Geospatial Health, Post-Baccalaureate Certificate

Saint Louis University's Geospatial Health Certificate is a 15-credit training program that provides students the public health and geographic information systems (GIS) coursework to identify and better understand the role that location has on health behaviors and outcomes. Students will develop skills in mapping, analyzing data and using spatial data to answer some of public health’s most challenging problems. This certification is for graduate students from a variety of health and social science disciplines, working professionals seeking geospatial analysis skills and students taking a ‘gap year.’

Curriculum Overview

SLU's Geospatial Health Certificate is a 15-credit program that includes core public health and GIS courses with a capstone course, Place and Health.

Fieldwork and Research Opportunities

Students will have opportunities to work with faculty and advisors focused on research projects in community- and government-based health care and public health settings.

Careers

Students who complete SLU's Geospatial Health Certificate will be well-positioned for jobs in data science, health planning and public health research and practice, as well as other fields that intersect with GIS, including hospital and health care administration and urban planning.

Admission Requirements

Applicants should have a bachelor's degree, preferably with a 3.00 grade point average.  Applications are reviewed on a holistic and rolling basis.  Applicants will apply through SOPHAS Express, the common application system for public health schools and programs.  

Tuition 

Tuition Cost Per Credit
Graduate Tuition $1,310

Additional charges may apply. Other resources are listed below:

Net Price Calculator

Information on Tuition and Fees

Miscellaneous Fees

Information on Summer Tuition

Scholarships and Financial Aid

For more information about Saint Louis University scholarships and financial aid, please visit the Office of Student Financial Services online at www.slu.edu/financial-aid.  

Accreditation 

Saint Louis University's College for Public Health and Social Justice is fully accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). To see our most recent accreditation documentation, please visit the College for Public Health and Social Justice website.

CEPH-Seal
  1. Graduates will be able to develop a final project consisting of finding data, compiling the data into a geodatabase, performing analysis, producing GIS output, and modeling lattice and spatial point data. 
  2. Graduates will be able to design, implement and present a health-focused GIS-based research project.
  3. Graduates will be able to critically analyze research findings and health and social policies to better understand how to improve problem-solving and decision-making about health and community resources.
GIS 5010Introduction to Geographic Information Systems3
SOC 5670Spatial Demography – Applied Spatial Statistics3
PUBH 5500Place and Health3
Elective
Choose one of the following:3
Geospatial Data Management
Digital Cartography and Geovisualization
Introduction to Programming for GIS and Remote Sensing
Machine Learning for GIS and Remote Sensing
Choose one of the following:3
Health Care Organization
Health Care Across the Life Course: From Policy to Practice
Social Epidemiology
Total Credits15

Program Notes

Alternatively, this certificate can be completed part-time over two years, taking one course per semester plus one course during the summer between Years 1 and 2.  

Continuation Standards

Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 in all graduate/professional courses.

Roadmaps are recommended semester-by-semester plans of study for programs and assume full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.  

Courses and milestones designated as critical (marked with !) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation. Transfer credit may change the roadmap.

This roadmap should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor/mentor each semester. Requirements, course availability and sequencing are subject to change.

Plan of Study Grid
Year One
FallCredits
Critical course:  GIS 5010 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems 3
Critical course:  HMP 5000
Health Care Organization
or Health Care Across the Life Course: From Policy to Practice
or Social Epidemiology
3
 Credits6
Spring
Critical course:  SOC 5670 Spatial Demography – Applied Spatial Statistics 3
Critical course:  PUBH 5500 Place and Health 3
GIS 5030
Geospatial Data Management
or Digital Cartography and Geovisualization
or Introduction to Programming for GIS and Remote Sensing
or Machine Learning for GIS and Remote Sensing
3
 Credits9
 Total Credits15

Apply for Admission

For additional admission questions, please contact:
Bernie Backer
Director of Graduate Recruitment and Admissions 
bernard.backer@slu.edu 
314-977-8144