Health Professions Educator Certificate

About the Program

The Health Professions Educator Micro-Credential program is specifically intended for professionals in clinical or academic roles who aspire to expand or improve their teaching, management, or research-based roles in health professions education. This program is for health professionals who work in athletic training, dental, nursing, nutrition, physician assistant, occupational therapy, physical therapy, or speech pathology-audiology fields (or others) and who desire to improve their skills and knowledge in theory, evidence, and practice for specific health professions.

Specialization Track

Our program includes a specialized Teacher track — to learn more about specific approaches to adult learning theory, didactic instruction, competency-based education, interprofessional education, programmatic assessment, curriculum design, and more. 

The teacher track consists of 12 credits, or four 3-credit courses (for completion).

How to Apply

Application Deadlines

To get started on your application, click the link below:

• Health Professions Educator Micro-Credential Fall 2023

The application deadlines for Fall, Spring and Summer start dates are as follows:

• Fall - August 1st
• Spring - priority November 15th, with rolling admissions up until the start of the spring semester
• Summer - priority April 15th, with rolling admissions up until the start of the summer semester

Applicants Requirements:

An applicant will be considered for review based on the following requirements:

• Holds at least a Master's degree in a Health Professions discipline from an accredited US institution or equivalent.
• Has practical experience in their field within the past 3 years, and, if relevant to that discipline, the applicant should be licensed in that field.
• Has a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 (combined undergraduate and graduate)

Application Procedure:

• Transcripts from previous educational programs (undergraduate and graduate)
• A current curriculum vitae or resume
• A one-page personal statement in response to a writing prompt
• One professional reference
• A satisfactory score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for applicants for whom English is not their native language

Transfer Policy:

Students will be allowed to transfer in a maximum of one (3 credit) class towards completion of their certificate. Transcripts of such will be reviewed on an individual basis and credit awarded, accordingly and based on the relevant class, content and learning objectives.

Students admitted to the micro-credential program may transfer into either the CAGS or PhD programs in Health Professions Education.

• To transfer from the micro-credential to CAGS students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above in HPED courses
• To transfer from the micro-credential to the PhD, students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above in HPED courses and will be required to submit:
  • A writing sample
  • One letter of support from an HPED faculty member
  • An updated personal statement OR participate in an interview with the HPED Program Director

Academic Records

Official transcripts are required for all courses completed (undergraduate and graduate) at accredited US post-secondary institutions, whether or not a degree was awarded. If you attended a study abroad program and a separate transcript exists, send that as well. Educational documents should clearly indicate the degree earned and the date awarded.

If you earned a degree abroad, academic records must include end of year marks sheets for each year of attendance, not just final exam results or a copy of the degree. Educational documents should clearly indicate the degree and date awarded. Overseas post-secondary institutions must be recognized by the Ministry of Education in the home country. Academic records in the native language and an official English translation, if needed, are required.

The Office of Admission requires an evaluation of an applicant's academic credentials from abroad. These evaluation reports do not replace the need for signed/sealed academic records. These reports are interpretations of a student's academic history and U.S. colleges and universities may accept all or partial information in these assessments. Evaluations should include English translations and U.S. equivalencies of all transcripts including a course-by-course evaluation with grades.

The Office of Admission also accepts electronic transcripts from certain vendors including Parchment and National Student Clearinghouse.

Standardized Tests

Applicants whose first language is not English must submit official English language test scores taken within two years prior to the application deadline. These include the TOEFL, Duolingo English Test, Pearson Test of English and IELTS. Other English proficiency exams can be considered on a case by case basis. This requirement is based on native language, not citizenship.

Applicants who have graduated from post-secondary institutions abroad (recognized by the Ministry of Education in the host country) in English-speaking countries only or applicants who have earned a bachelor's or master's degree at an accredited U.S. institution do not need to submit an English language proficiency exam report.

Official scores are required; copies of student score reports are not acceptable. The TOEFL code is 3761. The required scores for the TOEFL are a minimum score of 600 (paper-based), 250 (computer-based) or 105 (internet-based) is required. The TOEFL should be taken well in advance of the application deadline in order for the official scores to be received in time; it takes 5-6 weeks to receive scores from ETS. Further information about TOEFL can be obtained by contacting Educational Testing Service (ETS) by telephone at 609-771-7670 or by visiting their website.

The minimum IELTS score is 8.0. The minimum Duolingo score is 135.

Recommendations

One letter of recommendation, written within six months of the deadline, are required. We do not accept recommendations from individuals who have a personal relationship with you (family members, friends, religious personnel) or politicians since we need evaluations from individuals who can assess your academic ability to engage in graduate studies. Instructions for the online recommendation process can be found within the application.

Enrollment Deposit

Accepted students who choose to enroll are required to submit a non-refundable $200 enrollment deposit by the date stated in the letter of admission. This deposit is applied to the first term bill.

Deferred Entrance

An accepted student may request in writing to the Director of Admission of the Office of Admission a deferral of the entrance date for one year. The student must indicate what they will do in the interim. Deferrals are not granted if the student plans/chooses to attend another institution. If the deferral is approved, a non-refundable enrollment deposit is due on the date stated in the original letter of admission to ensure enrollment for the future.

Reapplication Procedure

An applicant who wishes to re-apply must email or call the Office of Admission at 617-521-2605 about this process. All re-applicants are required to submit a new electronic application and any official academic transcripts for courses completed since the initial application. A reapplication fee is required; application fee waivers are only applicable to one application.

For International Applicants

If you require an F-1 visa to study in the U.S., you must be accepted to and enrolled in a degree seeking program on a full time basis. The Micro Certificate program is not offered on a full time basis, thus individuals requiring an F-1 visa are not eligible to apply. Taking courses as a non-degree student is not possible.

If you hold an H visa, please contact the Office of Admission via email or at 617-521-2605 to determine if you are eligible to apply. Be certain to tell us what type of H visa you hold and when/where you obtained your bachelor's and master's degrees.