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CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS

Homeland Security Studies (Certificate)
Biohazardous Threat Agents (Certificate)
Health Systems Admin (Certificate)
Biodefense & Public Policy (Certificate)

Biodefense and Public Policy (Certificate)

OVERVIEW

With the threat of biological terrorism made more manifest since 9/11, there exists a crucial need for trained staff and executives not only in such disciplines as microbiology and immunology but also in public policy. To meet that need the Department of Microbiology and Immunology and the Georgetown Public Policy Institute are offering a Joint Certificate in Bio-Defense and Public Policy.

The new security environment creates a need for people inside government who not only understand biohazardous threat agents but also are skilled in the tools and techniques of policy analysis and management. The Certificate's combination of scientific and administrative disciplines will enable our graduates to provide leadership not only in the technical aspects of emergency response but also in the crucial policy and administrative challenges that arise in planning response strategies and responding to incidents. Courses will be given for credit, and students who wish to continue their studies in Master's programs offered by GPPI or the Department of Microbiology receive 15 credits toward the full graduate degree.

The interdisciplinary nature of this Certificate program requires its joint management by science (Medical Center’s Dept of Microbiology & Immunology) and policy (Georgetown Public Policy Institute) divisions at Georgetown University. Below you will find reference to two program directors for this exact reason. Please feel free to contact either of them.

FACT SHEET

Campus address:

    Virginia Amundson
    Attn: Credentials - Joint Certificate in Bio-Defense and Public Policy
    Georgetown Public Policy Institute
    3520 Prospect Street, NW
    Washington, DC 20007

Telephone: (202) 687-2269   Fax: (202) 687-1800

Program e-mail: vla@georgetown.edu

Program Websites: http://microbiology.georgetown.edu/education/certificate/index.html and http://gppi.georgetown.edu/academics/certsprograms/biodefense/

Department Chairs: Dr. Richard Calderone (Chair, Microbiology & Immunology); Dr. Judy Feder (Dean, Georgetown Public Policy Institute)

Directors of Graduate Studies: Dr. Leonard Rosenthal (Microbiology & Immunology); Dr. Joseph Ferrara (Georgetown Public Policy Institute)

Certificate Program Contact: Virginia Amundsen, Associate Director, GPPI.

Coursework required: 15 credits

Part-time Option: Available. Note: this is not an evening-study option. Part-time students may still have to attend some day classes. Students pursuing fewer than 9 credit hours per semester are considered part time and have up to 3 years to complete their graduation requirements.

CERTIFICATE ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

Program of Study

The curriculum will consist of five courses. Students are required to take one core GPPI course and one core MICB course. Of the three remaining courses, students must take at least one in either Microbiology or GPPI.

Core Course at the Department of Microbiology

MICB 515: Microbiology of Biological Threat Agents and Emerging Infectious Diseases

This course will cover NIH bioterrorism agents (categories A-C), which can be utilized as biological weapons. The microbiology of these agents will focus on structure, pathology, and virulence factors. The immune response to these agents will be presented. Viral agents will include Variola and hemorrhagic fevers (Ebola and Lassa). Bacterial agents will include B. anthracis, Yersinia pestis (plague), and Francisella tularensis (tularemia). Emerging infectious disease threats such as Nipah virus and Hantavirus will also be covered.

Sample Electives:

MICB 517: Bioterrorism
MICB 518: Principles of Biodefense
MICB 519: Biosurveillance: An Applied, Multidisciplinary Approach
MICB-523: Biodefense Public Health Countermeasures
MICB 525: Homeland Security 2015

Core Course at the Georgetown Public Policy Institute

PPOL 740: Management of Policy Analysis
The objective of this course is to make students better producers and consumers of analyses and evaluations of public policy, as well as better decision-makers. The course does not focus on methodology per se. Rather, the focus is on the role of managers and executives in seeking and organizing the gathering of systematic information to address crises as well as more routine policy problems.Part-time Option: Available. Note: this is not an evening-study option. Part time students may still have to attend some day classes. Students pursuing fewer than 9 credit hours per semester are considered part time and have up to 3 years to complete their graduation requirements.

