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Spanish for Healthcare Professionals

Learn How to Communicate Directly with Clients and Patients in Spanish to Improve your Quality of Care

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About the Spanish for Healthcare Professionals Program

Courses

Delivery Method
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  • Live Online
  • In-Person
  • Online
  • Hybrid

Spanish for Healthcare Professionals ILASP-40150

Units: 3.00

$350

This course is appropriate for beginning-level Spanish learners in the medical health profession who wish to increase their effectiveness in communicating with Spanish speaking clients. Topics include...

Upcoming Start Dates:
Typically Offered: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer

Spanish for Healthcare Professionals IILASP-40011

Units: 3.00

$350

This course is appropriate for advanced beginner-level Spanish learners in the medical health profession who wish to increase their effectiveness in communicating with Spanish speaking clients. Topics...

Upcoming Start Dates:
Typically Offered: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer

Spanish for Healthcare Professionals IIILASP-40152

Units: 3.00

$350

This course is appropriate for intermediate-level Spanish learners in the medical health profession who wish to increase their effectiveness in communicating with Spanish speaking clients. Topics incl...

Upcoming Start Dates:
Typically Offered: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer

Spanish for Healthcare Professionals: Cultural CompetenceLASP-40086

Units: 1.50

$175

The course offers a vision of the effect of culture on health disparities, communication, belief system, educational strategies, language barriers, history of immigrants and influence in their approac...

Upcoming Start Dates:
Typically Offered: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer
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Hear From Students

Learning to communicate in a Foreign Language can be fun. UC San Diego Extension's Foreign Language students and students in the Spanish for Healthcare Professionals certificate program share their insights and reasons for learning a foreign language from us.

Conditions for Admission

Applicants are encouraged to have some previous general healthcare knowledge. No prior Spanish language knowledge is necessary.

All courses are open to students not enrolled in the certificate, but enrollment in the certificate will require an application and certificate fee.

Certificate Guidelines

The Specialized Certificate in Spanish for Healthcare Professionals is issued upon completion of the total number of required credit units (9 quarter units).

The approximate cost of the program is estimated at $980 (includes course fees and certificate enrollment fee), and is paid incrementally as students enroll in courses, rather than up front. Early enrollment discounts can reduce the cost to $905. Cost does not include textbooks, parking, or optional electives. Course fees and schedules are subject to change.

BRN Relicensure Credit

The Spanish for Healthcare Professionals 1-3 courses can be completed for 30 hours of BRN relicensure credit each. BRN board does not award partial credit. Students trying to earn BRN CEU credit cannot miss any class meetings and must sign in with their BRN license # during each class meeting.

Additional Information

Questions about our classes or certificates? Contact our department at 858-534-5760 or ahl@ucsd.edu.

Related Documents

Frequently Asked Questions

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When are each of the levels offered?

Level 1: Fall and Spring quarters
Level 2: Winter and Summer quarters
Level 3: Spring and Fall quarters 

Classes are typically held on a weeknight, once a week from 6:30-9:30pm for 10 consecutive weeks.

Course sequence guidelines

The Spanish for Healthcare Professionals certificate requires 9 credits. Students new to the Spanish language should complete Spanish for Healthcare Professionals 1-3 sequentially. Students should not complete any of the levels out of order or concurrently as each level builds upon the previous level(s).

How long does it take to complete this certificate?

The certificate consists of three required courses which should be completed sequentially; therefore it takes three quarters/nine months to complete this certificate.

Can I start above level one or transfer in a class?

Students can transfer in one college level Spanish course to substitute for Spanish for Healthcare Professionals 1 only. The transferred course must have been completed within the last five years at an accredited educational institution. Please email ahl@ucsd.edu for more information about transferability of previously completed Spanish language courses.
 
Students who have some academic knowledge of Spanish but are not able to transfer in a previously completed Spanish course from an accredited educational institution and feel that Spanish for Healthcare Professionals 2 would be a better fit for a starting point in the series are expected to:

  1. Know the grammar and vocabulary covered in Spanish for Healthcare Professionals 1

  2. Review the patient conversations and medical terminology covered in the textbook chapters reviewed in level 1 prior to starting level 2

  3. Complete Spanish for Communication 4 or Spanish for Communication 5 after completing Spanish for Healthcare Professionals levels 2 and 3 to meet the certificate’s credit requirements. Students may choose which level (either 4 or 5) they feel is a better fit for their knowledge of Spanish grammar.

When does enrollment open for each quarter?

Our classes post to our website and become open for enrollment about two months prior to the new quarter starting.

When should I enroll in a class?

We recommend enrolling as soon as possible. Each quarter we offer an early enrollment discount of $25 if you enroll by the discount deadline (usually 4-6 weeks prior to the start of the new quarter). Additionally it is good to enroll early because occasionally classes will reach capacity.

How do I enroll in a class?

To enroll in a class, click on the class link in the course matrix above and that will take you to the specific class page. On the class page you can find additional details about the course such as start date, time, classroom number, instructor and textbook info. To enroll click on “Add to Cart” which will lead you to complete the registration/payment process. You can also register over the phone with Student Services at 858-534-3400.

