Program Overview

Program Overview

The Certificate in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) is offered through the Center for Global Safe Water at Emory University and aims to train graduate students to be competitive for WASH-related careers. This is a rigorous self-guided certificate program open to all Rollins students.

Certificate Competencies

• Describe the multidisciplinary nature of WASH-related issues
• Practice WASH-related laboratory methods
• Examine potential solutions for WASH-related challenges at the household and community level
• Recognize the role of policy in shaping the WASH landscape
• Identify entities working in the WASH sphere

Curriculum

Certificate Courses

Students in the Certificate in WASH complete 12 credit hours of WASH-related coursework, a WASH-related APE and ILE, and attend two seminars per year.

Biology

• EH 545 - Introduction to Environmental Determinants of Infectious Diseases
  • Prerequisite: Helpful if students have some background in biology.
  • This course covers ways the environment influences the transmission and spread of infectious diseases in humans.

Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health

• GH 517 - Case Studies In Infectious Disease
  • Prerequisites/concurrent: EPI 504 or EPI 530 and BIOS 500 or permission of instructor.
  • Provides training in the investigation, control, and prevention of infectious diseases by both descriptive and analytic epidemiological techniques.
• EH 548 - Research Methods for Studies of Water and Health
  • Recommended Prerequisite: GH 529 Water and Sanitation in Developing Countries or equivalent.
  • This hands-on course covers methods needed to carry out field studies focused on water and health.

Hubert Department of Global Health

• GH 580 - Control of Food and Waterborne Diseases
  • Introduces the major disease-causing microorganisms in the environment and their transmission through water, food, and air.
• GH 529 - Water and Sanitation in Developing Countries
  • The course provides students with techniques needed to develop, evaluate, and sustain successful drinking water and sanitation interventions for developing countries.

Methods

• DATA 530 - Introduction to Geographical Information Systems
  • The course introduces the use of geographic information systems (GIS) in the analysis of public health data.
• DATA 532 - Advanced Geographical Information Systems
  • Prerequisites: INFO DATA 530 or permission of the instructor.
  • The course continues the use of geographic information systems (GIS) in the analysis of public health data and adds more advanced features.

Electives

• EH 544 - Environmental Health in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Disease Burden, Causes, and Interventions
  • In this course, students will explore the special environmental disease burden in Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), contributing factors, and specific risks.
• EH 547 - Design, Delivery, and Assessment of WASH in School Programs
  • Develop the knowledge and skills necessary to be and engage with water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) champions, program managers, researchers, policymakers, and donors.
• EH 582 - Global Climate Change: Health Impacts and Response
  • This course will explore the public health impacts of global climate change, the responses undertaken by the health sector to become more resilient to those impacts, and potential mitigation efforts and activities.
• EH 586 - Adv. Sem in Climate Change and Health: Research and Policy
  • Recommended prerequisite: EH 582/GH 582.
  • Building on EH/GH 582, this course offers an advanced examination of climate and health research and solutions.
• EPI 517 - Case Studies in Infectious Disease Epidemiology
  • This course provides practical training in the investigation, control, and prevention of infectious diseases.
• EPI 569 - Concepts and Methods in ID Epidemiology
  • Prerequisites: EPI 530, EPI 540, EPI 534, and experience using R.
  • The course will provide an overview of the history, concepts and analytical methods that specifically apply to the study of infectious diseases.

Additional Requirements

• Applied Practice Experience: All students must complete an APE that is related to WASH approved by the director of the Center for Global Safe WASH.
• Integrative Learning Experience: All students must complete a thesis or capstone project in a WASH-related topic.
• Seminars: All students must attend two WASH seminars hosted by the Center for Global Safe WASH every academic year.

Admissions

This is a self-guided certificate program. You must undertake the following steps in order to successfully complete the WASH certificate program:

1. Send an email with your intention to pursue the WASH certificate program as soon as possible.
2. All students must complete a declaration form prior to the graduating semester: No later than February 15 for spring graduates, July 1 for summer graduates, and September 15 for fall graduates. This form will be used to verify that all of the WASH certificate requirements are on track to being fulfilled.