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Advanced study in public health and aging studies is available through a dual degree and certificate program co-sponsored by the School of Public Health and Department of Gerontology in the College of Health Professions.
This program allows students to earn a Master of Public Health and a Certificate in Aging studies with a minimum of 51 credits rather than the 60 credits necessary if the two degrees were pursued separately. This efficiency lowers the overall cost of tuition while reducing time to earn both degrees.
Program goals
Graduates of this dual degree and certificate program will be able to:
- Apply public health principles and epidemiologic methods to understand and address health issues affecting older adults
- Analyze biological, social and environmental determinants of aging and their influence on health outcomes and quality of life for older adults
- Design and evaluate public health programs and interventions that promote healthy aging, disease prevention and community well-being
- Interpret policies and health systems that impact older adults, including long-term care, community supports and aging services
- Collaborate and communicate effectively with interdisciplinary partners to improve health equity and outcomes for older adults
Student learning outcomes
See the individual program pages for student learning outcomes for each program.
Admission requirements
Students must meet the admission requirements for each program. Admission into one program does not guarantee admission into the other.
The Certificate in Aging Studies program is open to qualified students who have earned a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university or the equivalent and who have met all general admission requirements of the VCU Graduate School.
The admission requirements for the M.P.H. program can be found on the program page. Admissions requirements are the same for all M.P.H. concentrations.
Application procedure
Applicants may apply to both programs at the same time or apply to the Certificate in Aging studies while enrolled in the M.P.H. program.
Dual degree and certificate requirements
As standalone programs, the M.P.H. comprises 45 credits while the certificate requires 15 credits. The dual degree and certificate program allows students to share nine credits, therefore decreasing total credits to completion from 60 to 51.
All M.P.H concentrations can complete the dual degree-certificate program.
The following M.P.H. courses will count towards the Certificate in Aging Studies
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SBHD 605 | Introduction to Social and Behavioral Sciences (statifies certificate elective) | 3 |
The following Certificate in Aging Studies courses will count towards the M.P.H. degree
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| GRTY 601 | Biological and Physiological Aging (satisfies M.P.H. elective) | 3 |
| GRTY 602 | Psychology of Aging (satisfies M.P.H. elective) | 3 |
| GRTY 603 | Social Gerontology (satisfies M.P.H. elective) | 3 |
Curriculum requirements
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| M.P.H. requirements | ||
| BIOS 543 | Graduate Research Methods I | 3 |
| EPID 571 | Principles of Epidemiology | 3 |
| HCPR 601 | Introduction to Health Policy | 3 |
| IPEC 563 | Interprofessional Complex Care Coordination | 2 |
| PHLT 580 | Public Health Ethics | 1 |
| PHLT 593 | Foundations of Public Health Profession | 2 |
| PHLT 604 | Principles of Environmental Health | 3 |
| PHLT 693 | Public Health Internship | 3 |
| PHLT 694 | MPH Capstone Project | 3 |
| SBHD 605 | Introduction to Social and Behavioral Sciences | 3 |
| Concentration requirements | 9 | |
| Applied public health | ||
| PHLT 600 | Introduction to Public Health Practice | 3 |
| SBHD 628 | Public Health Program Planning and Evaluation | 3 |
| SBHD 632 | Systems, Power, and Health | 3 |
| Cancer prevention and control science | ||
| EPID 620 | Cancer Epidemiology | 3 |
| SBHD 612 | Disparities Across the Cancer Care Continuum | 3 |
| SBHD 613 | Community-engaged Research and Cancer Disparities | 3 |
| Epidemiology | ||
| BIOS 544 | Graduate Research Methods II | 3 |
| EPID 548 | Applied Data Analysis Lab | 3 |
| EPID 606 | Fundamental Epidemiological Methods | 3 |
| Health communication | ||
| SBHD 606 | Practical Communication Strategies for Public Health | 3 |
| SBHD 607 | Media, Health and Policy | 3 |
| SBHD 608 | Health Communication | 3 |
| Health policy | ||
| EPID 629 | Data Management and Visualization | 3 |
| HCPR 602 | Public Health Policy and Politics | 3 |
| HCPR 703 | Health Economics: Theory and Principles | 3 |
| Elective credits (nine credits satisfied by the Certificate in Aging Studies) | 10 | |
| Certificate requirements | ||
| GRTY 601 | Biological and Physiological Aging | 3 |
| GRTY 602 | Psychology of Aging | 3 |
| GRTY 603 | Social Gerontology | 3 |
| GRTY 606 | Aging and Human Values | 3 |
| Elective (satisfied by SBHD 605) | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 48 | |
The minimum number of graduate credit hours required for this dual program is 48.
Sample plan of study fall semester matriculation
General plan of study. Students should work with the M.P.H. Education Administrator for specific plans of study for each specific M.P.H. concentration.
| Year one | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall semester | Hours | |
| BIOS 543 | Graduate Research Methods I | 3 |
| EPID 571 | Principles of Epidemiology | 3 |
| GRTY 602 | Psychology of Aging | 3 |
| PHLT 593 | Foundations of Public Health Profession | 2 |
| PHLT 580 | Public Health Ethics | 1 |
| Term Hours: | 12 | |
| Spring semester | ||
| GRTY 601 | Biological and Physiological Aging ((satisfies M.P.H. elective)) | 3 |
| PHLT 604 | Principles of Environmental Health | 3 |
| SBHD 605 | Introduction to Social and Behavioral Sciences (satisfies certificate elective) | 3 |
| Concentration course | 3 | |
| Term Hours: | 12 | |
| Summer semester | ||
| PHLT 693 | Public Health Internship | 3 |
| Term Hours: | 3 | |
| Year two | ||
| Fall semester | ||
| GRTY 603 | Social Gerontology (satisfies M.P.H. elective) | 3 |
| HCPR 601 | Introduction to Health Policy | 3 |
| IPEC 563 | Interprofessional Complex Care Coordination | 2 |
| Concentration course | 3 | |
| Term Hours: | 11 | |
| Spring semester | ||
| GRTY 606 | Aging and Human Values (satisfies M.P.H. elective) | 3 |
| PHLT 694 | MPH Capstone Project | 3 |
| Concentration course | 3 | |
| Elective course | 1 | |
| Term Hours: | 10 | |
| Total Hours: | 48 | |
The minimum number of graduate credit hours required for this dual program is 48.
Contacts
Katherine Peterman, M.P.H.
M.P.H. education administrator, School of Public Health
petermankb@vcu.edu
(804) 628-2868
Jennifer Pryor
Program director, Department of Gerontology
pryorjm@vcu.edu
(804) 828-1565
Additional contact
Juan Lu, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.D.
Professor and graduate program director, M.P.H.
jlu1@vcu.edu
(804) 828-9786
Program websites: sph.vcu.edu and gerontology.chp.vcu.edu/programs/mastersprogram/