Epidemiology, Post-Baccalaureate Certificate

Epidemiologists are "disease detectives." At Saint Louis University, students who complete their certificate in epidemiology will start learning the investigative skills necessary to understand how to control disease and injury patterns in populations.

The epidemiology curriculum at SLU prepares students to discover how various behavioral, genetic, environmental and health policy factors affect the health of communities.

Whether it's an infectious disease outbreak, such as influenza, or a disparately high rate of hypertension in a resource-poor community, epidemiologists do the fieldwork that pinpoints the root causes, what the risks are, who is at risk and how to prevent further harm to the public.

Curriculum Overview

The certificate program in epidemiology is designed for three distinct audiences: 

1. Students actively pursuing their Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) at Saint Louis University in a concentration other than epidemiology.
2. Graduate students in other disciplines at SLU who seek additional training in disease tracking.
3. Professionals seeking to gain additional skills in epidemiological methodology.

This 12-credit certificate can be completed over one to two years and is offered in person.

Careers

Students of epidemiology at SLU have gone on to careers in public health departments, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in hospitals and health systems doing infectious disease control and outcomes research, consulting companies and more. 

Admission Requirements

Applicants should have a bachelor's degree, preferably with at least a 3.00 grade point average. Experience in a health-related field is preferred, but not required. Applications are reviewed on a holistic and rolling basis. To apply, applicants will need to submit their transcripts, CV, personal statement and two letters of recommendation through SOPHAS Express, the common application system for public health schools and programs.

Tuition

Additional charges may apply. Other resources are listed below:

Information on Tuition and Fees

Miscellaneous Fees

Information on Summer Tuition

Scholarships and Financial Aid

For more information about Saint Louis University scholarships and financial aid, please visit the Office of Student Financial Services.  

Accreditation

Saint Louis University's College for Public Health and Social Justice is fully accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). To see our most recent accreditation documentation, please visit the College for Public Health and Social Justice website.

1. Assess the health of populations by comparing appropriate health-related metrics across populations, places and times.

2. Apply epidemiologic methods to draw valid inferences from public health data.

3. Synthesize epidemiologic findings and communicate them to technical and nontechnical audiences. 

Students must earn a B- or better in all required courses. Elective courses may be passed with a C or better. Students may not take the same course more than two times.

Continuation Standards

Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 in all graduate/professional courses.

This roadmap is just one example of a semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. There are other plans students can and do take. The plan of study for each particular student is established in consultation with each student’s academic advisor; this roadmap does not replace academic advising appointments.

Roadmap notes:

• This Roadmap assumes full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.
• Courses/Milestones marked with an “!” are critical and must be completed in the semester listed in the Roadmap to ensure a timely graduation.
• Course availability and sequencing are subject to change.

Apply for Admission

For questions about applying to one of our graduate programs, contact the College for Public Health and Social Justice admissions via cphsjgrad@slu.edu.