Healthy People 2020 disability and health objective DH-3 calls for an increase in the proportion of U.S. MPH-granting public health programs and schools that offer graduate-level studies in the topic area of disability and public health.

An online Certificate of Interdisciplinary Disability Studies in Public Health was created in 2014 in a partnership between a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities and a graduate program in public health. Framed by the 10 Essential Public Health Services, the Certificate is comprised of four, 3-credit courses that address foundational knowledge, epidemiology, law, policy, and ethics, and interventions. Graduate students and professionals from over 15 disciplines have taken courses within the Certificate. Certificates have been conferred to students in disciplines including public health, nursing, psychology, speech, language, and hearing sciences, medicine, dentistry, and social work. Students have reported applying knowledge gained from coursework in their own programs in other courses as well as applying knowledge in their place of employment as well as other student and employment-related outcomes. Students from across the country have enrolled in courses as the breadth and depth of content in this area is not available in their home programs. Student contributions to the field include fact sheets, conference presentations, and peer-reviewed journal articles among others.

As more academic pre-professional programs move toward interdisciplinary scholarship, this Certificate presents a unique opportunity for students to develop knowledge and skills essential to their future professions to work collaboratively with others to build the capacity to include persons with disabilities.