Graduate Certificate in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene
The Certificate in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) at the Rollins School of Public Health (RSPH) is offered through the Center for Global Safe Water, Sanitation and Hygiene at Emory University (CGSW) and aims to train graduate students to be competitive for WASH-related careers. Please be advised, the Graduate Certificate in Water, Sanitation & Hygiene is not available for online or distance learning at this time. It is only offered to enrolled RSPH students. The WASH Certificate is not offered as an online course at this time.
Program Competencies
- Describe the multidisciplinary nature of WASH-related issues;
- Practice WASH-related laboratory methods;
- Examine potential solutions for WASH-related challenges at the household and community level;
- Recognize the role of policy in shaping the WASH landscape;
- Identify entities working in the WASH sphere; and
- Students must complete a WASH related APE. They must also generate WASH-related knowledge through completing a capstone or a thesis (ILE). HPM students please contact Kathleen “Kat” Peters, the WASH certificate coordinator at kpeter5@emory.edu, to learn about alternative thesis and capstone requirements.
Program Requirements
Any RSPH student graduating who fulfills the following criteria will be awarded a WASH certificate:
- Complete a minimum of 8 credit hours of WASH-related coursework. (Please note: your WASH related ILE counts for 4 of the total 12 credit hours required) with at least one methods course, one biology course, a WASH elective course and a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or greater. Please see the course summary for approved WASH coursework.
- Attend two CGSW-sponsored seminars per year (4 total in two years); and
- Successfully complete a WASH-related ILE and APE
This is a self-guided certificate program. You must undertake the following steps in order to successfully complete the WASH certificate program:
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- To enroll in one or more certificates, RSPH students must complete a Certificate Declaration of Intent Form .There is NO OFFICIAL DEADLINE for the WASH certificate, as long as you have met the requirements. You may also directly email Kathleen Peters, WASH Certificate Coordinator
- Students who plan to use a WASH-related capstone/thesis/APE that is not supervised by a CGSW faculty, affiliated investigator or staff member must fill out a Provisional APE/ILE Approval Form in order to receive approval from Dr. Juan Leon, Certificate Director. Without this provisional approval, there is no guarantee that the ILE (capstone/thesis) and/or APE will fulfill the certificate requirement.
- WASH certificate-seeking students who would like to use a non-listed, WASH-related class towards the certificate requirements must apply for provisional approval from Dr. Christine Moe. Without this provisional approval, there is no guarantee that the intended class will fulfill the certificate requirement. Please complete a Provisional Course Approval Form and return it to Kat Peters and Dr. Juan Leon
- IMPORTANT: Students are required to respond to Certificate Coordinator inquiries. If a student no longer wishes to pursue the Certificate, they MUST inform the Coordinator ASAP. Your may also disenroll from any Certificate via the CANVAS page. Consistent non-response could result in removal from the program.
IMPORTANT LINKS
Rollins School of Public Health – Canvas Site for all Certificate Programs
UPDATED FOR FALL 2026– Fall 2026 WASH course summary – please note we are hoping to add more WASH-approved courses to choose from this Spring.
NEW! RSPH and Public Health Acronym List
CGSW Faculty, Affiliated Investigators, Fellows and Staff: Who We Are
