About the Certificate

The field of social epidemiology is focused on understanding how psychosocial factors –stress, neighborhood context, social status and structures, marginalization, and discrimination –shape population health and healthcare outcomes. It is an inherently interdisciplinary field and applies concepts from a range of social sciences (sociology, psychology, economics, etc.) within an epidemiologic framework of rigorous study design and analysis. Scientists with this dual knowledge of analytic abilities and critical thinking skills are increasingly sought after as health departments, insurers, and healthcare systems seek to understand and address how social determinants of health impact the populations they serve.

The Graduate Certificate in Social Epidemiology is designed to enlighten students from diverse backgrounds on public health issues from preventable differences in the burden of disease. This certificate is designed to be attainable, engaging, and interdisciplinary, including courses from almost every department at the School of Public Health.