When does enrollment close?

Enrollment in a class may be blocked in the following three situations:

  • The class is at capacity. If the class is at capacity you will only be able to join the waitlist. Students on the waitlist are contacted in the order they joined the waitlist.

  • The class has already met for two class meetings. We close enrollments the morning after the second class meeting for all language classes. Students are expected to enroll and attend no later than the second class meeting. 

  • The class is cancelled due to low enrollments. 


For all three of these reasons we recommend students enroll early in the class they are interested in.

What is the cost of the courses and certificate?

The Spanish for Healthcare courses cost $320 each. Each quarter we offer an early enrollment discount of $25 if you enroll by the discount deadline (usually 4-6 weeks prior to the start of the new quarter) which brings the class fee down to $295.

The approximate cost of the entire program is estimated at $1055 (includes course fees and certificate enrollment fee), and is paid incrementally as students enroll in courses, rather than up front. Early enrollment discounts can reduce the cost to $980. Cost does not include textbooks, parking, or optional electives.

When is the refund deadline?

The refund deadline for the language courses is typically two days after the first class meeting. This allows students to enroll in a class, attend the first meeting and then if needed either transfer their enrollment to a higher or lower level or submit a drop request if they don’t feel the class is a good fit for them. The exact refund deadline for each section is listed in the section notes.

What are the attendance and participation requirements?

Students are expected to attend all class meetings, participate in class, and complete all homework assignments. Typically students can miss one class meeting without it impacting their final grade as long as they still complete their homework. Missing more than one class meeting can result in a lower grade or a non-passing grade. Students who know in advance that they will have to miss two or more meetings are encouraged to either take the class Not for Credit or wait until a quarter in which they will be able to attend all class meetings. Students who miss a class meeting should always reach out to their instructor regarding late work and homework.

What are the grading options?

Students can take classes for one of three options: Letter grade, Pass/No Pass, or Not for Credit. Students taking a class towards the Spanish for Healthcare Professionals certificate need to complete their classes for credit (i.e. Pass/No Pass or Letter grade) and receive a C-/Pass or higher grade. Grades below a C-, No Pass, and Not for credit do not count towards certificate requirements.

What do I need to know if I’m trying to earn BRN CEUs?

If you are taking this course for Board of Registered Nursing Continuing Education Units (BRN CEUs) credit it is important to know that we are not allowed to issue partial credit for BRN CEUs. In order to receive BRN CEU credit you must attend all class meetings and sign in on the class sign-in sheet as proof of attendance. 

Only students who are trying to earn BRN CEUs need to sign in on the class sign-in sheet.

Where are the foreign language classes held?

Currently all of our foreign language classes are held "live-online" via Zoom.
Whenever it is safe to go back to in-person meetings they will be held at our La Jolla Extension complex at 9600 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037.

Do I need to pay for parking?

If your class is on a weeknight and you plan to drive to campus you will need to pay for parking. We recommend purchasing a quarterly night parking permit (~$43). If you are taking a 9-10 week class it is more affordable to buy this permit rather than use the hourly permit machines ($3 per hour). Quarterly night permits can be purchased online at: http://ow.ly/DnTP302mth0 Parking on Saturdays is free.

Do you offer any language classes online?

At this time all of our foreign language classes are held "live-online" via Zoom. 

Are these classes transferable?

UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies is not a degree granting institution, however many UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies courses can be transferred to other colleges or universities.

The transferability of credit is determined solely by the receiving institution. Students should discuss how your individual courses will transfer with the Office of the Registrar at the receiving institution prior to enrolling.

Quarter to Semester Unit Conversion

If the receiving institution operates on a semester system, credits will be converted to semester hours during their evaluation. As a general rule, quarter credits are converted to semester credits by dividing the number of quarter credits by 1.5. For example, if the student completed a course worth 4 quarter credits at UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies, the course would be worth 4 ÷ 1.5 = 2.66 semester credits.

Additional questions?

For questions regarding our classes and certificates, please contact us at ahl@ucsd.edu or 858-534-5760.

Advisory Board

Luz Chung, MA, EdD

Lecturer, World Language Supervisor, and Faculty Undergradua

University of California, San Diego

Graciela Gomez-Vittori, BA

Interpreter and Lecturer

UC San Diego, Department of Reproductive Medicine

Grant Goodall, PhD

Director and Professor, Linguistics Language Program

University of California, San Diego

Teresa Newman, FNP, MA, PhD

Translator, Interpreter, Executive Director, and Lecturer

BCN Connections and UCSD Extension

Maria Lourdes Reyes

Director, Principal Investigator, and Physician

Project Concern International and CDC Reach

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This certificate requires an application before taking any courses. There will be a $0 fee to apply to this program. Students will also be required to pay a $95 certificate fee upon enrollment into the program after acceptance. View the complete Certificate Registration and Candidacy Guidelines.