Frequently Asked Questions

No, the graduate programs are not able to be completed entirely online. Students attend 2 in-person, classroom-based immersion sessions over the course of both the Master’s and Certificate programs in addition to distance-learning components. While much of the program can be completed virtually, this is not a strictly online degree or certificate. 

The Healthcare Quality & Patient Safety program is not accepting applications for Summer 2024. Please check back in the spring for information about the cohort beginning Summer 2025. 

This is a comprehensive program with pre-class readings, written deliverables, and exams for each course. Each 1.0 credit graduate-level course typically involves 30 hours of class time plus approximately 60 to 90 hours of individual study. 

The certificate is a 13-month, non-degree program that provides an in-depth overview of the fields of healthcare quality and patient safety as well as training in leadership and policy. The master's degree program lasts 2 years and includes a mentored capstone practicum to design, implement, and measure a quality or safety intervention. 

Master’s program applicants must have at least 3 years of clinical or non-clinical experience in a healthcare setting. Certificate students are not subject to the same requirement. 

Per The Graduate School part-time rate, tuition for 2023-2024 is $7,667 per course. With the 9 courses required for the Master of Science, tuition is approximately $69,000. The Certificate program consists of 5 courses, with an estimated tuition of $38,000. 

Physicians in fellowship training at Northwestern have a set tuition rate of $3,200 per course. 

We offer a tuition discount for the first year of the master’s program to nurses, allied health professionals, physicians in residency training and clinicians caring for underserved, low-income patients. Scholarships are renewable for the second year of study contingent upon academic standing. 

Yes. Northwestern University’s employee reduced tuition benefit provides a 90 percent tuition discount, up to $12,000 per calendar year. 

Benefits over $5,250 per calendar year are considered taxable income as "non-cash compensation" and included in the total taxable wages of the W2. For employees who hold an unpaid faculty appointment at Northwestern, benefits over $5,250 will be represented in a 1099-MISC form as “nonemployee compensation." 

Applicants with an MD should apply using the H02MS (Master of Science) program code. 

Please note that the H03MS (MD/MS Combined) program code is reserved for prospective medical students applying for the MD/MS Combined Program.