Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Health Professions Education
Please note that as of Fall 2023, the Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in the Health Professions Education program is not accepting applications at this time.
Description
The Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) in Health Professions Education provides advanced, graduate-level training distinct from clinical programs, focused on education. Demand for effective educators within their fields of practice is growing. Therefore, the program is designed for clinicians, clinical educators, and clinical managers seeking more training in the field of education. The curriculum prepares students to design, teach, and evaluate curricula and instruction in a variety of contexts. Students gain critical skills in educational strategies and best practices in education and go on to become advanced-level clinical educators, clinical program managers, university faculty or administrators, faculty-development specialists, program and curriculum developers, or educational policy makers in the health professions, among other roles.
Learning Outcomes
After completing the CAGS program, students are able to:
- Analyze social, political, economic, and scientific trends in healthcare including policies and structures that require meaningful transformations in health professions education.
- Navigate health professions educational systems and organizations in order to implement successful innovation.
- Apply educational theories and principles of cognitive and learning science to enhance student learning in health professions education.
- Design and deliver creative and impactful lessons, courses, curricula and programs in health professions education.
- Identify, evaluate, and apply evidence-based teaching strategies.
- Design learning environments and organizational structures to intentionally and equitably support and engage all learners, particularly those from historically marginalized groups.
- Develop and implement processes and tools to assess learning outcomes and evaluate programs in order to inform and improve practice.
- Critically analyze and evaluate research in health professions education, marshaling evidence in support of arguments and using data to support educational practice.
Requirements for entry into program
All applicants will have previously completed a Master’s degree in public health or in a clinical discipline from an accredited U.S. institution. Applicants must have practical experience in their field within the past 3 years, and, if relevant to that discipline, the applicant should be licensed in that field.
Applicants will submit:
-
Transcripts from previous educational programs
-
A curriculum vitae
-
A writing sample (e.g. Capstones, articles written for professional newsletters or other writings from professional course work, etc.)
-
A personal statement in response to a writing prompt
-
Three letters of recommendation (one letter of recommendation for Simmons University employees)
An applicant for whom English is not their native language must submit a satisfactory score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
*The GRE is not required for HPED Programs. However, a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 (combined undergraduate and graduate) is required for all applicants.
Program Details
The CAGS program in Health Professions Education is an 18-credit online post-Master’s program that prepares students to assume a variety of educator roles within the health professions. It is particularly beneficial for health professionals who have no prior pedagogical training but who wish to learn best practices in education for professional development and career advancement.
Degree Requirements
Credits
18 Total Credits
6 Credits/Semester Sequence
Capstone, placement, internship, practicum, etc.
HPED 541 is a 100 hour immersion experience in the field of higher education individualized to help you achieve your career aspirations. You will work with faculty to identify a PhD prepared educator to work with for a full semester who will provide advice and mentorship to help you apply the theories, concepts, principles, and research learned throughout the educational courses.
Fall Year 1
| HPED 520 | Trends in Health Professions Education | 3 |
| HPED 521 | Learning Theory and Practice | 3 |
Spring Year 1
| HPED 530 | Principles of Inquiry and Evidence in Health Professions Education | 3 |
| HPED 531 | Teaching Methodologies, Course Design, and Assessment | 3 |
Summer Year 1
| HPED 540 | Curriculum Development, Program Design, and Evaluation | 3 |
Fall Year 2
| HPED 541 | Education Application and Immersion Experience | 3 |
On satisfactory completion of the HPED CAGS, those who wish to continue to the doctoral level may apply to the PhD portion of the program.