Undergraduate certificate in health policy

Official program details can be found in the Guide. Required courses can be taken in any order, but we recommend taking Public Affairs 201 first.

• Intro to Health Policy in the United States: Public Affairs 201 (3 credits)
• What Works in Health Policy? Public Affairs 281 (3 credits)
• Specialization course (3 credits) view options on the Guide
• Internship/fieldwork (3 credits)

• You have already taken, or have registered to take, Public Affairs 201, 281, or a specialization course.
• You are at least a sophomore (in credits) with good academic standing with your college.
• The online application portal will be open during two periods each year, November 1 – November 30 and May 1 – 31.

As part of the application, you’ll need to prepare a short statement of interest outlining why you would like to complete the certificate and how it complements your major and other studies.

Internship details

Students identify and secure internships working with a health policy-related organization or a project relevant to health policy. To maximize learning, we recommended taking at least one of the required courses before completing the internship.

For current certificate in health policy students, Marie Koko, career services coordinator at La Follette, (marie.koko@wisc.edu) can offer insights on how to find an internship. Admitted students can also consult curated internship listings Marie shares each week.

If you are a student in the College of Letters and Science and have not yet been accepted into the certificate in health policy, SuccessWorks is a valuable resource to help you find an internship. Inter-LS 210 and Inter-LS 215 are sophomore career courses that provide you with the skills to find an internship. Inter-LS 210 is offered for 1 credit, while Inter-LS 215 is offered for 3 credits and also satisfies your Comm B requirement. Neither course, however, satisfies any requirements for the certificate in health policy.

Substituting internships

If you wish to substitute an internship course, students should complete the Petition for Special Consideration form, and include a course syllabus and a brief summary of your internship responsibilities.

Career support is an important part of the La Follette School experience.

Learn more about the skills and careers you’ll gain through a certificate in health policy.

In your fieldwork or internship experience for the certificate, you’ll apply your skills in a real-world setting, guided by experienced faculty. You’ll be prepared to bring your new skills, and a deeper understanding of health policy, to work in government, nonprofit, legal, and private sector jobs.

Find out more about careers and skills on our Career Development page.

The La Follette School of Public Affairs provides selected UW-Madison undergraduates an opportunity to jumpstart the Master of Public Affairs or Master of International Public Affairs program.  Application for admission to the accelerated program for MPA or MIPA must be made directly to the La Follette School after five semesters of undergraduate study. Students who plan to complete their undergraduate degree in 3 years are not eligible for the accelerated program. 

Learn more about the accelerated program