My name is Justin Moore and I am Co-Director and Assistant Professor of the new Graduate Certificate Online Program in Ethnic & Rural Health Disparities (ERHD) at East Carolina University. I also want to welcome you to our very innovative online certificate program.
One of my major activities with the certificate program is managing the final course — MPH 6009 Capstone Experience in Ethnic Health and Health Disparities. This course has two major objectives for students:
1. Investigate a specific ethnic health and health disparities issue from a biopsychosociocultural perspective; and
2. Complete a public health, research project or research proposal that is culturally competent to a specific ethnic or rural health disparity group.
The online course involves weekly online discussion board assignments, participation in the virtual chatroom discussions, and completion of an ethnic and rural health disparity research project/proposal.
The Ethnic Health and Health Disparity Capstone Faculty Committee (3 faculty members) will evaluate the student’s research project/proposal for its quality and cultural competence. We anticipate that as students complete this capstone course in ethnic health and health disparity, they will not only have dramatically improved their knowledge, attitude and skills in relationship to the major ethnic and rural health disparity issues but also have acquired new public health skill sets that will make them more marketable and employable in today’s public health and medical fields.
We are very grateful, appreciative and delighted that our new graduate online Certificate program has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agency — Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA).