The La Follette School’s health policy certificate program enables students to boost their understanding of healthcare systems and develop the skills needed to navigate health-related policy decisions in their future careers. Since La Follette launched its undergraduate certificate programs in public policy and health policy in 2019 and 2021, enrollment in these programs has grown to over 500 students. These certificates are designed to complement existing majors across campus by providing students an interdisciplinary study of social issues through a policy lens.
“Building on an introduction to core concepts in health policy, students learn how to evaluate research evidence and think critically about the range of interests influencing and affected by health policy,” says Mary Davis Michaud, director of experiential learning. “Their applied experience, whether through an internship or a workshop course, helps them solidify these skills and transfer them to a range of post-graduate work and educational experiences, often in the health professions and health sector.”
Current health certificate student Marie Webb is pursuing a degree in journalism on the strategic communications track. “I wanted to gain knowledge about how health policy works in the United States so that I could expand my skill set and pair this knowledge with my studies in strategic communications in the School of Journalism,” she says. “The health policy certificate is super manageable and a very realistic certificate to add to your undergraduate studies, so I would highly recommend this certificate.”
The program focuses on health policy in Wisconsin and across the United States, providing students with a wide breadth of policy instruction. It also introduces students to analytical methods of research aimed at producing evidence-based results and solutions. Hands-on internships are a requirement of the program to ensure students leave with experience in professional setting and practical career skills.
Webb currently holds a digital media assistantship at the UW–Madison Information Technology Academy. She says her La Follette classes have helped her learn about what types of societal issues the families she works with through her assistantship are facing, and how it might impact their experience. Her future career goal is to work in marketing or public relations in the healthcare industry, and she believes the health policy certificate will help her achieve this goal.
– Story by MPA student Grace Florence