The online Medical Spanish graduate certificate program at Rockhurst University offers health sciences professionals proficiency-based instruction that will further equip them for day-to-day interaction with patients and families. Each course in the program includes the cultural aspects that accompany language proficiency in order to provide a better understanding of the social complexities of patient care. This helps both the patient and caregiver connect more naturally and effectively to determine the proper course of treatment. 

Rockhurst's graduate certificate programs are centered on the Jesuit tradition of social justice. Our Medical Spanish graduate certificate program provides students with medical Spanish courses that present them as caregivers prepared to provide "language-concordant care" and overcome language barriers that can often present a substantial communication challenge.

Note: An undergraduate Medical Spanish certificate and minor are also available. 

Program Description

The online Rockhurst Medical Spanish graduate certificate is designed for healthcare professionals. Graduate students will need a total of four graduate courses to complete the online Medical Spanish certificate. The certificate can be completed within a year, or sooner if students take graduate courses each semester. Our new online graduate program will be taught concurrently with our Medical Spanish undergraduate certificate as the courses are cross-listed.

The program serves, among others, the following graduate student constituencies: SLP/OT & PT, Ed. Ph.D./Health Sciences Track, Graduate Nursing Programs, Health Sciences Alumni and any graduate student who wishes to add a stackable credential after graduation.

Medical Spanish Graduate Certificate Program Goals

Upon completion of the certificate, students will:

• Gain practical knowledge of basic Spanish vocabulary, verb conjugation, and medical terminology for use in a clinical setting
• Speak and discuss the human anatomy in Spanish, as well as new vocabulary and grammatical structures commonly used in healthcare settings.
• Learn and practice the technical language of medicine: anatomy review, illness and treatment
• Engage in activities and practice aimed at improving oral proficiency in Spanish in a medical setting, in addition to taking an in-depth look at interpretation techniques
• Engage in patient and practitioner interactions, discussion of common diseases, standards of practice in interpretation, interpretation terminology and cultural components related to Hispanic/Latino healthcare
• Learn and study the connection that exists between sociolinguistics (the social evaluation of language) and the medical field
• Learn and research the Spanish spoken by Latin X communities in the U.S.
• Learn and practice, in-depth, various medical suffixes and prefixes, as well as regional and social language variations found among Spanish speakers as it relates to healthcare

Program Benefits

• Complete the graduate certificate program entirely online
• 4 graduate courses that can be completed within a year
• Small class sizes offer individualized attention from faculty
• Earn a stackable credential that can be used with any healthcare or health science degree

For questions and information related to the Medical Spanish Graduate Certificate, Rockhurst's graduate certificate programs, or the application process, please contact us.