Graduate Certificate in Prevention Science

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Program Link:
https://hd.wsu.edu/preventionscience/
Priority Deadlines:

Campus:

  • Pullman
  • Spokane
  • Tri-Cities
  • Vancouver

International Student English Proficiency Exams

International students may need to surpass the Graduate School’s minimum English language proficiency exam scores for this program. If the graduate program has unique score requirements, they will be detailed below. Otherwise, please refer to the Graduate School’s minimum score guidelines.

Degree Description:

Washington State University offers a Graduate Certificate in Prevention Science, administered by faculty from the interdisciplinary Prevention Science Graduate Program in the Department of Human Development. The certificate provides advanced knowledge and training in conducting basic research on risk and protective factors, and the development, evaluation, and dissemination of evidence-based programs to promote well-being across the lifespan. Students complete 12 graduate-level credit hours with an emphasis on applying prevention science concepts to community-based, state, national, and international contexts. WSU’s Prevention Science Graduate Program was the first of its kind in the nation and maintains strong ties to the international Society for Prevention Research.

Admission Requirements:

The certificate is open to any current WSU graduate student in good standing. Students not currently enrolled in a degree program may also earn the certificate by enrolling as non-degree students. Students must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited post-secondary institution and maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 while enrolled. The certificate is not available to students already enrolled in the Prevention Science doctoral program, for whom the coursework is redundant with existing degree requirements. Most courses have no prerequisite; students wishing to take NURS_FPC 414 must complete prerequisite nursing coursework prior to enrollment.

Student Opportunities:

Students complete 12 credits across two core competency areas: Developmental Epidemiology and Public Health, and Program Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. Each student selects four courses in consultation with their doctoral advisor and the certificate coordinators, allowing flexibility to tailor training to individual professional goals. Certificate coursework is drawn from existing, regularly taught offerings with strong student evaluations, and students benefit from instruction by an interdisciplinary faculty spanning multiple WSU campuses and six academic units.

Career Opportunities:

The Graduate Certificate in Prevention Science prepares students for professional careers in academia, public health, social services, consulting, research institutes, and health care settings. Graduates are equipped to serve as faculty members, program evaluators, research analysts, and research associates with specialized expertise in prevention frameworks, risk and protective factor analysis, and evidence-based program development and evaluation. The certificate addresses growing state and national demand for prevention-oriented professionals in the social, behavioral, and health sciences.

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