Certificate in Health Equity Science
The undergraduate Certificate in Health Equity Science (CHES) is administered through the Department of Human Development and Family Science in the College of Human Sciences. Students completing this certificate program will have a strong understanding of the role of social context in generating disease risks and disparities in health between groups. Students will also learn how this corpus of knowledge can be translated into health-promoting policies and community-level interventions.
The CHES requires 12 semester hours (including at least 6 semester hours at the 3000-level or higher). Completion of this certificate will appear on the official Auburn University transcript. Students earn the certificate by completing:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| HUSC/HDFS 5930 | Society and Health | 3 |
| HUSC/HDFS 5950 | Seminar on Health Ecology and Equity | 3 |
| Six (6) additional semester hours through elective courses 1 | 6 | |
| Social Issues | ||
| HDFS and Social Policy | ||
| Social Welfare, Family and Poverty | ||
| Social Inequalities | ||
| Health and Society | ||
| Sociology of Mental Health | ||
| Sociology of Gender | ||
| Medical Anthropology | ||
| Bioarchaeology | ||
| Culture, Medicine, and Power | ||
| Advanced Seminar (Health and Wellness for the Human Sciences) | ||
| Honors Thesis (2-6 semester hours) on a health equity topic* Practicum (1-6 semester hours) in health equity in a professional setting* Internship (12 semester hours) in health equity* 2 | ||
| Total Hours | 12 | |
- 1
Elective courses relevant to the certificate vary from year to year. Courses with substantial content focused on health equity science or social inequality are likely to qualify. Please email course syllabus to ches@auburn.edu to obtain approval.
- 2
Thesis, practicum, and internship activities are not required for the certificate but are an alternative way to complete the elective credit requirements. In departments where such opportunities are available, thesis, practicum, and internship should be organized by the student with a faculty mentor in their department. To obtain approval for these credits to count towards the Health Equity Science certificate submit the following materials to ches@auburn.edu. Students should submit a 1 page description of the time commitment and primary activities of the internship or practicum (signed by the student and her/his supervisor) and a 1 page description of how the activities are relevant to health equity science topics. Students completing thesis credits to meet the certificate requirements should submit their thesis proposal for preliminary approval before it is completed and the completed thesis for final approval.
General questions about how to obtain the certificate should be directed ches@auburn.edu