New One Campus, One Health Certificate Program will Prepare the Next Generation of One Health Leaders
The School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn Vet) has launched a new interdisciplinary graduate certificate that prepares students to address complex health issues affecting people, animals, plants, and the environment. The inaugural cohort currently includes graduate and professional students from the Dental School, the School of Nursing, Penn Vet, and Penn Carey Law, with the hope that the certificate will attract students from every school and discipline in the future.
The certificate reflects the University’s commitment to a One Health approach, recognizing that the health of people, animals, plants, and the environment are deeply interconnected, and today’s most complex problems require expertise from multiple disciplines working together. Unlike traditional interdisciplinary programs that seek to broaden students into generalists, the One Campus, One Health Certificate Program is designed to strengthen disciplinary expertise while equipping students with the collaborative skills needed to work effectively across fields.
Penn is one of the few universities to bring medicine, veterinary medicine, public health, nursing, dental medicine, engineering, law, business, and other disciplines together on a single campus, enabling students to learn across traditional academic boundaries. Supported by the University’s longstanding investment in interdisciplinary scholarship, the One Campus, One Health Certificate Program offers students an educational experience that reflects how today’s extreme health challenges are solved in partnership across disciplines.
“Today’s most significant health challenges cannot be solved by any one discipline alone,” said Penn Vet’s Associate Dean for One Health, Jennifer “Jenni” Punt, VMD, PhD.
“Whether responding to infectious diseases, food security, environmental change, antimicrobial resistance, or community health, meaningful progress depends on experts who know how to collaborate, co-design interventions, and evaluate outcomes together. This certificate prepares Penn’s graduate students to share their expertise and engage in meaningful collaborations to help solve complex problems.”
The One Campus, One Health Certificate builds on Penn’s expanding portfolio of One Health educational programs. Over the past several years, the University has developed individual courses, the Master of Public Health One Health track, and other interdisciplinary learning opportunities. The new certificate represents the next step in that evolution, creating a University-wide educational experience that connects students from diverse academic backgrounds. The certificate includes four components that combine foundational knowledge with practical, interdisciplinary experience:
- A Foundations of One Health course introducing the principles and practice of One Health.
- Three electives that strengthen interdisciplinary practice and problem-solving skills.
- A One Health in Practice experience demonstrating cross-disciplinary collaboration while working with a faculty mentor whose expertise aligns with students’ interests.
- Presentation of student work at Penn’s annual One Health Symposium, connecting students with faculty, researchers, and practitioners across the One Health landscape.
Each student will be paired with a One Health in Action faculty member who provides guidance on academic opportunities, career development, and connections across Penn’s extensive One Health community.
Graduates will be prepared for careers in government, healthcare, academia, research, nonprofit organizations, international development, and community organizations, where the ability to bridge disciplines and collaborate across sectors is increasingly essential to improving health outcomes.
Enrollment for the One Campus, One Health Certificate Program is now open to the next cohort of eligible Penn graduate and professional students for the Spring 2027 semester. For more information, including eligibility requirements and application details, please visit our website.
This program is funded by Penn’s Draw Down the Lightning grants.
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About Penn Vet
Ranked among the top ten veterinary schools worldwide, the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet) is a global leader in veterinary education, research, and clinical care. Founded in 1884, Penn Vet is the first veterinary school developed in association with a medical school. The school is a proud member of the One Health initiative, linking human, animal, and environmental health.
Penn Vet serves a diverse population of animals at its two campuses, which include extensive diagnostic and research laboratories. Ryan Hospital in Philadelphia provides care for dogs, cats, and other domestic/companion animals, handling more than 30,000 patient visits a year. New Bolton Center, Penn Vet’s large-animal hospital on nearly 700 acres in rural Kennett Square, PA, cares for horses and livestock/farm animals. The hospital handles more than 6,300 patient visits a year, while our Field Services have gone out on more than 5,500 farm service calls, treating some 22,400 patients at local farms. In addition, New Bolton Center’s campus includes a swine center, working dairy, and poultry unit that provide valuable research for the agriculture industry.