公共卫生研究生证书旨在为学生提供核心学科的概述，为了解公共卫生领域的广度和范围奠定基础。公共卫生与临床医学的不同之处在于其对人群的关注以及对健康促进和疾病预防的关注。健康教育，传染病控制，卫生措施的应用和环境监测等公共卫生活动有助于社区的健康状况。核心公共卫生学科包括生物统计学，流行病学，卫生政策与管理，社会与行为科学以及环境卫生科学。
The Michigan State University (MSU) College of Human Medicine Division of Public Health offers an online graduate certificate in Core Disciplines of Public Health. The courses that make up this certificate serve as the core courses required of students who are pursuing a Master of Public Health degree from MSU. This certificate is designed to provide students with a basis for understanding the breadth and scope of the public health field. The core public health disciplines include biostatistics, epidemiology, health policy and management, social and behavioral sciences, and environmental health sciences. Students gain competence in all of the core disciplines through these courses. <br><br>This certificate is appropriate for an endless variety of students. Current public health professionals benefit by enhancing their existing skills and gaining an official credential. Medical students find this certificate enhances their education by learning the population-based side of medicine in addition to their traditional patient-centric training. Other professionals who also benefit from this certificate include, as examples, nurses who want to broaden their clinical perspectives, accountants who work in health and want to gain a greater understanding of the health care industry, or an attorney who wants to utilize this certificate to help specialize in public health and health policy. Since public health affects every aspect of modern society, the applications of this knowledge are far-reaching into many other professional disciplines.