- Pullman
- Spokane
- Vancouver
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:
The Graduate Certificate in Prevention Science 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 the well-being of people across the lifespan.
The certificate is administered by faculty from the interdisciplinary Prevention Science Graduate Program, housed in the Department of Human Development within the College of Agriculture, Human, and Natural Resources Sciences (CAHNRS), in collaboration with the Colleges of Communication, Education, Medicine, and Nursing, and WSU Extension.
Completion requires 12 graduate-level credit hours drawn from existing coursework in Prevention Science and Human Development, with an emphasis on applying Prevention Science concepts to community-based, state, national, and international contexts. Coursework spans two core competency areas: Developmental Epidemiology and Public Health, and Program Development, Implementation, and Evaluation.
The certificate is open to any WSU graduate student who meets course prerequisites, as well as non-degree students. It is available at Pullman, Spokane, Tri-Cities, and Vancouver campuses.
Admission Requirements:
Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited post-secondary institution. Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 while enrolled in the certificate program.
The certificate is open to students in any WSU graduate program, with the exception of students already enrolled in the Prevention Science doctoral program, for whom the certificate coursework duplicates required doctoral coursework. Non-degree students may also earn the certificate by enrolling as non-degree students at WSU.
There are no required prerequisite courses for enrollment in Prevention Science (PrevSci) or Human Development (HD) course offerings. Students wishing to enroll in NURSFPC 414 must have completed NURSFPC 308, 322, 324, and 325, and must be concurrently enrolled in NURS_FPC 415.
Student Opportunities:
Students in the Graduate Certificate in Prevention Science complete 12 credits across two core competency areas, selecting four courses that best fit their training and professional goals in consultation with their doctoral advisor and the certificate coordinators.
Developmental Epidemiology and Public Health — complete one required and one optional course:
- Prev_Sci 511: Introduction to Prevention Science (required)
- H_D 550: Seminar on Family Relationships (optional)
- NURS_FPC 414: Child and Family Health – Theory (optional)
- H_D 560: Child Development (optional)
- H_D 520: Adolescent Development (optional)
- H_D 570: Adult Development (optional)
Program Development, Implementation, and Evaluation — complete one required and one optional course:
- Prev_Sci 540: Effective Prevention Strategies II (Program Evaluation) (required)
- Prev_Sci 535: Effective Prevention Strategies I (Program Development) (optional)
- Prev_Sci 538: Program Implementation (optional)
The required courses are offered annually and available across campuses. Optional courses are offered on a rotating schedule, typically every other year, and are also available across campuses.
Career Opportunities:
Graduates of the Graduate Certificate in Prevention Science are prepared to apply prevention frameworks and program evaluation skills across a wide range of professional settings. The certificate addresses growing state and national demand for prevention-oriented professionals in the social, behavioral, and health sciences.
Career paths for certificate holders include roles as faculty members, program evaluators, research analysts, and research associates in settings such as universities, research institutes, social service agencies, consulting firms, public health agencies, and health care organizations.
The advanced skill set developed through this certificate increases graduates’ marketability and positions them as valuable contributors in fields where knowledge of risk and protective factors, evidence-based program development, and program evaluation are in high demand.
Contact Information:
- Raven Weaver raven.weaver@wsu.edu