Master the fundamentals of laws and regulations in health care
Program Overview
The 100% online Graduate Certificate in Health Law for Health Professionals:
- 12 credit units, with four courses at three credit units each, which can be completed in less than eight months
- Free to apply
- No admissions test required
- Units earned may be applied to a Master of Legal Studies degree
- You may take one course (three credit units) from any of the courses offered in the three other Graduate Certificates in Health Law, including Regulatory Science, Aging Law & Policy and Health Information Privacy, Compliance, and Data Security.
This program is designed for individuals who do not wish to practice law, but regularly encounter legal and ethical issues in their health care professions. The certificate provides a sophisticated and nuanced understanding of how laws and regulations operate within health care organizations, business arrangements with insurers and providers, delivery of care, and scope of practice.
Curriculum
Students may select any four courses out of the current list.
Explore moral questions faced by health care professionals. What rights and responsibilities come with the role of a health care provider? Should the provider always disclose the full truth about a diagnosis? Should patients have absolute rights over their own bodies?
Driven by efforts to improve human health and healthcare systems, this course will cover relevant topics at the intersection of people, health information, and technology. Specifically, we will survey ethical, legal, and social issues in the context of various subdisciplines of biomedical informatics.
Become familiar with the different models and facility requirements for how health care is organized and delivered through licensure and the accreditation process. Discuss the latest advances in health care technology, including health information exchanges and telemedicine.
Acquire a fundamental understanding of the financial management issues involved in the health law field, specifically related to reimbursement by third parties, federal and state government programs, health insurance plans, and self-funded programs. The growing field of long-term care insurance, planning, and placement will also be covered.
This course provides an overview of the professional licensure and compliance requirements for health professionals and describes the administrative, criminal and civil processes for non-compliance. Specific topics covered include: licensure requirements, scope of practice differentiation, obligations of providers to meet professional standards and duties of care.
Examine the constitutional underpinnings of public health interventions, understand the respective roles of local, state, tribal, and federal governments with respect to public health, and reflect on the balance between individual rights and governmental interests in protecting the public’s health.
"This program has given me a deeper understanding of the legal system, and how it interacts with our healthcare system. The program felt very diverse and encouraged collaboration."
Geoffrey Glowalla, LMFT
Alumnus, Graduate Certificate in Health Law for Health Professionals