Accessible reproductive healthcare is possible with UW.
The Graduate Certificate in Sexual and Reproductive Health (GCSRH) is available for currently practicing Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) who provide clinical management to reproductive-aged individuals and students enrolled in a Nurse Practitioner (NP) or Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) degree program who are seeking comprehensive training in advanced sexual and reproductive health and abortion care.
Access to healthcare continues to be a highly politicized topic, and for many people seeking reproductive care, finding local, responsive practitioners who can provide the care they need has become increasingly difficult. Nurse Practitioners make up 42% of the Primary Care practitioners in the United States but have historically been unable to provide comprehensive reproductive care to their patients, leaving those who are already highly susceptible to inequitable healthcare experiences further unserved.
The University of Washington School of Nursing’s Graduate Certificate in Sexual and Reproductive Health was developed to provide currently practicing nurses across various fields with an opportunity to critically review historical social and medical reproductive practices while learning the practical skills and knowledge needed to be able to provide medication and procedural abortions to those seeking care, right now.
Utilizing principles of anti-racism and Reproductive Justice, a term coined in 1994 by Sistersong, a group of Black women committed to addressing the tenets of reproductive health as both a human right and social justice issue, this certificate will enhance the ability for all people and communities to access the abortion care they want, when they want, by the providers they choose.
The Graduate Certificate in Sexual and Reproductive Health is intended to support the needs of working professionals and full-time students and includes 5 quarters of study, including a clinical practicum and the completion of a capstone project. This project, negotiated between the student and a graduate certificate faculty advisor, allows clinicians to develop an implementation plan for incorporating abortion care into their practice.
This certificate requires approximately 15 months to complete 15 credits of coursework.
- Fall quarter: NURS 568 History and Politics of Abortion and Family Planning (3 credits)
- Winter quarter: NURS 570 Systems Approach to Abortion Care (3 credits)
- Spring quarter: NURS 572 Advanced Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (3 credits)
- Summer quarter: NURS 577 Management of Abortion and Early Pregnancy Loss (4 credits)
- All quarters (following NURS 577): NCLIN 579 Clinical Practicum in Sexual and Reproductive Health (2 credits)
One class is held per quarter for the first 4 quarters, and clinical placements will be individualized upon completion of NURS 579 to meet student and faculty needs and availability. All classes will be asynchronous and held virtually to provide the accessibility and flexibility needed for practicing clinicians to complete the certificate.
Reproductive Justice is defined by the National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda as “the belief that all women have the right to have children, the right to not have children, and the right to nurture the children they have in a safe and healthy environment.”
In 2022, the Roe Vs. Wade and Dobbs decisions from the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) overturned the constitutional right to abortion while also upholding the right for employers to deny contraceptive coverage and insurance companies to meet bare minimum standards for free or low-cost coverage for contraceptives. Though some states independently have chosen to protect the right to reproductive autonomy for women, access to medicinal and procedural abortion in those states is still significantly limited by the availability of practitioners who can provide the necessary services, leaving already vulnerable communities further underserved.
Black and Indigenous women and birthing people who exist within every social identity have historically been and continue to be disproportionately impacted by structural, systemic, and interpersonal racism, sexism, and bias, leaving them without the agency to express their human right to autonomously choose what happens to their bodies, children, communities, or careers. This severely impacts their physical and mental health and access to economic growth opportunities.
The Sexual and Reproductive Health graduate certificate can be done as a stand-alone certificate OR concurrent with a University of Washington graduate degree.
To apply, you must meet one of these criteria:
- Domestic applicants with either a bachelor’s or graduate degree who want to pursue the graduate certificate as a stand-alone program.
- Current University of Washington graduate students who wish to complete the SRH graduate certificate alongside their existing degree.
- International applicants with a previous graduate degree (for the stand-alone program) or those currently enrolled in a University of Washington graduate degree program.
Additionally, you must:
- Have a minimum 3.0 GPA (on a four-point scale) for the last 90 graded quarter credits
- Meet the Essential Behaviors for Graduate Certificate Students
New applicants or re-applicants
New applicants and those re-applying to our programs will apply through the UW Graduate School.
You will need to:
- Order transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended. While we accept unofficial transcripts for initial review, you must provide official transcripts if you’re admitted and decide to enroll in the program.
- Ensure that any degrees earned are clearly listed on the transcript, including the date the degree was conferred.
- For degrees from institutions outside the United States, upload an official transcript translated into English along with a detailed credential or transcript evaluation.
- You don’t need to submit a separate foreign transcript if you attended a foreign university through a study abroad program, and the credits are included on your home institution’s transcript.
In addition, you’ll need to provide:
- A resume
- A goal statement
- Two letters of recommendation
- Proof of English proficiency if English is not your first language
- An optional statement
Apply As a New Applicant or Re-Applicant
Current UW PhD in Nursing Science or DNP students
Current UW PhD in Nursing Science or Doctor of Nursing Practice students should submit:
- A “Goal Statement” as your letter of intent describing:
- Why you are interested in obtaining the SRH Graduate Certificate
- How you will use this training to inform or enhance your advanced nursing career, and
- How do you currently (or how do you plan to) contribute to the mission of Reproductive Justice?
- An academic recommendation, such as one from a class instructor, academic advisor, or supervisory committee chair, who can speak to your interest in and ability to complete this graduate certificate program. This recommendation should be sent to sonapply@uw.edu.
Human rights and social justice
Black women and femmes coined the term Reproductive Justice to ensure that all people have the right to create, prevent, and support the families they desire.
Expanding training for abortion providers
The Seattle Times feature on the University of Washington’s approach to accessible reproductive care.
Frequently Asked Questions
We are in the process of securing funding to support tuition and related expenses for all admitted students. While this is not confirmed, we hope to know by the time we notify applicants of admissions decisions.
Yes, international students are eligible for the graduate certificate. All UW Graduate School rules apply to the graduate certificate. For more information, please visit our international applicants page.
The first three courses in the Graduate Certificate for Sexual and Reproductive Health can be taken as electives (if you meet the requirements for each course). To take the Management and Clinical Practicum courses, you must be admitted into the Graduate Certificate. It is possible to take courses as a Graduate Non-Matriculated (GNM) student prior to being admitted into the program.
The program is open to currently licensed APRNs and to students who are in programs to become an APRN. We currently cannot admit applicants who are licensed as another type of advanced practice clinician, such as physician assistants. We hope to have this option available in the future.
The program timeline is flexible. However, most students will need at least five quarters, as the program includes core courses offered only once yearly. If you are interested in the program but are concerned about finishing it in the five quarters, we encourage you to contact the program director.
The program is funded through the Continuum College, so students pay per credit and are not eligible for the state employee tuition exemption. However, we hope to have funding available for students who are committed to providing abortion care upon completion of the program.
The Graduate Certificate in Sexual and Reproductive Health is intended to support the needs of working professionals and full-time students and includes 5 quarters of study. Quarters 1-4 are virtual and asynchronous. Students will complete each module at their own pace and interact with fellow students through a virtual platform. During the 5th and final quarter, students complete their clinical training at a Seattle-based partner site.
Reproductive autonomy is foundational to the quality of care that UW Nurses provide. Continuing to grow the capacity for current and future nurses to incorporate tangible implementation of reproductive justice in our work is critical to our mission, and this certificate will directly increase access to abortion services for women who otherwise might remain unserved.