Online Masters Degree and Certificate Programs

Certificate Information

ONLINE APPLICATION LINKS (applications must be completed online):
As part of the application process you will create an account. You can sign back in to complete your application, pay your application fee, or check the status of your application through the Self Service Center. 

Click here for the Graduate School Application

US citizens select "Domestic Applicants" and the the program "Medical Education (Curr & Instruction), Post-Baccalaureate Certificate." The application fee is $20.

Non-US citizens select "International Applicants" and then the program "Medical Education (Curr & Instruction), Post-Baccalaureate Certificate." The application fee is $25.

 

YOUR APPLICATION MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:

• One-page admission essay − This essay should address your current interest and involvement in medical education, your experience in planning, conducting, and/or evaluating educational research, and your future career goals.
• Curriculum vitae  
• Unofficial Transcripts - Upload unofficial transcripts directly into the application. A transcript is required from any college/university you receive a degree from. An unofficial transcript can be a course record you download directly from the college or an actual transcript that is mailed to you that you scan in and upload. It should include the name of the University, your name, a list of the courses you took, when you took them, how many credits or points each course was worth, and the grade you earned on each course.
  
  If your transcript does not include a GPA (e.g. your medical school graded pass/fail), you can enter either 0.0 or 4.0 for your GPA where indicated.
  
  Official Transcripts AFTER acceptance - Your application will be reviewed based on your unofficial transcripts. If you are accepted into the program, you will be required to order official transcripts with proof of degree from the colleges/universities from which you earned a degree to be sent to the Graduate School (not the program office) within a few weeks. An official transcript is one that comes directly from the University in a sealed envelope or through an electronic transcript service or registrar’s email. Information on where to send your official transcript will be sent with your acceptance email. If your transcript does not list the degree earned and the date it was earned, you must also request proof of degree (in English) to be sent with the transcript. This may be a separate degree certificate or other documentation proving that you earned the degree.
  
  Please note that if your official transcript does not match the unofficial transcript you uploaded (grades, degree or other critical information), your acceptance will be revoked.
• English competency test scores, if applicable. If you are required to submit English competency scores, we want to see the following minimum scores: TOEFL iBT: 94 overall, 22 Reading, 24 Writing; IELTS: 7 overall, 7 Reading, 7 Writing.  When you take the test, select the "University of Cincinnati" as the institution that should receive the electronic grades. If you took the TOEFL test within the past five (5) years, go to ets.org/toefl and log into your account to request the scores be submitted to the University of Cincinnati or to order another copy of your scores.

Students may be enrolled in both the certificate and the MEd program concurrently. Students wishing to apply for both must complete the graduate school application for both programs and pay the required application fee for both programs.

Students already enrolled in the MEd program later decide to also (or instead) earn the certificate must apply for the certificate at least one semester before they will want to apply to graduate from the certificate.

 

Admission is offered to qualified candidates regardless of race, age, gender, ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation. The application process is non-competitive and applicants are accepted or rejected solely on the basis of academic and professional criteria. Applicants are officially notified of acceptance or denial by email. Interested individuals should direct inquiries to:

Lea Alaee, Program Coordinator
Division of General and Community Pediatrics
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, ML 2011
3333 Burnet Ave.
Cincinnati, OH 45229-3039

Phone: 513-636-4183
Fax: 513-636-7247
Email: lea.alaee@cchmc.org

All courses are offered via Canvas from the University of Cincinnati website. Many instructors also choose to have a few synchronous class meetings utilizing web conferencing and collaboration applications.

Course materials include books and other text materials, online resources, multimedia presentations and discussion boards. Any required book information will be provided each term with adequate time for students to purchase. Most additional materials are posted to Blackboard for easy downloading. In some courses, specific software may be required, most of which is either web-based or downloadable.

Coursework includes assigned reading materials, active participation in the course discussion board, and assignments, tests and group and individual projects. If a course requires an individual project, you are encouraged to choose and design a project that is applicable to your home institution and its organizational needs. This ensures the program is immediately relevant and useful.

