Curriculum Overview

All semesters are eight weeks long: two eight-week semesters in the "Fall semester," two eight-week semesters in the "Spring semester," and one eight-week semester in the "Summer semester."

Core-Required Courses

All students take the first four core courses, which results in an award of a post-baccalaureate certificate.

  • Principles and Practice of Hospice and Palliative Care
  • Communication and Health Care Decision-Making
  • Psychosocial, Cultural, and Spiritual Care
  • Symptom Management in Advanced Illness

All students also take the last two required core courses below.

  • Critical Appraisal of Evidence
  • Advanced Team-Based Palliative Care

Electives

Students select four electives. If student takes all four courses in a given track, this results in a second post-baccalaureate certificate. Electives can be taken across tracks as desired.

To earn a post-baccalaureate certificate in Clinical Hospice and Palliative Care:

  • Advanced Pain Management and Opioid Dosing
  • Advanced Non-Pain Symptom Management
  • Advanced Disease State Management
  • Clinical Management of Special Patient Populations

*Enrollment limited to physicians, advanced practice nurses, nurses, pharmacists, physician assistants or with permission of Program Director.

To earn a post-baccalaureate certificate in Pediatric Palliative Care:

  • Disease State Evaluation and Management in Pediatric Palliative Care*
  • Pain and Symptom Management in Pediatric Palliative Care*
  • Communication, Grief and Bereavement in Pediatric Palliative Care*
  • The Practice of Pediatric Palliative Care*

*Enrollment not available until Fall 2024

To earn a post-baccalaureate certificate in Leadership and Administration in Hospice and Palliative Care:

  • Hospice Leadership and Administration
  • Palliative Care Leadership and Administration
  • Practice Development and Strategic Planning
  • Principles and Practice of Palliative Care Education

To earn a post-baccalaureate certificate in Psychosocial/Spiritual Aspects of Hospice and Palliative Care:

  • Advanced Decision-Making and Communication Skills
  • Advanced Spirituality and Psychosocial Skills
  • Self-Care
  • Principles and Practice of Palliative Care Education

To earn a post-baccalaureate certificate in Aging and Applied Thanatology:

  • Death and Dying: Ethical and Legal Considerations
  • Palliative Care (Than)
  • Caring for the Bereaved
  • Psychosocial Perspectives in Aging

Next Steps

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