About The Program
Medical providers are often asked to teach others, but that's often a different skill for them. We help faculty teaching in medicine and health professions understand adults learn, how to develop effective curricula and gain insights into teaching strategies. Ultimately, we're arming academic leaders with best practices for teaching in undergraduate, clinical and graduate programs.
At a Glance
Certificate Earned
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
Credits: 12
Application Semesters and Deadlines
Fall and Summer: February 1
Spring: October 1
Program Modality
Online and in-person*
*A minimum number of students is required to administer an in-person cohort.
Estimated Completion Time
Part-time (1-8 credits): average completion in 4 semesters (1 course each Fall and Spring)
Designed for faculty teaching in healthcare professions, the Certificate in Medical Education enhances the depth and breadth of faculty expertise in curriculum design and adult learning strategies for teaching and fosters development of a cadre of academic leaders who can model best practices teaching in undergraduate, clinical and graduate programs.
Admission requirements
| Degree: | Semester(s) of entry: | Deadline dates: | Test requirements: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Fall | Feb 1 | |
| Spring | Oct 1 | ||
| Summer | Feb 1 |
In addition to the general admission requirements of the VCU Graduate School, the following requirements represent the minimum acceptable standards for admission:
- Bachelor’s degree in an appropriate discipline
- No more than one letter of recommendation addressing the student’s potential for graduate study in education
- Statement of intent
- Transcripts of all previous college work
Please visit the School of Education website for further information.
Degree requirements
In addition to general VCU Graduate School graduation requirements, students are required to complete course work in core and elective courses.
- Credit hour requirements: Students are required to complete a minimum of 12 credit hours.
- Grade requirements: Receipt of a grade of C or below in two courses constitutes automatic dismissal from the program. Courses with a grade below C cannot be used to satisfy degree requirements.
Curriculum requirements
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ADLT 670 ADLT 670. Curriculum Design in Health Professions Education. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Enrollment is restricted to faculty teaching in medicine and health care professions. Introduces adult learning principles and practices for the design and assessment of courses, units and individual lessons within a health professions education curriculum in both preclinical and clinical settings. | Curriculum Design in Health Professions Education | 3 |
| ADLT 671 ADLT 671. Theory and Practice of Adult Learning for Health Professions Educators. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Enrollment is restricted to faculty teaching in medicine and health care professions. Provides an overview of the major adult learning theories that are applicable to health professions education and explores how these form the basis for teaching and learning in medicine. Examines behavioral, cognitive, social, experiential and transformative learning orientations for relevance in health professions education. Emphasis is on how knowledge is constructed and organized in the development of expertise. | Theory and Practice of Adult Learning for Health Professions Educators | 3 |
| ADLT 672 ADLT 672. Instructional Strategies for Teaching in Health Professions. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Enrollment is restricted to faculty teaching in medicine and health care professions. Designed to provide health professions educators with knowledge and skills practice in teaching effectively in large and small groups using discussion-based strategies, team-based learning, process-oriented guided inquiry learning and problem-based learning, as well as other active learning methods. Learners design and implement a small-group learning strategy appropriate for a health professions educational setting. | Instructional Strategies for Teaching in Health Professions | 3 |
| ADLT 673 ADLT 673. Teaching as Scholarship in Health Professions Education. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Enrollment is restricted to faculty teaching in medicine and health care professions. Orients the health professions educator to basic design principles for conducting research that contributes to the scholarship of teaching and learning in health professions education using qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods. Examines basic research paradigms, problem identification, question development, selection of methodology, IRB preparation and requirements for journal submission and publication. | Teaching as Scholarship in Health Professions Education | 3 |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
The minimum number of graduate credit hours required for this certificate is 12.
The VCU Bulletin is the official source for academic course and program information.