MPH Functional Certificate: Global Health Program Design, Monitoring, and Evaluation

This 16-unit certificate provides students with practical skills to work in health organizations in developing and developed countries. Students will design and implement monitoring and evaluation plans, apply rigorous analytical methods to estimate the impacts and costs of public health programs and policies, and critically assess and interpret existing evidence to inform public health decisionmaking and the design of innovative new programs.

Upon graduation, students will be able to:

• Design monitoring and evaluation plans for public health programs.
• Utilize formative, process, and outcome evaluations.
• Differentiate between qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods in relation to their strengths, limitations, appropriate uses, with an emphasis on reliability and validity.
• Apply analytic methods to evaluate the impacts and costs of public health programs and policies.
• Support the use of data from monitoring and evaluation projects in informing evidence-based decisionmaking and the design of new programs and continuous quality improvement efforts.

Course Requirements

• SPH GH 745 Monitoring and Evaluation of Global Health Programs (4 units)
• Choose 8 units from the following core program design, monitoring, and evaluation courses:
  • SPH GH 744 Program Design (4 units)
  • SPH GH 811 Applied Research Methods in Global Health (4 units)
  • SPH GH 815 Methods for Impact Evaluation (4 units)
  • SPH PH 854 Program and Policy Evaluation (4 units)
• Choose 4 units from the following complementary skill-building courses:
  • SPH BS 722 Design and Conduct of Clinical Trials (4 units)
  • SPH BS 723 Introduction to Statistical Computing (4 units)
  • SPH BS 730 Introduction to R: Software for Statistical Computing (4 units)
  • SPH GH 743 Implementing Health Programs in Developing Countries (4 units)
  • SPH GH 756 Analyzing Methods for Pharmaceuticals Systems Assessment (4 units)
  • SPH GH 762 Essentials of Economics and Finance for Global Health (4 units)
  • SPH GH 806 Using Mobile Technologies to Improve Health Outcomes (4 units)
  • SPH GH 854 Data to Dashboards: Building Excel Skills to Support Health Program Decisions (2 units)
  • SPH SB 818 Qualitative Research Methods (4 units)

Integrative Learning Experience

The BU MPH Integrative Learning Experience serves to demonstrate the synthesis of foundational and certificate competencies. For students completing the Monitoring & Evaluation Certificate, there are two options for the ILE: a written M&E Plan; or a written Analysis Report.