Post-Master's Certificates (C.A.G.S.) : School of Health Sciences : Simmons College

The School of Health Sciences offers several post-master's certificates called C.A.G.S.,Certificate in Advanced Graduate Study,a highly recognized educational credential designed for individuals who have a master's degree. These programs provide advanced course work and or practicum or internship experience in various specialty areas. Specialties include: C.A.G.S. in Clinical Genetics(entirely online), C.A.G.S. in Health Care Administration, Post-MBA Certificate in Health Care Administration,C.A.G.S. in Health Professions Education (entirely online),C.A.G.S. in Family Health for Adult or Pediatric Nurse Practitioners,C.A.G.S. in Primary Care for Nurse Practitioners, and C.A.G.S. in Oncology.

The C.A.G.S. in Oncology is designed to prepare the advanced practice oncology nurse for the challenging role in providing innovative care to oncology patients and their families.

The C.A.G.S. in Clinical Genetics will be of interest to individuals in the health care professions and in the field of social work or psychology who have patients with clinical genetics issues.

The C.A.G.S. in Health Professions Education is designed for individuals in the health care profession who wish to teach. It is a stand alone credential or graduates may also apply to the Ph.D. in Health Profession Education program offered on campus by the College of Arts and Sciences.

The C.A.G.S. in Health Care Administration (HCA) is a educational and career development program that prepares individuals who have graduate degrees in disciplines other than health care to become healthcare administrators and leaders.

The Certificate in Health Care Management is designed for current students and graduates of the Simmons School of Management(SOM) and MBA graduates of AACSB-accredited institutions and who are interested in the health care industry. The program includes courses,projects and a supervised practicum.

The C.A.G.S. in Nursing is designed for individuals who have a master's degree in nursing and wish to enhance their clinical skills and prepare for the Nurse Practitioner (NP) exam in adult or pediatric specialty areas.

Admission Requirements for the C.A.G.S. Programs

Applicants to the C.A.G.S. program must have a master's degree (from an accredited U.S. institution or an overseas institution which is officially recognized by the Ministry of Education in the home country) and have earned a 3.0 grade point average in their graduate study. Clinical experience is required for all post-master's certificates except for Health Care Administration. As application deadlines vary for each program, please check the application deadlines page for specific dates for your program of interest. All candidates whose first language is not English are required to submit official TOEFL (Test of English as a Second Language) scores, taken within the past two years. This requirement is based on native language not citizenship. A paper -based score of 570, a computer -based score of 230, or an internet-based score of 88 is required.

Due to immigration policies, students requiring an F-1 student visa must be enrolled full time; the C.A.G.S. programs are part time.