Graduate Certificate in Health Care Quality

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Become a Leader in Hospital Quality

   100% Online

   18 Months*

The George Washington University (GW) online Graduate Certificate in Health Care Quality is built on an interdisciplinary, practice-based curriculum and developed to prepare you for a quality management role in health care. Created in partnership with the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), you’ll be prepared with the evidence-based hospital quality training necessary to meet the rising global need for hospital quality management and patient safety specialists.

*The total number of credits and duration of the program depend on the number of transferred credits

 

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Accreditation and Rankings

  • GW is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education
  • #62 Best National University*
  • #13 Best Online Bachelor's Programs*
  • #7 for Best Online Programs for Veterans*

* The U.S. News & World Report – 2024 Rankings

Best Online Programs for Bachelor's 2024 by U.S. News & World Report
Best Online Programs for Veterans 2024 by U.S. News and World Report

 

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Program Highlights

  • 100% online, no visits to campus required
  • One of the first programs in North America to earn CAHME accreditation
  • The program requires 18 total credits and can be finished in 18 to 24 months
  • Created in partnership with the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)
  • All credits can be transferred into the Master of Science in Health Sciences (MSHS) in Health Care Quality program

 

Curriculum

The online Health Care Quality certification program requires the completion of 18 credit hours. All semester credits earned in this program are transferable to the Master of Science in Health Sciences (MSHS) in Health Care Quality program.

VIEW COURSES

 

Program Outcomes

Designed to support excellence in quality improvement and patient safety leadership, GW’s online Health Care Quality certification program equips you with a survey of practical knowledge and skills necessary to affect hospital quality systems and patient safety within the health care setting. This program will give you the experience and confidence to:

  • Evaluate appropriate quality improvement patient safety, leadership, organizational change, and research theories/standards applicable to healthcare
  • Develop quality and patient safety improvement initiatives
  • Assess information technology systems to determine the level of support for quality improvement
  • Formulate organizational change plans to sustain a quality-focused culture

 

Who Is the Ideal Student for This Program?

The Health Care Quality certification program is ideal for working professionals who are either just entering the field of health care or who wish to increase their knowledge and skills to advance to a leadership position and qualify for roles such as hospital quality analyst.

Career Outlook

This online graduate certificate program prepares students to meet the global need for evidence-based health care and quality management professionals. Graduates will be able to establish quality systems that foster excellence in hospital quality improvement and patient safety leadership, a requirement in patient-centered health care organizations.

Typical positions for health care quality management professionals include:

  • Associate Healthcare Director of Provider Quality
  • Health Care Associate
  • Health Care Quality Analyst
  • Hospital Quality Analyst
  • Quality & Safety Specialist
  • Quality Assurance Consultant
  • Quality & Patient Safety Manager
  • RN Quality Improvement Specialist

 

Admission Requirements

To be accepted to this program, you must have:

  • Completed application
  • 3.0 GPA or above on a 4.0 scale
  • Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution
  • Resume/CV
  • Personal statement: Applicants must include a 250–500 word essay describing your reasons for studying at GW, your academic objectives, career goals, and related qualifications, including collegiate, professional, and community activities relevant to your program of interest. Include any substantial accomplishments not already mentioned on the application form.

SEE ALL REQUIREMENTS

Tuition Details

The Graduate Certificate in Health Care Quality program at GW The Health Care Quality certification program at GW consists of 18 credit hours. Please find the cost per credit hour and total estimated program costs here

Note: Tuition rates are subject to change and additional fees may vary by program. 

GET TUITION DETAILS

 

Meet the Program Director

Sabrina Figueiredo

 

GW’s experienced faculty provide you with the rich, practical knowledge and support needed for you to succeed in the program and in your career.

Sabrina Figueiredo, PhD, MSc

Read Full Bio

Dr. Figueiredo is a graduate of McGill University, where she earned a Master of Science and a Ph.D. in Rehabilitation. Her graduate training involved designing and conducting multiple randomized pilot studies, cross-sectional surveys, longitudinal prospective studies, and systematic reviews. She has a strong background in data analysis and uses complex statistical models such as group-based trajectory modeling.

Prior to pursuing graduate studies, Dr. Figueiredo earned a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy and a Graduate Certificate in Higher Education. Before joining the GW community, Dr. Figueiredo served as an assistant professor at the Catholic University in Brazil and McGill University in Canada. She has extensive teaching experience, including having taught to more than 1,000 students course topics including biomechanics, research methodology, advanced research methods, and professional practice, covering principles of global health and the continuum of care.

