wanting to enter the field of performing arts medicine
  • Health and wellness professional wanting to work with performing artists

More information about this certificate is available on the academic catalog or by contacting Jeff Russell , assistant professor.

Professional Deaf Resources Liaison Certificate

  • For any student interested in furthering their understanding of American Sign Language (ASL) and/or the history, community and culture of individuals who are deaf.
  • Provides students with the necessary knowledge and skill in ASL to become allies across the deaf community.
  • Gain a firm underpinning for entry into a collaborative career with the deaf community in fields including health and human services, education, social services, community service agencies, vocational rehabilitation and more. 

Sports Nutrition Certificate

The Sports Nutrition Certificate provides cumulative education and skills training to equip students to provide sound sports nutrition information to their clients. Completing the certificate will help graduates to be more competitive in the workforce as they provide nutrition education to their clients in the collegiate, recreational, high school, performing arts and military arena.

More information is available on the program webpage of the academic catalog or by contacting Jessica Arquette , School of Applied Health Sciences and Wellness.

Workplace Health and Safety Certificate

The Workplace Health and Safety Certificate (WHSC) is a 15-credit hour academic certificate intended to provide an additional job skillset to students to complement their major, such as business, human resources, engineering, chemistry and health care (to name just a few). This certificate is intended to provide students in majors other than occupational hygiene and safety with a marketable academic sub-specialty in their elected primary area of academic study. (The certificate is not open to students majoring in occupational hygiene and safety, or environmental health and safety.)  Certificate holders will be more attractive to prospective employers, giving students broader career possibilities.

The WHSC is earned with six credit hours from two essential courses in workplace safety: Essentials of Occupational Hygiene and Safety Professions (OHS 2000) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (EH 4400). In addition, the certificate requires nine elective credit hours to be selected from different disciplines within Ohio University. 

Recent U.S. Department of Labor Statistics indicate health and safety job demand to be among the top 20 occupations in the U.S. until at least 2020. All Fortune 1000 companies have a professional safety function within their organization and smaller companies—those with less than 250 employees typically—often require some expertise from the safety profession. Accordingly, the need for WHSC holders is expected to rise and remain steady in the near-to-mid term. 

More information is available on the program webpage of the academic catalog or contact Michele Morrone


Graduate Certificates

Appalachian Studies Certificate

  • The certificate in Appalachian Health is designed to provide students with a specialized education in Appalachian health. It will provide students with the foundational knowledge of Appalachian history, culture, and health that will allow them to develop an intense understanding of the context in which they will be working if they choose to work in the region. This specialized focus supports the educational workforce development needs of public health employees not only in Ohio but within the broader Appalachian region.

More information is available on the program webpage of the academic catalog or Tiffany Arnold .

Clinical Informatics Certificate

  • Focuses on how clinicians store, retrieve and analyze health information. In practice, knowledge of clinical informatics transforms the delivery of health care by creating information and communication systems to help clinicians design, implement and analyze health data to enhance individual and population health outcomes, improve patient care, and foster efficient and effective clinician-patient interactions. Clinical informaticians use their knowledge to assess knowledge and needs of health care professionals and patients; characterize and refine clinical processes; develop, implement, and refine clinical decision support systems; and lead or participate in procurement, customization, development, implementation, management, evaluation, and continuous improvement of clinician information for the benefits of patients. They collaborate with other health care and technology professionals to develop tools that promote patient care that is safe, efficient, effective, timely, patient-centered, and equitable.
  • Within health care, one of the fastest-growing fields. As medical facilities move towards electronic medical records, more skilled professionals in clinical informatics will be needed. Doctors and other health care professionals are moving toward greater reliance on information technology and data. Employers hiring clinical informaticians often require at least a baccalaureate degree in a health care-related field and a graduate-level certificate in informatics. 

For more information is available on the program webpage of the academic catalog or email  ihs@ohio.edu

Diabetes Certificate

  • Educates and prepares students to better understand the multifaceted and complex condition of diabetes.
  • Offers a unique opportunity for students to obtain interdisciplinary education and training opportunities as well as service learning, clinical and/or research opportunities guided by experts in diabetes.
  • The need for this diabetes program is underscored by the high prevalence of this condition locally and nationwide, as well as by the vibrant diabetes-related infrastructure currently available at Ohio University.

More information is available on the program webpage of the  academic catalog  or by contacting Jessica Arquette , School of Applied Health Sciences and Wellness.

Epidemiology Certificate

  • Available 100% online and in-person
  • Enhance graduate education in epidemiology through gaining the essential knowledge and skills in the design and conduction of epidemiological studies, the analysis of epidemiological study data and interpretation of study results, and their application to curtailing the epidemic of chronic diseases that have become the leading causes of death in the U.S. and globally in the 21st century.
  • Train to deal with health and disease from the population health perspective, including investigating risk factors and critically evaluating the effectiveness of health interventions.
  • With the aging of the population, the need for a better understanding of the health and disease processes in senior age groups as well as health interventions and safety and effectiveness of treatment modalities increases continuously, necessitating the need for more epidemiology trained professionals.

