Payment Options for Non-Credit Certificate Students
Our goal is to provide students with a variety of tuition payment options that will suit their financial circumstances when they register for non-credit certificate Professional Education courses.
This is the quickest way to register and pay and it can be done at a time of your choosing, while online registration is available in the months prior to the start of the first class.
Whether you use your own card, or that of another user who has approved use of their card, including your employer, most students find this the most efficient way to enroll and pay.
Good to Know
We understand that employer reimbursement may take a while. With this in mind, you may register and reserve your spot by using your credit card and then have your payment refunded to your credit card if your employer chooses to pay for the course later.
How we keep your credit card information safe:
For security purposes, only the type of credit card and the last four digits of the card are stored in the registration system. No one will have access to the full credit card information after you have submitted it online.
Personal, corporate, or other organization checks, such as from a 529 tuition savings account, are accepted as payment.
Getting Started
Contact the Registrar/Student Accounts Manager to submit notification of the course(s) that will be paid by check. Registration will occur after the check has been received.
Checks must be made payable to the University of Chicago and mailed to:
UCP Finance UChicago Professional 455 N City Front Plaza Drive, Suite 950 Chicago, IL 60611
Must include a note with the student's name and complete course code.
Bank Wire Transfers allow you to make arrangements with your bank to have your tuition payment sent from your account directly to UChicago Professional.
Getting Started
Contact the Registrar/Student Accounts Manager (RSAM), to obtain an document with the information you will need to submit a request to your bank for a wire transfer payment.
Good to Know
Valid payment wire transfer documentation must be received before registration is processed.
Email the bank name, transaction number, date of transfer information to the RSAM as soon as it is available.
Payments MUST be indicated as for THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PROFESSIONAL.
UChicago Professional (UCP) does not provide financial assistance and cannot recommend specific lenders. Students in our non-credit certificate programs are not eligible to apply for federal loans, which are available to students in for-credit and degree programs. Our students can, however, seek a private/alternative loan.
Getting Started
We recognize that you have many choices when contemplating a private loan. You may choose a lender that best meets your needs and requirements in financing your education.
If you do not already have a potential lender in mind, then using general internet search engines to research private or alternative loans for certificate or non-credit loans may be helpful.
In addition to individual lenders, there are also online “marketplaces” that a student may choose to apply to. Marketplace lending uses online “platforms” to connect consumers or businesses who seek to borrow money with investors willing to buy or invest in the loan.
Good to Know
If you decide to apply for a loan please begin the process as soon as possible as it can take several weeks for all the steps to be completed.
Loans are only certified for tuition expenses.
Email the Registrar/Student Accounts Manager to report loan approval, the lender, and the course(s) in which you want to enroll. Loan certification can only occur for courses a student is enrolled in at the time of certification.
Notify the Registrar/Student Accounts Manager immediately of any enrollment changes for courses paid for by a personal/alternative loan.
Are you a benefits eligible UChicago Employee? Please see the Tuition Benefits page for more information related to your employee benefits.
Write the Future of Healthcare
The demand for skilled medical communicators is expanding rapidly. Training with leading experts at UChicago and obtaining a rigorous education in the essential principles of medical communication drives career advancement and fosters lasting job satisfaction. This comprehensive program provides flexibility, enabling individuals to progress at their own speed and adapt to the continually changing field.
Elevate medical communications
This essential discipline helps bridge the gap between complex medical research and its practical application, ensuring that important information reaches your intended audience of healthcare professionals, patients, and policymakers in clear, formatted context. From developing scientific manuscripts and regulatory documents to creating patient education materials and health campaigns, medical writers and editors facilitate the flow of medical knowledge and contribute to improved outcomes across the healthcare field.
Designed For
Professionals with a background in science who want to expand writing skills to pivot or advance their roles, as well as those with a background in writing or editing who want to gain the skills and resources to focus their work in medical communications.
A High-Demand Career Within a Flexible Job Landscape
A career in medical writing and editing offers a unique opportunity to combine a passion for science with the art of communication. As a medical writer, you’ll play a critical role in translating complex medical research into clear, accessible content that can impact patient care, advance scientific knowledge, and support healthcare innovation. With a growing demand for professionals who can effectively communicate medical information across diverse platforms—from scientific journals to patient education materials—this field provides a dynamic and rewarding career path with significant opportunities for growth and specialization.