During her tenure at McGill University, she was also the Associate Director of the Physical Therapy Program and oversaw initiatives related to curriculum development, program evaluation, and accreditation. She created a program logic model and an assessment & implementation plan deemed best practices by the Canadian Physiotherapy Accreditation Regulatory Body.

Dr. Figueiredo’s research portfolio focuses on patient safety, coordination of care, creating innovative measurement strategies to contribute evidence to patient-centered outcomes, and developing telehealth initiatives to improve physical activity. She has published a book chapter and scientific papers in these fields and has received external funding and awards for her presentations at national and international meetings. With the engagement of faculty and learners and through innovation, Dr. Figueiredo aims to solidify the leadership position of the GW HCQ program in the national context.

Curriculum Details   

18 TOTAL CREDITS REQUIRED

The graduate certificate in Health Care Quality program (100% online) requires successful completion of 18 credit hours. All semester credits earned in this program are transferable to the MSHS in Health Care Quality.

Core

HCQ 6200 Introduction to Health Care Quality (3)

An overview of the US health care system and the influence of health policy development and implementation on health care quality. Introduction to fundamental concepts of health care quality, patient safety, leadership, and change management. Applicants of the MSHS in Health Care Quality program may use the Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) credential as an accepted equivalent.

HCQ 6201 Building a Quality Culture (3)

Covers the analysis of quality and patient safety challenges in U.S. health care with a focus on political and environmental influences.

HCQ 6202 Health Care Quality Landscape (3)

Covers the analysis of quality and patient safety challenges in U.S. health care with a focus on political and environmental influences.

HCQ 6203 Quality Improvement Science in Health Care (3)

An introduction to quality improvement and patient safety theories, models, methods and tools and their application to quality and safety improvement challenges in health care.

HCQ 6204 Health Care Quality Analysis (3)

Involves application of measurement, data management and statistical analysis principles to quality improvement and patient safety challenges. This course focuses on the importance and design of effective measures and the selection of appropriate analysis tools.

HCQ 6205 Patient Safety Systems (3)

Involves an examination of the epidemiology and sources of error in health care, risk assessment and the design of processes and systems to improve patient safety Focuses on the application of process and technology-based systems to reduce the incidence of error.

 

Key Dates

  Summer 2024 Fall 2024 Spring 2025
Application Deadline March 20, 2024 July 20, 2024 December 1, 2024

Admissions Requirements

To be accepted to the graduate certificate in Health Care Quality program (100% online), you must have:

Completed application
3.0 GPA or above on a 4.0 scale
Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution
Resume/CV
Personal statement: Applicants must include a 250–500 word essay describing your reasons for undertaking study at GW, your academic objectives, career goals, and related qualifications including collegiate, professional, and community activities relevant to your program of interest. Include any substantial accomplishments not already mentioned on the application form.
Previous work experience
Health care experience preferred
Two letters of recommendation
Application fee: A non-refundable application fee of $80 is required. The application fee is waived for active-duty U.S. military, current GW students, degree-holding GW alumni, current McNair Program Scholars, and graduates of minority-serving institutions (MSI).
Official transcripts from every college and university attended. All non-U.S. transcripts (including those in English) must be evaluated by an accredited foreign credential agency. Please find the list of member organizations here: https://www.naces.org/members.

International Students

International students should check with individual programs regarding eligibility for visa sponsorship. Generally, online and hybrid programs are not eligible for student visa sponsorship from GW. This would include transfer students from any other institution with an existing visa.

Official transcripts from institutions outside the U.S. must be accompanied by an official transcript evaluation from an accredited independent evaluating agency. Please be sure you request a detailed evaluation that includes all course titles, credit hours, grades, U.S. degree equivalency, grade-point averages (GPA), and date of degree conferral. For a list of acceptable foreign credential evaluation services, please visit NACES.

Applicants who are not U.S. citizens are also required to submit official test scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or Pearson’s Test of English (PTE) Academics or the academic International English Language Test System (IELTS). To be considered for admission, there are required scores that you will need to meet. Score requirements may differ by school and program so check the admissions requirements for your program.

Supporting Documents and Official Transcript

Documents and Official Transcripts not submitted online should be mailed to:

Mail: George Washington University
ATTN: Transcript Processing Center
8300 Norman Center Dr
Suite 400
Bloomington, MN 55437 

Alternatively, official electronic transcripts can be sent to: transcripts@hsprograms.gwu.edu

Contact Us

As you explore our programs at George Washington University, our dedicated staff is here to support you. If you have any questions or want to know more, click the "Request More Information" button below, or email  info@hsprograms.gwu.edu.