FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q.        What is the cost of the certificate programs?

A.        For staff of the State Department of Health who have been approved to participate in this program, the Department pays tuition and fees.  All other students pay the full tuition and fees established by the campus on which they are enrolled, as listed on the web sites of the individual campuses.

Q.        Are scholarships available?

A.        No scholarships other than support through the Tennessee Department of Health are available.

Q.        Can I automatically enroll in a graduate program of one of the Consortium members after I am admitted to the certificate program?

A.        Admission to the certificate program is not linked to admission in any other educational program of any of the Consortium members.  If you wish to enroll in another program, you must apply to it separately.  The Consortium coordinator on your campus can advise you about other programs.

Q.        What additional programs are available through the Consortium?

A.        The Consortium plans to develop additional certificate programs and courses.  These will be posted on this web site as they become available.

Q.        Can I receive credit toward a certificate for courses that I have already completed?

A.        You may be able to receive credit for courses that you have completed if they are equivalent to those required for the certificate program.  The credit you can receive, if any, will be determined by the faculty of your home campus.  Please contact the Consortium coordinator to discuss this in detail.

Q.        What computer equipment do I need to participate in this program?

A.        You will need access to a computer with the following:

• Windows 98, Windows 2000, or Windows XP (although Windows 2000 or Windows XP are highly recommended);
• CD-ROM capability;
• Word processing software (Microsoft Word, Wordperfect, Notepad, etc.);
• An e-mail account;
• Antivirus software, such as Norton Anti-virus at http://www.symantec.com/, McAfee Anti-virus at http://www.mcafee.com/;
• The Internet (connecting via an Internet Service Provider).  Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, version 6 or higher (recommended because BlackBoard, the course management software, functions more efficiently with Internet Explorer) http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.asp; and
• Adobe Acrobat Reader, version 5 or higher.  Reader is available free from Adobe at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html.  
• Access to a printer is highly desirable.

Q.        Will I have to travel to participate in these programs?

A.        All the course work required for the certificates will be completed using the internet and other distance-education technologies.  There will also be occasional in-person conferences and exercises available to students in the program that will require travel.  Most will be held in Nashville .

Q.        What programs does the Consortium offer?

A.        The Consortium currently offers only a certificate program in Applied Epidemiology.  This program focuses on the application of basic and advanced epidemiological methods to public health problems.  Other certificate programs will be developed in the near future.