The Rural Health Certificate Program is designed for graduate students in health-related disciplines interested in rural health knowledge and skills with direct application to healthcare access and delivery in rural Texas.
The certificate will prepare students for the unique challenges faced by all healthcare professionals who practice in rural health settings.
At the completion of the Certificate program, students will be able to:
(1) Construct a needs assessment of a rural community to identify strengths and gaps in access to healthcare for rural residents and opportunities for intervention;
(2) Propose strategies to improve the health of residents who live in rural America;
(3) Develop a plan for mitigating the barriers in rural health that contribute to social isolation and access to care.
Graduates will have targeted skills and knowledge relevant to addressing the unique needs of rural communities.
Career advancements in the areas of telemedicine, primary care, public health, and cultural competency.
Courses
The graduate rural health certificate is 9-12 hrs. depending on the elective chosen. Completion of all required courses for the certificate (9-12 SCH) with a GPA of 3.0 or better in the coursework for the certificate and application for the certificate awarding. A comprehensive list of the electives can be found below:
SOCW 5344 Health Insurance and Access to Care
SOCW 5345 Topics in Health Equity
NURS 6304 Measurement in Culturally Diverse and Vulnerable Populations
NURS 6302 Issues in Studying Health of Culturally Diverse and Vulnerable Populations
NURS 6307 Population Health
NURS 5386 Social Determinants of Health and Healthcare Informatics
NURS 5660 Family Nurse Practitioner Practicum*
*Nurse practitioner students choosing NURS 5660 Family Nurse Practitioner Practicum as their third course will receive twelve credit hours for this certificate. All other participants will receive nine credit hours.
Admission Requirements
Basic admission requirements must be met before a student can be accepted*. Prospective students must apply to the university through the Office of Admissions, pay the application fee, and submit official transcripts to the UT Arlington’s Graduate Admission’s Office. The Graduate Admission’s Office is also responsible for calculating the admission GPA. All steps necessary to complete an application (i.e. submitting transcripts, paying fees) must be completed prior to progressing in the application process.
Prospective students should review of the College of Nursing and Health Innovation (CONHI) graduate program specific requirements. A CONHI Graduate Academic Advisor will review the application file for nursing specific requirements. Specific program requirements can be found in the University Catalog - Nursing, Graduate Programs.
If accepted, applicants will receive an acceptance form that must be signed and returned. If an applicant is denied, the option to appeal the decision is available.
Once the acceptance form has been completed and returned, an official email notification will be sent from the University to the student’s personal email. Accepted students with transfer credit should submit the transfer request form to the CONHI Academic Advisor during this time.
An additional welcome email from an Academic Advisor will be sent with more information about the program orientation and next steps.
All students must have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better in the last 60 hrs. to be considered for admission. Students must meet all the requirements for admission to the graduate in their designated healthcare degree program (active unencumbered license, etc.)
Contact Us:
Those interested in this certificate should email us for more information at crhn@uta.edu.
Resources
Policies
While University faculty and staff members give students academic advice and assistance, each student is expected to take responsibility for his or her education and personal development. The student must know and abide by the academic and disciplinary policies given in the catalog and your degree program handbook, including rules governing quantity of work, the standard of work required to continue in the University, scholastic probation and dismissal, and enforced withdrawal.
Students will not be relieved of their responsibility to know the policies, deadlines and rules of the University on the grounds that they were not told. If students have questions regarding policies, it is the University’s expectation that the student will consult his/her academic advisor for guidance and resolution.
All students are expected to be familiar with the following sources of information.
Graduate nursing education requires students to have dedicated time to devote to studying, completing assignments, preparing for, and completing clinicals and other course work. Students are encouraged to consider their work schedules and commitments considering the demands of the Certificate/MSN/PMC program and adjust accordingly. Commitments which compete with graduate study may result in suboptimal academic performance and place the student in academic jeopardy.
Study Time Recommendations
It is recommended that a student’s employment not exceed 16-20 hours per week in either regular or summer semesters. Students are encouraged to evaluate their energy level, familial and personal obligations, and school commitments before starting their degree program.
Students Success
Students in the CONHI graduate program are encouraged to meet with an advisor every semester. Once admitted to UT Arlington, students may enroll in their coursework using the degree plan provided by the academic advisor and proceed to registration. Students are encouraged to contact their advisor with any questions. Learn more about Graduate Nursing Advising.