Sample Electives:

PPOL 527: Risk Analysis
PPOL 612: Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations
PPOL 648: Epidemiology for Public Policy
PPOL 688: Homeland Security
PPOL 812: Homeland Security & Counter Terrorism Plannig

Certificate Completion/Award

Graduates will receive an official Georgetown University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences transcript as well as a Certificate of completion for their program.

CERTIFICATE ADMISSIONS INFORMATION

Application Deadlines:

August 1, 2007 for the Spring 2008 semester or December 3, 2007 for the Fall 2008 semester. Admissions will be done on a rolling application basis. Your earliest possible application is encouraged.

Admissions Information Summary

Please read the admissions information for certificate program applicants found on the Graduate School website at: http://grad.georgetown.edu/pages/cert_admissions.cfm

In addition to the application form, prospective certificate students should submit the following:

     Online Application Form
     Non-refundable Application Fee
     Statement of Purpose
     Official Transcripts (all prior institutions)
     Official Recommendations (3)
     Resume/CV
     GRE Scores
     TOEFL/IELTS (required for all non-native English speakers, see below)

*Address intellectual interests and professional and academic goals. Carefully explain how this certificate program specifically fits into your future academic and professional plans (not to exceed 500 words)

Apply to this certificate program using our online application form, located at: http://grad.georgetown.edu/pages/apply_online.cfm

Choose your certificate program on the online application from under the Department “Certificate Programs”

Official hard copy transcripts should be mailed to the following address:

Virginia Amundson
Attn: Credentials - Joint Certificate in Bio-Defense and Public Policy
Georgetown Public Policy Institute
3520 Prospect Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007

GRE - GRADUATE RECORD EXAM

Results of the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) are required for applicants. There is no minimum required score on the GRE. Test scores must be received by the application deadline date. Applicants should allow six to eight weeks from the test date for the reporting of scores to the institution. Applications to certificate programs will not be considered without valid GRE scores. Information on registering to take the GRE can be found at: http://www.gre.org/ttindex.html

ENGLISH PROFICIENCY: TOEFL / IELTS

All applicants who are not native English speakers are required to demonstrate a level of proficiency in the English language sufficient to meet the admission requirement of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Proficiency can be demonstrated by the receipt of a bachelor's or advanced degree from an accredited institution of higher education in the United States or from a university where English is the primary language of instruction. All other non-native speakers must achieve at least a minimum score on either the TOEFL or IELTS test. Test scores must be received by the application deadline date. Applicants should allow six to eight weeks from the test date for the reporting of scores to the institution. Applications to Certificate Programs will not be considered without valid GRE or TOEFL/IELTS scores.

TOEFL: A minimum score of 550 (paper-based test) or 213 (computer-based tests) or 80 (iBT test) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). TOEFL information: http://www.ets.org/toefl/

IELTS: A minimum score of 7.0 from the International English Language Testing System. IELTS Information: http://www.ielts.org

OTHER INFORMATION

CERTIFICATE PROGRAM FACULTY

Department Chairs: Dr. Richard Calderone (Chair, Microbiology & Immunology); Dr. Judy Feder (Dean, Georgetown Public Policy Institute)

Certificate Program Directors: Dr. Leonard Rosenthal (Microbiology & Immunology); Dr. Joseph Ferrara (Georgetown Public Policy Institute)

For faculty information, please consult http://microbiology.georgetown.edu/research.html and http://gppi.georgetown.edu/faculty/

CERTIFICATE COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Course descriptions, as well as class schedules and other information about course offerings can be found on the University Registrar's course site located at: http://explore.georgetown.edu/courses/index.cfm or on the program website at: http://microbiology.georgetown.edu/education/certificate/requirements.html