Certificate in Spatial Analysis for Public Health 

Students should check the JHSPH catalogue to view the full list of required courses and to confirm when they are offered for students in the OPAL program. Courses are offered during specific terms each year. Students should also check for prerequisites and whether instructor consent is required. 

The certificate program is open to members of the public health workforce seeking formal education and training to effectively design and conduct public health-related spatial analysis. The program is intended to be taken on a part-time basis and can be completed by taking all courses.

The certificate program is open to individuals with at least a baccalaureate degree or equivalent from an accredited college or university. Students should be able to demonstrate quantitative ability through professional or academic background in order to apply for the program. Additionally, students must also be able to demonstrate a background in Biostatistics and Epidemiology.

Individuals who are currently matriculated in a degree program in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School or other schools at Johns Hopkins University are not eligible for this certificate program.

Students interested in obtaining the related OPAL degree - the Master of Applied Science in Spatial Analysis for Public Health - may apply all of the course credits of the certificate program to the MAS program upon application and admission, as long as courses were completed within 5 years of matriculation in the MAS program. For specific questions about the MAS program, please contact the OPAL office directly at JHSPH.Applied-Learning@jhu.edu.

Different certificate programs are open to different audiences. This program is only open to students who are applying as non-students (not already enrolled in a JHSPH program).  Please refer to the OPAL Admissions page for full details on admissions requirements needed to apply to the Certificate in Spatial Analysis for Public Health.

Please visit the page on the JHSPH website that addresses certificate program tuition. Interested students should visit the How to Apply page for information about eligibility and a link for applying in SOPHAS Express. The certificate program's admissions committee will review the applications and notify each applicant of their admissions decision.

For more information about the certificate program before submitting an application, please call 844-379-1319 to speak with an admissions officer.

NOTE: Students enrolled in MAS degree programs are not eligible to apply to JHSPH certificate programs until they have completed their degree program. 

The certificate program requires a minimum of 18 term credits and a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.75. Students must earn a minimum grade on a set of required program-specific core courses: “Pass” for courses offered only on a pass/fail basis: “C” or higher for courses offered for letter grading. The certificate program length is flexible; it can be completed in as little as one year, and must be completed within three years.

The student should review the section of the website that addresses completion before completing certificate program requirements. The student's transcript will not indicate that the certificate was earned until the Notification of Completion has been submitted, verified by the certificate program, and processed by the Registrar.