Graduate Certificate in Health Psychology
Health psychology is involved in many professions, including psychology, educational psychology, allied health professions, exercise science, sociology, social welfare, and many others. Today’s health care is an inter-professional approach to service and health psychology is part of patient contact and research being conducted in all health areas. Researchers and providers that have education and training in health psychology are in high demand with the changes in health care emerging. Our graduate certificate supplies broad and specific education in health psychology theory, research, and clinical applications. For more information regarding our program, please visit our graduate certificate program website.
From the very beginning, health psychology has always been a “hybrid” discipline. Following from those interdisciplinary roots, the health psychology certificate would welcome students from a broad range of programs and working professionals in health services psychology, nursing and allied health who have a variety of educational goals.
Health Service Delivery Programs. Course offerings provide students the option of selecting classes that could be used to inform practice with patients with chronic or acute health problems. Practicum training is NOT offered, but didactic work can be used to inform training offered in other programs that prepare students to deliver mental or physical health related services (e.g., counseling psychology, social welfare, physical therapy, and nursing).
Health Promotion. Course offerings provide students the option of selecting classes that could be used by students interested in careers related to health promotion or primary prevention, or careers that involve communication about health care (e.g., health, sport, and exercise science, public policy, health care administration).
Transdisciplinary Research. Course offerings provide students the option of selecting classes with an applied focus in other domains of social science (e.g., social psychology, cognitive psychology, quantitative psychology, philosophy/ethics).
Admission to Graduate Studies
Admission Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree: A copy of official transcripts showing proof of a bachelor's degree (and any post-bachelor’s coursework or degrees) from a regionally accredited institution, or a foreign university with equivalent bachelor's degree requirements is required.
- English proficiency: Proof of English proficiency for non-native or non-native-like English speakers is required. There are two bands of English proficiency, including Admission and Full proficiency. For applicants to online programs, Full proficiency is required.
Current KU Graduate Students in the Department of Psychology
Graduate students currently enrolled in the Psychology Ph.D. program (in any concentration) who wish to pursue a Health Psychology Graduate Certificate should consult with Dr. Nancy Hamilton. The Department will then request that the College/school add a certificate to a graduate degree-seeking student’s plan.
Current KU Graduate Students Outside of the Department of Psychology
Current KU graduate students outside the Department of Psychology who wish to pursue the certificate will complete an application through Graduate Studies. This application is separate from the regular application for admission to a Degree-Seeking program. Students must be in good standing with their graduate degree program in order to participate in the certificate program.
Application requirements include:
- Statement of one’s interest in Health Psychology
- Current Degree Progress Report (DPR) or Advising Report
- Letter of support from home academic department
Non-KU Students
Non-KU graduate students must complete an application through Graduate Studies for admission to the certificate program. This application is separate from the regular application for admission to a Degree-Seeking program. Students must have earned a bachelor's degree.
Application requirements include:
- One letter of recommendation from persons familiar with your academic work or potential for graduate school
- Transcripts from all institutions from which a degree was obtained, or any institutions attended post-bachelors. Copies of official transcripts that you have opened may be uploaded to the application online and used for admissions consideration. If you are admitted, sealed, or official electronic transcripts showing degree conferral, if applicable, must be provided by the end of your first semester at KU. Send official, sealed transcripts to:
KU Graduate Admissions
1502 Iowa St.
Lawrence, KS 66045
OR
graduateadm@ku.edu
Application Deadline:
Applications for the program are accepted on a rolling basis, with admissions for Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters. To find our next admission cycle deadline please visit the KU Graduate Admissions website. For more information on admission to a graduate certificate program, see the policy on Admission to Graduate Study. Questions? Please contact our graduate program coordinator.
Health Psychology Graduate Certificate Program Requirements
Students must maintain a 3.0 or higher GPA in courses taken in the certificate program and maintain good standing in any University program of study for which they are enrolled.
At least 50% of coursework counted towards the certificate must be 700 level or above.
Course Requirements:
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| 3 |
| Clinical Health Psychology: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention | |
| Clinical Health Psychology: Acute and Chronic Illness | |
| Clinical Health Psychology: Physical Aspects of Health and Disease | |
| Health Psychology | |
| 9 |
| Eating and Weight Disorders | |
| The Psychology of Addictive Behaviors | |
| Psychology of Women's Health | |
| Stress and Coping | |
| Interprofessional and Integrated Behavioral Health Care | |
| Substance Abuse Counseling | |
| Total Hours | 12 |
Petitions may be submitted for non-approved elective courses to the certificate director. The director will decide to approve the petition if the non-approved course meets the same or similar expectations of an approved elective.
At the completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Inform practice with patients and chronic or acute health problems, in a health care setting.
- Communicate with the public and patients to promote healthy solutions utilizing psychology.
- Investigate and understand research theory and methods with an applied focus in domains of Social Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, quantitative Psychology, and Philosophy & Ethics.
- Develop science literacy skills in order to understand disparities in health and healthcare.
