Principles and Practice of Hospice and Palliative Care

Degree Offered

Postbaccalaureate Certificate

Program Description

Principles and Practice of Hospice and Palliative Care is a 12-credit, online postbaccalaureate graduate certificate program designed to provide learners with experiences designed to foster a deeper knowledge and understanding of the field of hospice and palliative care. Specifically, participants will learn about the patient/family-centric model of hospice and palliative care and the interdisciplinary approach to care. Communication techniques such as delivering bad news, counseling techniques and introductory content on ethical decision-making will be addressed. Participants will also learn how to assess and address psychological, psychiatric, cultural and spiritual aspects of care in serious illness. Last, students will learn how to do a comprehensive assessment of pain and non-pain symptom management, and evidence-based pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment options. 

Credits earned in this stand-alone certificate program may be applied toward the PALC-MS degree requirements. 

Program Admission

The target learner audience includes practitioners who are working in hospice and palliative care or aspire to do so, including physicians, advance practice nurses, nurses, pharmacists, and physician assistants.

Candidates for admission must meet the minimum standards of admission established by the Graduate School and provide the requisite credentials. Admission to the certificate program is highly selective. A U.S. bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from a non-U.S. educational institution is required. No specific undergraduate course of study is required or recommended. Graduate Record Examinations are not required for admission.

Degree Requirements

Certificate candidates must complete a minimum of 12 credits. Students must maintain a minimum, cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. All courses must be taken for letter grade; courses taken as Pass/Fail (P/F) or Audit (AU) do not count toward the certificate. All requirements for the certificate must be completed within three years after admission and all credits for the certificate must be completed at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Complete guideline and requirements for progression and completion are outlined in the Academic Performance and Progress in a Postbaccalaureate Certificate Program section of this catalog.

Required Courses