The Graduate Certificate in Epidemiology in Global Healthcare leads students to explore, analyze, and evaluate epidemiology in global contexts where God may be calling them to live and work missionally. Students correlate readings and research related to a global area of their interest throughout their courses. Consequently, graduates are able to lead in tracking the spread of disease and evaluate the effectiveness of systemic and treatment approaches in specific contexts.
The United States Center for Disease Control describes epidemiology as "the study of the origin and causes of diseases in a community. It is the scientific method of investigation problem-solving used by disease detectives—epidemiologists, laboratory scientists, statisticians, physicians, and other health care providers, and public health professionals—to get to the root of health problems and outbreaks in a community." Healthcare workers trained in epidemiology are desperately needed in healthcare mission around the world to prevent future outbreaks of disease from occurring. The Graduate Certificate in Epidemiology in Global Healthcare equips missional leaders to care for the physical health of peoples in specific areas of the world by gaining information that can improve outbreak detection and timely response to people in need in those locations.
