Online Certificate

2 SemestersFour Courses
Part-Time
Fully OnlineHigh interaction with professors

The Online Certificate in Biohazardous Threat Agents & Emerging Infectious Diseases is a four-course, 12‑credit certificate program focused on critical concepts of biological threats to health security.

What You’ll Learn

The certificate curriculum covers classic biological threat agents as well as the future of global health security, bioterrorism, homeland security, and preparedness and response to CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) threats. Graduates of our program are employed in public health and in security-focused positions across government, academia, and the private sector.

Our online program gives working professionals the opportunity to build their knowledge base on emerging threats across the biological, chemical and nuclear security spheres. Students graduate with an official Georgetown Certificate as well as a transcript from Georgetown University. Credits earned from the certificate can be applied toward our M.S. in Biohazardous Threat Agents & Emerging Infectious Diseases as well as the Georgetown Ph.D. in Microbiology & Immunology.

Admissions

View admission requirements and begin your application.

Courses

Our certificate is a four-course program: Students take one required course and three electives.

You can find course descriptions on the Department of Microbiology & Immunology Course Descriptions page.

CBTA 6515 Microbiology of Biological Threat Agents & Emerging Infectious Diseases
Course Instructors: Tomoko Y. Steen & Mike Bray

Students must complete three total elective courses.

CBTA 6595 Community Resilience
Course Instructors: Paula Scalingi & Jeff Stiefel

Students must complete three total elective courses.

CBTA 6517 Bioterrorism
Course Instructors: Tomoko Steen, JP Gonzalez & Julie Fischer

CBTA 6525 Homeland Security
Course Instructors: Monte Hawkins & Christopher Duvall

CBTA 6566 Preparedness, Response, & Capacity to CBRNE Threats 
Course Instructor: Shane Kappler

Example Certificate Plan

The following is an example of a certificate program course schedule. Students usually complete the certificate program in two semesters. Alternatively, they take one course per semester and complete the program in four semesters.

Our program charges a per-credit rate for students taking fewer than 12 credits in a semester.

Fall

Course NameCredit(s)
CBTA 6515 Microbiology of Biological Threat Agents & Emerging Infectious Diseases3
Elective 13
6 Credits

Apply for graduation in your second-to-last semester. Follow the Graduating Student Checklist.

Spring

Course NameCredit(s)
Elective 23
Elective 33
6 Credits

Follow the Graduating Student Checklist to receive your certificate.


Admissions

View requirements and start your application.

Our Faculty

Experts from industry, government and academia.