Health Policy Certificate

Introductory Course (PUBPOL/HLTHPOL 165 is typically offered each Fall and Spring Semester)

Introduction to the United States Health Care System (PUBPOL/HLTHPOL 165) provides an overview of key health policy issues in the United States. Topics include:

     - sources of morbidity and mortality;

     - access to health care;    

     - health care financing, including an overview of how health insurance works, the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and the uninsured 

     - health care quality;

     - end-of-life issues and care in advanced stage illness;

     - role of non-profit versus for-profit ownership of health care facilities and to what effect; long-term care and care-giving issues; and   

     - impact of social phenomenon such as income inequality, social class and culture on health care.

Electives

Electives are an opportunity to explore your health policy interests further. You may choose from the approved electives list on our website. These courses include a range of disciplines and allow you to explore different areas of health policy that meet your interests.

Notes on Electives

          • Electives and PUBPOL/ can be taken in any order for students who are completing the tradition certificate. However, for students in completing the experiential certificate PUBPOL/HLTHPOL 165 must be taken prior to or concurrently with the electives

          • You may request that a course added to the approved list by submitting materials about the elective course approval form on the Undergraduate Certificate Student Portal. Approved courses must cover topics directly related to U.S. Health Policy.

          • Participation in a Health Policy & Innovation Theme Bass Connections project for academic credit can be used to satisfy one of the elective requirements.

          • Only one elective course may be taken outside of Duke.   

Capstone Course (Offered 12pm-2:30pm on Thursdays every Spring Semester)

The Capstone Seminar for Certificate in Health Policy (HLTHPOL 480) is a culminating course that integrates what you have learned throughout your coursework and experiential learning activities. In this course, you will share your develop the narrative of your academic journey into health policy and  discuss relevant research and health policy developments. This course will draw on the expertise of health policy faculty and researchers across the university with guest speakers chosen based on student project topics and the interdisciplinary nature of health policy. Speakers from different disciplines such as law, business, engineering, environmental science, and ethics will discuss how their academic field of study intersects with and influences the design, adoption, and implementation of health policy, as well as highlight cutting-edge issues in their policy topic area(s).

You will also complete a Capstone project. For your Capstone project, you will develop and conduct a project on a health policy topic and share your work through academic writing, a short-form policy explanation, and a presentation for lay audiences.

Note: Must be taken after all requirements are complete or concurrently while completing remaining requirements

To earn the Experiential Learning Health Policy Certificate, you will identify and complete two distinct health policy-related learning experiences: a 150-hour experience and a 300-hour experience. Both are opportunities for you to gain hands-on and practical experience beyond the classroom. During these experiential learning components, you will be immersed in a dynamic and collaborative community passionate about improving health and health equity and advancing the value of health care. By working with and learning from experts in the field, you will gain skills and abilities invaluable for a career in health policy.

Note: Each learning experience must offer a distinct experience, have a clearly defined health-policy focused concept, and have a deliverable within your allotted timeframe. These experiences often occur outside of Duke such as with a local health care facility or health policy think tank or agency.

There are several ways to identify an experience.  Examples within Duke include:

     - 10-week Duke-Margolis Summer Experience

     - Health policy-related Data+ projects. For more information about current projects, please visit the Data+ website. 

     - Health policy-related Story+ projects. For more information about current projects, please visit the Story+ website.

     - Health policy-related Duke Engage project. For more information, please visit the DukeEngage website.

     - Joining a Bass Connections Health Policy & Innovation theme project or any health policy-related Bass Connections project without course credit

     - Research assistantships in health policy with Duke-affiliated faculty or researchers

Resources at Duke for Identifying a Learning Experience

There are many other opportunities for health policy-related experiences at Duke. The following websites for may offer information regarding experiences that would satisfy the certificate requirements.

Undergraduate Research Support Office

Duke REACH Equity Center Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Advisors at the Duke Career Hub can support you in finding a relevant opportunity.

Notes on Learning Experiences

     - You are responsible for identifying possible learning experiences.

     - Experiences must have a health policy focus and clearly defined deliverables.

     - Timing: Experiences may be completed during the academic year or winter/summer breaks and must be completed BEFORE the Capstone Course.

     - Approval: All experiences must be approved by the faculty director. If you have completed an experience prior to officially declaring the certificate, you can also apply to potentially have these retroactively approved.            

     - Communication: We highly recommend that you let your potential supervisor know that you are enrolled in the Certificate and that you would like your work with them count for the Certificate. This will ensure that you are both clear about expectations, requirements, scope and format and deliverables, and how to track hours.

     - If you would like to work with a faculty member or researcher, we can help you to identify someone who works in your area of interest. However, it is incumbent upon you to reach out to them and express your interest in working with them.

The e-portfolio is a creative space to showcase what you have accomplished throughout your Health Policy Certificate experience and serves as archive for your learning journey. From the time that you enroll in the certificate program through completion of your Capstone project, you are encouraged to develop and modify your e-portfolio so that it reflects your current interests and demonstrates the skills, knowledge, interests, and core competencies that you are gaining. Your e-Portfolio will be public-facing, therefore, accessible to prospective employers or future academic programs.

