The Health Professional Education Certificate is a collaborative program among the College of Nursing, School of Education and the College of Health Sciences.

The certificate is designed to provide health professionals with additional preparation in educational principles and theory to support them in their roles as educators of students and staff in the health professions as well as in the role of patient educator. This program is open to students simultaneously enrolled in a graduate degree program, as well as to health professionals who have completed a baccalaureate, master’s, or doctoral degree.

Eligibility and Admission

Applicants are admitted to the certificate program in one of three categories: post-baccalaureate, current student in a UWM graduate health profession program, or post-graduate student.

  1. Post-baccalaureate students must have completed a bachelor’s degree in a health profession discipline with a grade point average of 2.75 or above (4.0 scale) and not be currently enrolled in a graduate degree program at UWM.
  2. The admission requirements of the health professional educational certificate for students enrolled in good standing in a UWM graduate health profession program are consistent with those requirements specified by the program.
  3. Post-graduate students must have completed a graduate degree in a health profession or related discipline with a grade point average of 3.0 or above (4.0 scale).
Application
  • Students wishing to obtain this certificate must declare their intention by applying to the program office or director.
  • All graduate certificate applicants—even those already enrolled in a UWM graduate program—must apply to the Graduate School through the Panthera Admission Application.
  • Graduate degree and previously admitted graduate non-degree students who decide to pursue a certificate program must submit the Panthera application before completing 6 credits in the certificate sequence.

January 1 for a Fall start
September 1 for a Spring start

Certificate Requirements

Credits and Courses
The completion of 15 credit hours (5 courses) is required for the certificate program. All students are required to complete 2 core courses, Principles & Foundations of Adult Education (3 credits) and Practicum & Seminar in Health Professional Education (3 credits). In addition students will complete 3 credits in the area of curriculum/program planning and evaluation, 3 credits in teaching/instructional strategies, and 3 credit hours in an elective area. A current listing of courses that meet these requirements can be obtained from the College of Health Sciences or the College of Nursing. Students will need to maintain a 3.0 GPA and meet all other requirements of the Graduate School for continuation in the program. The Practicum and Seminar in Health Professional Education is the last course taken in the certificate program.

Grade Point Average Requirement
A minimum cumulative 3.00 grade point average in certificate courses taken at UWM is required.

Transfer Credit
No more than 20% of the required credits may be taken at an institution other than UWM. These courses are subject to Graduate School transfer policy and must be approved by the director of the certificate program.

Articulation with Degree Programs
  1. Credits and courses required for a certificate may double count toward meeting UWM graduate degree requirements subject to the following restrictions:
    • Degree programs must approve the courses from certificates that can double count toward the degree.
    • All credits taken in completion of certificate requirements may count towards a UWM graduate degree as long as they do not contribute more than 90% of the total credits needed to obtain the degree. (Note: Students in Ph.D. programs must still complete the minimum residency requirements)
    • Certificate courses used toward meeting degree requirements must be completed within the time limit for transfer credit.
  2. Courses completed for a degree may be counted toward a subsequent certificate, subject to all certificate policy requirements.
  3. A course may count toward no more than one certificate and one degree.
  4. Students may not earn a certificate subsequent to a concentration in the same area.
Time Limit

Certificate program time limits shall be established as follows:

  • 18 or fewer credits/Three years from initial enrollment in the certificate sequence.
  • 19 or more credits/Four years from initial enrollment in the certificate sequence.

For certificates that are designed as add-ons to degree programs and are awarded concurrent with the degree, the time limit shall be the same as that of the degree program.

For More Information

Jennifer Daood
Doctoral Programs
Senior Advisor
414-229-5047
daood@uwm.edu