UChicago’s comprehensive and specialized Medical Writing and Editing Training Certificate program equips you with the core principles of medical communications, best practices in writing and editing, and the ethical grounding needed to produce clear, accurate, and sophisticated medical content in a rapidly evolving field. The program emphasizes mastery of the AMA Manual of Style and hands-on work with manuscripts, publications, and data, all taught by expert medical communications professionals.
Stand Out with a Personalized UChicago Certificate
This premier program allows you to gain essential skills and obtain the necessary knowledge to be successful.
Tailor your experience by:
Choosing a writing concentration to focus your skills.
Pursuing a microcertificate in Regulatory Writing.
Taking additional standalone focused course work to learn more specific areas of medical communications.
Our program offers a variety of paths to get you where you want to be.
While you receive this comprehensive training, you will benefit from outstanding networking with like-minded peers, accomplished instructors, and industry partners at an elite research university.
5 Core Courses:
Medical Copyediting
Fundamentals of Substantive Editing and Publishing Ethics
Fundamentals of Writing and Research Ethics
Preparing Tables, Graphics, and Figures
Interpreting and Reporting Biostatistics
Plus 1 Writing Concentration Course. Choose from:
Introduction to Regulatory Writing
Writing for Patient Education
Writing for Healthcare Advertising
Regulatory Writing Microcertificate
Add a Regulatory Writing microcertificate by completing two regulatory writing courses.
Introduction to Regulatory Writing (Can be taken as a writing concentration)
Regulatory Intelligence
Standalone Course Options
The standalone course portfolio is being continuously developed to address important areas around new technologies, data transparency, and other evolving industry leads. These courses may be taken on their own or to complement the certificate program.
Expanding Expertise: From Lab Bench to Freelance Success with Student Nicole Cotroneo
Preparing for the Medical Writing Profession
Our certificate program combines foundational courses in medical writing and editing with a selection of specialized writing concentrations. This program is designed for a diverse audience of medical communicators, including those seeking entry-level positions, career advancement, or career pivots and reboots.
Learners will:
Build strong editing competencies, ensuring clarity, accuracy, and adherence to professional and ethical standards.
Strengthen writing, research, and ethical foundations to responsibly synthesize and present scientific and medical information.
Apply visual communication strategies to make complex data accessible across diverse audiences.
Accurately interpret and communicate statistical findings in ways meaningful to clinicians, regulators, patients, and the broader healthcare community.
Fast facts:
A comprehensive certificate program with writing concentrations that suit your interests.
Support of theProfessional Development Programs Student Advisory Board.
Alumni Scholarship program.
Community building with extracurricular activities, events, and webinars.
Networking opportunities.
Access to UChicago resources.
Instructors are experts in their field.
Direct learning, practice, and feedback.
Applicable content and quick skill building.
Earn a Credential in Medical Writing
Participants who complete the full online program earn credentials in Medical Writing and Editing Training, certified by the University of Chicago. Students will receive a digital course badge after successfully completing each individual course. Upon meeting all certificate requirements, students will be awarded a certificate of completion.
Build core competencies and your expertise in a growing field
For those drawn to the fusion of science and communication, our program offers a skill boost to excel in this thriving field. In as little as nine months of part-time study, you can gain the essential skills needed to thrive in medical communications. The program’s comprehensive curriculum, facilitated by industry experts like Barbara Gastel—the 2024 recipient of the American Medical Writers Association President’s Award—covers technical writing, editing, data reporting, and analysis while also providing networking opportunities and career support.
Barbara Gastel, instructor, 2024 recipient of the AMWA President's Award
One of the overriding factors is that it’s a helping profession. Although you’re not directly treating patients, if you’re writing for the public, you’re helping people maintain or increase their health; if you’re writing for biomedical scientists or healthcare providers, you’re helping them to provide good healthcare or to advance medical knowledge.
Nicole Cotroneo, Medical Writing and Editing and Regulatory Writing certificates
A Certificate in Medical Writing Opens Doors
Invest in a online certificate in Medical Writing from UChicago and train with experts at the top of their field; engage in a program offering technical expertise along with soft skills; enter a top-tier community where you can grow your network; and receive the advising, events, networking, and opportunities our unique certificate programs offer.
It is more than a certificate—it is an educational experience.