     - Your e-portfolio will consist of health policy-related papers, presentations, reflections on courses, learning experiences, conferences, and projects completed to provide evidence that you have attained the learning outcomes targeted by the program. Final e-portfolios will be reviewed by the Faculty Director the semester you take the Capstone Course (HLTHPOL 480).

     - More information about the e-portfolio will be provided by the Faculty Director or Certificate program coordinator upon admission to the Certificate program.

Who is eligible to apply?

Second-semester first-year students, sophomores, and first-semester juniors are encouraged to apply.

How do I apply for the UG Health Policy Certificate?

Students will need to submit an application to demonstrate their interest in the Health Policy Certificate. Upon receipt of your application, the Senior Program Coordinator and Faculty Director will contact you to schedule a brief meeting. The goal of this meeting will be to discuss your interests and review the requirements and timeline.   

When should I declare the certificate?

Students can officially declare the certificate anytime before the Fall semester of their Senior Year. First-year students can declare the certificate in their second semester of their sophomore year.

Where is the application to apply for the Certificate?

Here is the application link!

If you have questions, please fill out the contact form here.

If I am currently enrolled in the Experiential Certificate and want to switch to the Traditional Certificate Program, what is the process to switch over?

Please complete the brief form and then we will schedule a brief conversation after the form completion. Then on our end, we will make sure the Registrar has the correct information.

Does the Introductory Course (PUBPOL 165) count even if I took it prior to applying?

Yes. If you have completed the required Introductory Course before you are accepted into the program, it will count towards fulfilling the Certificate requirements.

I completed one of the elective courses before enrolling in PUBPOL/HLTHPOL 165. Can it still be applied toward the Certificate requirements?

For students who are completing the traditional certificate, PUBPOL/HLTHPOL 165 and the electives can be taken in any order.

For students who are completing the experiential learning certificate, electives cannot count toward completion of the Certificate if they were taken before the Introductory Course PUBPOL/HLTHPOL 165

I have found a course I want to take as an elective for the Certificate, but it is not on the approved list. Will it count towards the Certificate?

Contact the faculty director to discuss if the course will meet the criteria. Reminder, the course should have a US health care focus.

Can I take Bass Connections classes to satisfy my experiential or elective requirements?

Yes, participating on a Bass Connections team that has a US Health Care System and Policy focus can be used to satisfy electives or experiential learning. However, there are some caveats:

         • For Bass Connections classes to count for experiential learning (experiential certificate only), students must not receive academic course credit.

         • For electives (experiential or traditional certificate), students can use each Bass Connections team only once, and can use no more than 2 Bass Connections teams to fulfill elective requirements.  A Bass Connections team is considered a new team in each academic year.

I am completing the traditional certificate and would like to do (or have done) an experiential learning opportunity.  Can this count as an elective?

With preapproval, students may complete an independent study course for credit in conjunction with an experiential learning opportunity. During this independent study, students are expected to demonstrate that they have connected the work they completed during the experience to relevant academic literature. The experience and academic work would need to have relevance for the US health care system. 

How can I find out if an experience counts toward the Certificate (experiential only)?

After your application is approved, students will submit their experiences through the Student Portal to receive approval by the Faculty Director. 

I have already completed one relevant learning experience prior to applying. Will it count towards fulfilling the Certificate requirements (experiential only)?

Students should submit their experiences through the Student Portal for Faculty Director approval. The Faculty Director will review the request and make a determination if the experience can count towards the certificate.

Do the experiences have to be completed over the summer (experiential only)?

Experiences are not time-bound but need to be completed before the semester you take the Capstone Course. Reminder, students can receive payment or volunteer for their experiences but cannot receive credit for the experience. For example, if students join a Bass Connections project, students can participate as a voluntary basis or get paid for their time, but should not register for course credit.

When can I take the Capstone Course?

You’re eligible to take the Capstone Course in any spring semester once you’ve completed the Introductory Course, two electives, and both the 150+ and 300+ hour learning experiences. Please keep in mind that the Capstone is exclusively offered during the spring semester.

What are the requirements of the e-portfolio?

The e-portfolio is an opportunity to reflect upon your effort holistically and make connections across the various opportunities that you have participated in. Importantly, it is a way to showcase your interests and expertise in U.S health policy and to share your work with potential colleagues, employers, schools, and others. Final e-portfolios will be reviewed by the Faculty Director.

For more information about the e-portfolio can visit here.

With a health policy background, you can work in both public and private organizations or institutions. Many professionals in the field research, analyze, and solve health policy issues in the following industries:

     - health care delivery systems

     - legislative and executive branches of state and federal government

     - health insurance companies

     - trade associations

     - nonprofit organizations

     - drug and device manufacturers

     - think tanks

     - private sector consulting firms

Undergraduate Health Policy Certificate Planning Document (download)

E-Portfolio Guiding Document 

Approved Electives as of September 2025