Graduate Certificate Program
in Health Policy

The Graduate Certificate Program in Health Policy (CHP) is available for students already enrolled in University of Washington graduate degree programs. Priority is given to students enrolled in programs within the School of Public Health.

Applications are accepted throughout the year and reviewed quarterly.  Students will qualify for the certificate upon completion of three required courses, elective courses, and a Capstone Project

Note:  Since the core course requirements of a degree program may not be counted toward the certificate, students are strongly encouraged to work with the coordinator of their degree program to develop a specific course plan that will meet the requirements of both degree and certificate.
Course Requirements:
HSERV 552,   Health Policy Development  (3 credits)

HSERV 587,   Health Policy Economics  (3 credits)

. . . and one course from the list of Health Law offerings below:

HSERV 551,   Health Law  (2 credits)
HSMGMT 590,   Health Administration and Business Law  (4 credits) 
LAW H 580,   Advanced Health Law  (3 credits) 
LAW H 520,   Genetics and the Law  (2 credits) 
LAW H 501,   Fundamentals of Health Law  (4 credits) 

Note:  MHA students must choose either LAW H 580 or LAW H 520 as their certificate Health Law requirement.

Required certificate courses must be taken for a grade.

Students choose certificate electives from a list of approved courses below, for a total of 15 credits (8-10 from required courses and 5-7 elective credits).  

In addition, during the quarter in which the student finishes the CHP course work, s/he will write a comprehensive case study of a health policy issue of the student's choice.  The case study must include a definition of the issue, a description of the context of the issue (including relevant political and historical factors, laws, regulations, and major court cases), the economic markets affected by the issue, the stakeholders involved in the issue and their priorities/interests, 2-3 options for addressing the issue (including the relevant decision-maker to implement the option) and the advantages and disadvantages of each option, and a final recommendation as to the appropriate course of action.  The case study is expected to be 5-10 pages in length, not including the bibliography. 

The student will select 2 faculty members to review and comment on the Capstone Project, one of which must come from the student's home department or school, and one of which must come from the Department of Health Services.  Students who wish to receive credits for an extensive case study can do so through the independent study mechanism.

Completion of the Health Policy certificate program will be acknowledged on the student's official UW transcript.  The student must be a matriculated UW graduate student during the quarter the graduate certificate is awarded.  Certificates cannot be awarded retroactively.

Application Process

Students may apply at any time during their graduate school tenure.  

Note:  All required courses counting toward the certificate must be taken for grades.  This should be considered if the student decides to take required courses prior to entering the program.

To apply, send the following items to:

Professor Carolyn Watts,
Department of Health Services,
University of Washington,
Box 357660,
Seattle, WA 98195.
  1. The completed application form:
    Application Form
  2. Current UW graduate school transcripts.  (unofficial transcripts are OK)
    See:   www.washington.edu/students/reg/transcripts.html

For additional information contact Prof. Watts at watts@u.washington.edu

Forms

Approved Electives
  • HSERV 553, Politics of Health Care
  • HSERV 554, Health Legislation Seminar
  • HSERV 522, Health Program Evaluation
  • HSERV 572, Community Development for Health
  • HSERV 580, Society, Chronic Illness, and Disability
  • HSERV 514, U.S. Health and Health Care III: Health Policy Research
  • HSERV 534, Global Population Health and Development
  • HSERV 531, Problems in International Health
  • PHG 512/LAW H 504, Legal, Ethical, and Social Issues in PH Genetics
  • PHG 522, Ethical Frameworks for PH Genetics
  • PHG 523/LAW H 520, Genetics and the Law
  • ENVH 471, Environmental Health Regulation
  • ENVH 584, Occupational Health and Safety: Policy and Politics
  • MHE 523, Biomedical Ethics
  • MHE 535/LAW H503, Medical Ethics and Jurisprudence
  • NURS 568, Health Politics and Policy
  • NURS 527, Managing Effective Access and Utilization Within Care Systems
  • NURS 584, Critical and Interdisciplinary Approach to Health Policy
  • PHARM 532, Methods of Pharmaceutical Policy Analysis
  • ECON 550, Public Finance
  • ECON 450, Public Finance
  • POL S 578, Health Politics and Policy
  • POL S 575, Public Policy Processes
  • PB AF 501, Legislative Relations
  • PB AF 506, Ethics and Public Policy
  • PB AF 513, Public Policy Analysis
  • PB AF 522, Budgeting
  • LAW H501, Fundamentals of Health Law
  • LAW H502, Medical Malpractice
  • LAW H503, Medical Ethics and Jurisprudence
  • LAW H508, Beginning of Life: Rights and Choices
  • LAW H509, End of Life: Rights and Choices
  • LAW H510, Topics in Law and Medicine
  • LAW H530, Disability Law
  • LAW H534, Mental Health and the Law
  • LAW H536, Research Ethics and Regulation
  • LAW H540,Health and Human Rights
  • LAW H570, Biotechnology and the Law
  • LAW H580, Advanced Health Law
  • LAW H582, Health Care Fraud and Abuse