Demography

Demographic and health data are critical to the development of new and more effective public health programs, from strategy to evaluation.  While demographers traditionally provided key data on the composition and growth of national populations, increasingly they are in demand to quantify and analyze more targeted populations, as varied as the students of a school district, selected age groups of a community health district, or patients of a hospital.  Demographic data and analysis provide an invaluable foundation for program planning as well as metrics for program assessment.

There is currently a critical shortage of trained professionals in public health organizations, federal agencies, and international organizations with the skills to collect and interpret sophisticated demographic data and undertake the population forecasting necessary for successful program planning. This Certificate will prepare graduates to fill this need in the U.S. and globally.

Demography is a fast growing science whose scope and methods have tremendously expanded in recent years. Graduates of this program may go on to work in research, policy and planning branches for federal, state and large municipal government departments. They are likely to be sought after by consulting firms, hospital and social agencies. With international organizations, they may find employment in areas such as population and development program planning and evaluation, as well as in designing and implementing population surveys as part of program evaluation efforts. 

Admissions Information

Demography is open to Columbia MPH students in:

Environmental Health Sciences
Epidemiology
Health Policy and Management
Population and Family Health
Sociomedical Sciences

Note that given the required classes, the program may be most compatible for students enrolled in Epidemiology, Population and Family Health, or Sociomedical Sciences.

Learn More

Visit the School's Academics website for more information about Demography's required courses, certificate electives, and scheduling.