The amount of time required for coursework each week varies by the course and each individual’s comfort level with the material covered as well as his or her reading and typing speed. In general, a three-credit course requires 9-12 hours per week. Students should plan to spend several of those hours each week reading and responding to postings in the course discussion board.

The following four courses are recommended for certificate students:

CI7080 – Curriculum Development & Evaluation in Medical Education (3 credit hours): This course will provide an overview of evolving concepts and principles of curriculum development and evaluation for medical and other healthcare professionals. The course considers the philosophy and theory of curriculum design and development. Special emphasis will be placed on the analysis and application of principles for resolving problems with curriculum and curriculum improvement. Each participant will develop and share a curriculum document that supports a program within his or her discipline. The development and writing of this document leading to presentations and critiques at the end of the quarter will be our primary focus. All elements of the course will relate to this effort. The professor's role will be as facilitator, consultant, discussion leader, and critic with the hope that each participant, at the end of the course, will have produced a substantial document ready for implementation or for further study and development.

CI7081 – Attitude Formation and Change in Medical Education (3 credit hours): This course focuses on attitude formation and change theories in terms of the goals and objectives in medical educational settings. Theoretically sound ideas for influencing student attitudes, and the value decisions which medical educators must make when deciding to influence attitudes, will be introduced and studied. Reactive and unobtrusive measures for assessing student attitudes will be examined.

CI7082 – Human and Adult Learning in Medical Education (3 credit hours): This course provides an introduction to cognitive theories of human learning and memory with an emphasis on the application of this approach to the understanding and improvement of learning in instructional settings, particularly in medical education settings.

CI7083 – Application of Instructional Design and Technology in Medical Education (3 credit hours): This course is designed to provide fundamental knowledge about instructional design, including relevant learning theories, in conjunction with the computer technology tools that impact the teaching and learning in medical education. Course participants will explore and evaluate how, when, and why technology should be infused into education. Experience will be gained in the development and use of instructional applications including computers and educational software. Emphasis will be placed on creating collaborative teaching environments, eLearning courses and media-enhanced presentations using specific software and/or Web 2.0 tools (e.g., Blogs, Wikis, Social Networks, Social Bookmarks, Podcasts, RSS Feeds, and Photo Sharing). In addition, this course will address potential legal and ethical issues regarding computer-based technologies.

The following three courses may also count toward the certificate if taken in place of any of the above four recommended courses. 

EDST7010 – Statistical Data Analysis I (3 credit hours): This course introduces students to the fundamental techniques of statistical data analysis, such as descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, correlation and regression, and chi-square tests, that are commonly used in the social and behavioral sciences.

EDST8034 – Measurement and Assessment (3 credit hours): The purpose of this course is to provide an introduction to the development of tests, assessments, questionnaires, and other methods of measuring psycho-educational variables. The goal is to enable each student to develop reliable assessments, which includes prescient design, standardized administration, and quantitative analysis to ensure that assessments are psychometrically sound. The class covers the entire test development cycle: conceptualization of a test, test design, item writing, pilot testing, standard setting, and psychometric analysis. Discussion of psychometric analysis is focused on classical test theory, but concepts of item response theory, a much more advanced paradigm, will also be explored.

EDST8051 – Qualitative Research Methods I (3 credit hours): This course introduces graduate students to the fundamentals of qualitative research. Students will be introduced to various approaches to qualitative research (e.g. holistic ethnography, critical ethnography, case studies, qualitative evaluations) and learn how to 1) develop a research design; 2) select research sites and negotiate entrée; 3) construct a purposeful sampling plan; 4) assemble and submit an Institutional Research Board (IRB) packet; 5) collect data through participant observation, interviews, and archival materials; 6) establish trustworthiness (validity and reliability); 7) assume effective and ethical researcher roles; 8) analyze data; and 9) write up findings.