Certificate Courses

The Certificate Courses also provide an excellent preparation for the Master of Health Professions Education (MHPE), a way to ‘dip your toe in’. Our Certificate Courses are equivalent to specific sections of our MHPE. This means that students who have obtained a certificate and later enroll in the MHPE may skip the corresponding sections. Thus, by taking individual Certificate Courses, you can get a taste of our MHPE programme at the same time.

Our Certificate Courses are taught fully online, with few synchronous activities, to fit optimally in the working schedule of the professionals taking part in these courses. You will have a ‘mentor’, the coordinator, who will guide you navigating the course and the only learning process and, at the same time, will help you to think about applying what you learn in your own context. Our aim is that you reap the rewards of it in your own work environment. 

We provide several tracks within the Certificate Courses:

In the first run, mid August to the early December, these tracks are available: 

• From task to training: Mastering instructional design for complex skills
• From Theory to Practice: Applying Educational Theory for Transformative Learning
• Designing Change: Innovating Curricula for Modern Health Education
• Beyond the Score: Analyzing Assessment to Enhance Learning Outcomes
• From Questions to Evidence: Research in Health Professions Education

In the second run, mid October to the late February, these tracks are available:

• Designing Change: Innovating Curricula for Modern Health Education
• Assessing Impact: Critically Evaluating Assessment in Health Education
• Educational Leadership: Shaping the Future of Health Professions Through Innovation
• From Questions to Evidence: Research in Health Professions Education

It is possible to do multiple tracks at the same time, and deviations from the tracks are possible in consultation with the coordinator. 

Fast facts

• You can select one or more concurrent tracks, fitting your personal career challenges and field of interest within health professions education.
• You will receive personal guidance from the coordinator.
• The Certificate Courses correspond to equivalent sections of the MHPE.
• Excellent preparation for our Master of Health Professions Education.
• Worth 4 ECTS for each track, equaling 112 study hours.
• Guidance from excellent staff.

Student profile

The Certificate Courses are designed for you if you have already obtained a bachelor's or master's degree and wish to deepen your insight into the course topics, but do not (yet) want to commit to a full master degree.. The Certificate Courses are geared towards participants who work in the field of health professions education, in academic or applied universities, other higher education institutes or in continuous professional development. We expect that you experience in edcuation, for example as teacher, tutor, (clinical) supervisor, course coordinator, coordinator of clerkships, skills or communication curricula, , junior researchers, etc.. 

Language requirements

Please note: no additional evidence of sufficient command of the English language is required from applicants who:

• Are native speakers of the English language.
• Have successfully completed a Bachelor or Master of Science at a Dutch or Flemish university or professional education programme.
• Have successfully completed a Bachelor or Master of Science at a university or professional education programme in one of the following countries: Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America.

All other non-native speaking applicants should enclose a copy of an IELTS test (International English Language Testing System (IELTS), TOEFL Test (Test of English as a 4 Foreign Language (TOEFL IBT Test), or Cambridge test that is no older than 5 years at the start of the programme.

• The average IELTS score should be  at least 6.5 or higher and the score on each component (listening, reading, writing, and speaking) should be equal to 6 or higher.
• The total TOEFL score should be at least 90 (out of 120) and a minimum of 20 for each component (listening, reading, writing, and speaking) is required.
• The Cambridge test score should be: CAE, grade C.

The possibility to enroll for the Master of Health Professions Education

The Certificate Courses offer an attractive opportunity to enroll in the MHPE programme via an alternative pathway. More specifically, by taking one or more Certificate Courses, you can be exempted from the equivalent sections of the Maastricht University MHPE programme, if you enroll within two years after successfully completing the Certificate Courses. Under the same conditions, you can also apply for a discount on the MHPE fee.

Key features of the Certificate Courses

• Guidance and tailor-made advice on your study progression and task-completion by the Certificate Courses Coordinator through Zoom or Teams
• Opportunity to develop your own skills in Health Professions Education while applying evidence-based practice & research to your own context and work
• Scientific approach: you will study theories and (learn to) apply these to your work and in your own context
• Coverage of innovative themes within Health Professions Education
• Flexible learning; work at your own pace within overall course time limits
• Online learning, incorporating the latest learning tools
• Access to the online library of Maastricht University
• Learning through the Maastricht University approach: self-directed and goal-directed learning
• Constructivist, collaborative and context-driven teaching method
• Feedback from experts in the field