Care Coordination, Certificate in (Graduate certificate)

Program goals

The Certificate in Care Coordination is a 12-credit graduate certificate program delivered 95 percent online. Courses are primarily offered online with an in-person weekend introduction and an in-person final capstone project presentation. The program will provide enrolled students with strategies and tools to become effective care coordinators for individuals with complex health care needs, and will focus on health care delivery in Virginia. Successful graduates of this program will be equipped to empower patients and their families who are at high-risk for excess use of health care services to effectively reduce health system burdens and decrease adverse health outcomes.

Student learning outcomes

Graduates will be able to:

1. Evaluate methods of effective care coordination to minimize cost and enhance health outcomes in a variety of clinical settings
2. Demonstrate skills of effective communication and collaboration within the interprofessional team and across settings
3. Explain the overall infrastructure and regulation of U.S. health care and its effect on care coordination
4. Appraise health care payment models as they relate to utilization review, compliance and reimbursement

VCU Graduate Bulletin, VCU Graduate School and general academic policies and regulations for all graduate students in all graduate programs

The VCU Graduate Bulletin website documents the official admission and academic rules and regulations that govern graduate education for all graduate programs at the university. These policies are established by the graduate faculty of the university through their elected representatives to the University Graduate Council.

It is the responsibility of all graduate students, both on- and off-campus, to be familiar with the VCU Graduate Bulletin as well as the Graduate School website and academic regulations in individual school and department publications and on program websites. However, in all cases, the official policies and procedures of the University Graduate Council, as published on the VCU Graduate Bulletin and Graduate School websites, take precedence over individual program policies and guidelines.

Visit the academic regulations section for additional information on academic regulations for graduate students.

Graduation requirements

As graduate students approach the end of their academic programs and the final semester of matriculation, they must make formal application to graduate. No degrees will be conferred until the application to graduate has been finalized.

Graduate students and program directors should refer to the following graduation requirements as published in the Graduate Bulletin for a complete list of instructions and a graduation checklist.

Visit the academic regulations section for additional information on graduation requirements.

Apply online today.

Admission requirements

In addition to the general admission requirements of the VCU Graduate School, the following requirements represent the standards for admission. An applicant must:

1. Be a health care professional, such as registered nurse, social worker, pharmacist, clinical psychologist, physician, therapist (P.T./O.T./S.T.) or professional counselor (The applicant must be in good standing with their own health-related discipline.)
2. Have a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) from a U.S.-accredited program with a health care-related focus such as in nursing, social work, pharmacy, psychology, medicine, allied health or counseling
3. Have preferably one year of clinically based experience (which may include student internships)
4. Submit a resume or vita that includes all relevant information, professional designations and licensure, as applicable
5. Complete the electronic submission of the online VCU Graduate Application as well as all supplemental application materials and required documents by the listed deadline

Degree requirements

In addition to general VCU Graduate School graduation requirements, a candidate for the Certificate in Care Coordination must be recommended by the faculty and must:

1. Meet academic requirements of the Graduate School
2. Complete all courses in this certificate program, achieving at minimum 12 total credit hours, within five academic years of the first registration work to be credited toward the degree
3. Earn a minimum grade of B or pass grade in all courses
4. Earn a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in all work presented for graduation
5. Conform to university policies in respect to pass/fail grading for course work
6. Complete capstone project and present findings at completion of the program

The degree will be granted only after all requirements have been fulfilled and all fees to the university have been paid. 

Curriculum requirements

The minimum number of graduate credit hours required for this certificate is 12.

Students who complete the requirements for this program will receive a Certificate in Care Coordination.

Contact
Kimberly Davis, R.N.
Clinical instructor, Department of Family and Community Health Nursing, and graduate program director
daviskd5@vcu.edu
(804) 628-2953