Overview
The Center offers three certificate options in Consumer Health Advocacy – Graduate, Capstone, and Professional. Our certificates educate a diversity of learners interested in health advocacy such as health care providers seeking to enhance their understanding of the complex healthcare system, aspiring providers wanting to learn from patients, professionals interested in a new career, and others drawn to advocacy for personal or professional experiences.
The certificates offered by the Center are equivalent to 12 graduate-level credits. Courses can be taken for graduate credits offered by the University of Wisconsin-Madison or for a noncredit professional certificate offered by the Center for Patient Partnerships. The professional and capstone certificates may be completed entirely online. All certificates may be pursued in a blended (a combination of online and on-campus) or face-to-face format. Graduate students must complete the majority of their coursework face-to-face.
Our learners:
- Develop advocacy capacity that emphasizes patient empowerment
- Gain critical health advocacy competencies with real-world relevance
- Join a collaborative, interactive learning environment with interdisciplinary peers and faculty
- Enjoy a low teacher-learner ratio that facilitates individualized guidance
Our curriculum emphasizes:
- Critical reflection and life-long learning
- Advocacy as social justice and a commitment to healing our healthcare system
- Capacity building and empathy
- Patient advocacy ethics and values
- Inter-professionalism, health care teams, and care transitions
- Cultural competency and health literacy (What we refer to as Caring Carefully)
- Relevant legal, financial, and medical knowledge
- Clinical trial searching, medical decision-making and creative problem-solving
Choosing a Certificate
- Our Capstone certificate is designed for learners who are considering future graduate/professional education or are currently enrolled in a graduate program outside UW-Madison. This certificate provides graduate credits on a UW-Madison transcript.
- Our Professional certificate is designed for working professionals wishing to acquire skills in patient advocacy. This noncredit certificate offers a professional certification from the Center for Patient Partnerships.
- Our Graduate certificate is for graduate and professional students enrolled in degree programs at UW-Madison seeking a concentration in consumer health advocacy.
Please contact us at learning@patientpartnerships.org for help determining which certificate is right for you.
Continue to Eligibility, Prerequisites, & Technical Requirements >