Checklist for Students Enrolled in the Public Health Foundations & Practice Certificate Program

The steps below are intended to assist students currently enrolled in the Public Health Foundations and Practice (PHFP) Certificate Program. 

Step 1. Complete 4 of the 5 Required Courses below

  • BIOS 7021 – Biostatistics for Health Professionals I (3 SH) 
  • MPH 6034 – Foundations of Rural Health (1 SH) 
  • MPH 6041 – Principles of Epidemiology (2 SH) 
  • MPH 6042 – Public Health Organization and Administration (3 SH)* 
  • MPH 6043 – Public Health Planning and Evaluation (3 SH) 

*If a student does not have a former health related degree, the student will be required to take MPH 6042 before enrollment in any other course.

Step 2. Apply for Graduation

After successfully completing 4 courses, log into Pirate Port and complete the “apply for graduation” form from the dropdown menu. How to Apply to Graduate.

Step 3. Contact the Program Director (PD)

After applying for graduation, notify the PD (Dr. Lok Pokhrel, pokhrell18@ecu.edu) and inform that you are planning to graduate. Indicate if you are planning to apply to the MPH Program. Please note, PDs are not notified by the Graduate School when students apply for graduation. It is the student’s responsibility to monitor their own course progress and apply to graduate. Contact the PD or the Grad School anytime for academic advising, consulting or for questions about the program.

Step 4. Complete the Remaining 1 course Needed for a Total of 12 Credit Hours

Register for your remaining course. A student must complete all 5 courses with a 3.0 GPA or better. Certificate courses can be transferred into the MPH program with a grade of “B” or better and upon meeting the department’s academic admission requirements. 

Step 5. Apply to the MPH Program

Certificate students with an undergraduate GPA below 2.7 are eligible to apply to the MPH Program ONLY if: (1) they have completed the Certificate, and (2) their Certificate GPA is 3.0 or better. To enroll into the MPH Program, students must formally apply and pay the required application fee to the Graduate School. Completion of the PHFP Certificate does not guarantee enrollment into the MPH Program. Your submitted application will be reviewed and considered by the MPH Admissions Committee. Application deadlines can be found on the Grad School’s website. 

Additional Requirements and Information

  • A student earning a “C” in any course as part of the Certificate must petition the Department of Public Health for probationary continuation and may be required to repeat the course. Students with two C’s will have to retake one of the courses and earn a “B” or better to successfully complete the Certificate with a 3.0 GPA or better. All course grades count toward the Certificate GPA. 
  • Students enrolled in the PHFP Certificate cannot take other MPH courses outside of the Certificate and apply them later towards the MPH degree. 
  • Students enrolled in the PHFP Certificate should consult with the Program Director, Dr. Lok Pokhrel (pokhrell18@ecu.edu) for all academic advising, and Dr. Bianca Hall (hallmarl14@ecu.edu) regarding admission into the MPH Program.