Education & Experience
The Rocky Mountains & High Plains Center for Emergency Public Health is engaged in research and practice to help support stronger and more prepared local, state, national and global health departments, agencies and ministries of health. Led by a team of experienced faculty and staff, The Center provides practical experiences for students interested not only in developing research and practice skills related to humanitarian leadership and emergency health but also promotes direct engagement with local government health departments and non-governmental organizations.
Courses & Certificates
The Center offers courses in Emergency Health within the MPH program and a full Graduate Certificate in Emergency Health.
Elective classes include:
- PBHLT 6780: Emergency Public Health: Planning for Disasters - This graduate-level course prepares students to develop a public health disaster preparedness and response plan for their jurisdiction. The course combines traditional community health program planning with disaster management in order to develop effective programs for preparing communities to respond to disasters.
- PBHLT 6781: Post-Disaster Community Health - This graduate-level public health course provides students with knowledge and skills to address the impact of public health emergencies on the health of communities both in the US and Globally. At the end of the course students will be able to assess the health related needs of an affected population and formulate plans to address critical health parameters such as shelter, water, food, sanitation, as well as health care needs.
- PBHLT 6340: Infectious Disease Epidemiology - This graduate-level course is designed to provide an overview of the foundations and epidemiologic methods used in assessing the phenomena of infectious disease from a public health perspective.
The Graduate Certificate in Emergency Health prepares recipients for working in emergency management positions in public health and health care. The program aims to develop individuals within public health and health care who can ensure the continuity of operations in their organization as well as protect the health of the population during emergencies and disasters. The curriculum is built on established competencies in this field which students achieve through coursework and an applied field experience.
Coming Soon: We're excited to announce an upcoming executive track of our traditional graduate certificate program. Stay tuned for more details.
The Graduate Certificate in Emergency Health was a great complement to my MPH degree. I learned about the Incident Command System and how public health integrates into disaster response, developed an all-hazards disaster plan, gained skills in community recovery and resilience, and recognized the importance of inclusive disaster planning. I was able to directly apply my lessons to the COVID-19 response at the University of Utah and gained invaluable hands-on experience in public health emergency preparedness. The certificate ultimately led me to where I am today as a public health PhD student with a focus on health security.
University of Utah Public Health Learning Management System
The University of Utah Public Health Learning Management System (UUPH LMS) is your go-to resource for online trainings, webcasts, and a calendar of upcoming live events. UUPH LMS will track your progress and keep personal learning notes as you proceed through the program and trainings.
Faculty and staff in the Division of Public Health at the University of Utah continue to work with our practice partners to assess the training needs of the community and develop a quality set of educational offerings to meet those needs.The Center also works with the Rocky Mountain Public Health Training Center through the Division’s partnership with them to offer online and in-person workforce development opportunities.
For more information for online continuing education offerings click here: https://utah.publichealthcloud.com/www/lms2/default.aspx
Experience
The Center can periodically offer capstone projects, practicum opportunities, and internships to students. If you are interested in working with us, please email us at rmhp-ceph@utah.edu to discuss any opportunities that may be available.
My internship experience at the Center for Emergency Public Health was deeply meaningful. For my internship, I helped build a fundraising strategy, develop messaging, and cultivate partnerships for the Center. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to learn from these incredible professionals and see firsthand the importance of emergency public health. The team’s leadership, collaboration, and care in the important work they do was remarkable to me. They are so dedicated to helping communities be safer and more resilient. My experience at the Center for Emergency Public Health will inform my future leadership and approach to helping vulnerable communities as I complete my MPA and pursue a career in the impact space.