Certificate in Health Equity

This certificate is designed as an interdisciplinary certificate that provides a background in disciplines that relate to the social and behavioral determinants of health. Determinants of health are social, cultural, political, and economic factors coupled with individual factors that impact population as well as individual health outcomes. Socio-economic (upstream) factors are shaped by the distribution of money, power and resources at global, national and local levels, which are themselves influenced by policy choices (e.g. policies to promote economic development and reduce poverty; policies to promote healthier homes, neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces; housing policy; policies affecting access to health care; education policy; social policy; community empowerment; social capital; social inclusion/ exclusion; transportation policy; job training programs; food policy; health system policy and more). Individual (downstream) factors are those of behavior/lifestyle; gender; genes/family history, stress, income, education, food insecurity, access to health care, and housing.

Certificates may be earned by regularly matriculated or extended learning students and denote successful completion of a prescribed program of study designed to:

  1. impart specified professional/vocational/career competencies; or
  2. produce mastery of the content of a sub-field of an academic major (discipline); or
  3. provide exposure to the range of materials in a traditional or emerging interdisciplinary field.

Certain certificate programs contain 6000-level courses as requirements and/or electives. These 6000-level courses may not be taken by undergraduate students. Candidates must receive two-thirds of their certificate-applicable credit from the university. The transferring of credit or the substitution of courses may occur only after application to the appropriate campus authority.

Certificate Requirements (18 units)

Core Courses (6)
Six units chosen from:6
Anthropology of Health
Foundations of Public Health Education
Medical Sociology
Health Psychology
Measurement Courses (3)
Three units chosen from:3
Research Methodology in Health Science
Research Methods and Evaluation in Public Health
Qualitative Analysis & Field Research
Introduction to Community-Based Research
Quantitative Analysis & Survey Research
Research Methods in Psychology
Elective Courses (6)
Six units chosen from:6
Gender, Race, and Class in Media
Latinx, Media, and Cultures
Advanced Topics in Relational and Organizational Communication
Social Determinants of Health
Public Health Law and Ethics
Infectious Disease Burden in U.S.
Chronic Disease Burden in U.S.
Sociology of Mental Health
Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
Social Welfare in the U.S.
Political Sociology
Social Networks
Sociology of Sex and Gender
Social Determinants of Health
Capstone Experience (3)
HSCI 5953PHIndependent Study for Public Health3
Total Units18