As the challenges faced in public health continue to grow and become more varied, skills of practitioners must also be broadened. The traditional technical skills that are critical to performing the core functions must now be expanded to include greater management and, most important, leadership skills. Especially in recent years it has become clear that the new challenges faced in public health can be very severe in nature and cannot be predicted.

These challenges require a set of skills that emphasize efficiency and team empowerment and leadership. In the landmark 1988 Institute of Medicine publication, The Future of Public Health, leadership training was clearly identified as a critical need in public health. Despite the initiation of numerous national and local efforts to address this leadership deficit, this need continues today.

To help meet these needs the Public Health Leadership Program (PHLP) was initiated in 1997 at the world's leading public school of public health in The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The need and the skills to convert challenges into opportunities is a keystone of leadership in public health and is the central to the vision of the Public Health Leadership Program.

Now, to address further the need for leadership education, the very successful Distance Education MPH degree offering of the Public Health Leadership Program has been expanded to include a Certificate in Public Health Leadership.

The Public Health Leadership Certificate is an 11-credit hour program of study. The content is the same as the core content taught in PHLP's masters of public health programs. All courses have been specially designed and developed for delivery via distance learning. Students will be able to register, receive materials, interact with faculty, order books and successfully complete this program while only traveling to campus once. A connection to the Internet is all that is required! 

The application deadline for Spring 2009 is February 1, 2009.  We do not accept applications for the program year round and will admit students for summer semester as space is available.

Please note there are limited spaces available in the program. Thus, applying early will provide a better opportunity for admission.