More information is available on the program webpage of the academic catalog.

Gerontology Certificate 

  • Enhance your understanding about working with the aging or elderly population
  • Gain knowledge and skills related to working with the elderly regardless of your discipline
  • Open to working professionals with a bachelor’s or advanced degree regardless of current enrollment status

More information is available on the program webpage of the academic catalog .

Global Health Certificate

  • Gain a global perspective on health care through a unique interprofessional opportunity
  • Recent pandemics (HIV, SARS, avian influenza) are just one indicator of the increasingly globalized nature of health and health care. Demand for global health education and experience has increased as governmental and non-governmental agencies call for global health personnel.

More information is available on the program webpage of the academic catalog .

Health Policy Certificate

  • Enhance the education of current students pursuing programs in health disciplines who desire to gain skills in the analysis, interpretation and/or ability to seek solutions to problems affecting population health and health care. Moreover, students wishing to better understand the health policy environment in the United States and professionals engaged in public health and health care delivery will benefit from this certificate.
  • Students who complete the health policy certificate will be prepared to effectively engage with the health policy process as policy advocates, policy analysts, or policy influencers. For many students, completing the certificate will enhance their professional practice through an enhanced understanding of how health policy impacts the work they do and the environment in which they do it. Other students may seek positions as policy advocates for health care/public health sector employers or professional associations of which they are members or as health policy analysts with health research organizations.

For more information is available on the program webpage of the academic catalog or email  ihs@ohio.edu

Health Care Leadership Certificate

  • New and emerging leaders will gain knowledge and skills to effectively lead in a health care organization
  • Curriculum is based on a five-pillar framework model of patient experience/service, people, quality/patient safety, finance and growth, and strategy

More information is available on the program webpage of the academic catalog.

Post-Graduate Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Practitioner Certificate

  • Develop the knowledge and skills to provide advanced nursing practice in an acute care setting
  • Learn best practices in assessment and care delivery in common adult health problems
  • Apply knowledge, practice skills and implement interventions within the scope of the adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner role
  • Learn ways to improve health care within inpatient/hospital or hospital-to-clinic settings to further address the unique challenges of patient care for the adult population
  • Curriculum focuses on evidence-based instructional strategies and teaching techniques
  • Offered in a part-time format for working professionals

More information is available on the program webpage of the academic catalog .

Post-Graduate Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate

  • Develop the knowledge and skills to become a primary health care provider
  • Learn best practices in assessment and care delivery of advanced practice nursing
  • Apply knowledge, practice skills, plan and implement interventions within the scope of the family nurse practitioner role
  • Curriculum focuses on evidence-based practice principles in primary care
  • Offered in a part-time format for working professionals

More information is available on the program webpage of the academic catalog .

Post-Graduate Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate 

  • Primary or acute care nurse practitioner/clinical nurse specialists will gain specialized knowledge and skill needed to provide care to those who are struggling with mental illnesses and addictions
  • Builds on previous advanced practice nursing knowledge and emphasizes knowledge and skill development in mental health assessment, diagnostic reasoning, psychopharmacology and advanced therapeutic modalities such as individual, group, and family psychotherapy

More information is available on the program webpage of the academic catalog .

Post-Graduate Nurse Educator Certificate 

  • Nurses with prior graduate degrees will gain the skills to add a certification towards becoming nursing faculty members or staff educators at a health care facility
  • Learn teaching strategies, develop nursing curriculum and patient education materials, evaluate educational activities, and create staff development opportunities

More information is available on the program webpage of the academic catalog .

Post-Graduate Nursing Leadership Certificate

  • Synthesize knowledge derived from a scientific foundation and evidence-based practice to demonstrate expertise in advanced nursing practice.
  • Analyze health care policies to enhance and improve population health outcomes across diverse clinical practice settings.
  • Demonstrate leadership and interprofessional collaboration for improving clinical prevention and health outcomes.

Information can be found on the program webpage of the academic catalog .

Veterans Health Certificate

  • The purpose of this certificate is to provide students and/or post-professional health and health care workers with a background in advanced and specific knowledge for work with veterans in health and health care settings. The topics will include United States military history and culture as it pertains to the individuals' health, the Veteran’s Affairs system and common and current medical conditions associated with the military service. 
  • The certificate is for those who are working, or intend to work with veterans, to provide greater insight and perspective of this special population to become leaders in health care delivery to our U.S. veterans.

More information can be found on the program webpage of the academic catalog or email  ihs@ohio.edu .

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