AI in Health Care Certificate of Specialization
Build AI awareness and literacy, apply AI in your organization, or explore new ways to build solutions and organize work with AI. Choose learning that fits your experience and goals. Take one course or work toward a Harvard Chan certificate.
Certificate Overview
Earn a Certificate of Completion with 1 course, or combine eligible courses toward a 3-course Certificate of Specialization or 5-course Advanced Certificate, as outlined below.
Health care professionals have different needs as they learn about AI. You may be getting oriented, seeking a deeper understanding of tools you already use, preparing to implement AI or exploring how to create something new. Choose your next step according to your experience and the work you want to do.
AI awareness: understand the basics. If AI is new to you, begin with the concepts, language and health care examples that help you understand what it is and why it matters. Responsible AI for Health Care: Concepts and Applications is the starting point. No technical background is required.
AI literacy: understand the tools you use. If you already use tools such as ChatGPT, develop a stronger understanding of how AI works, how to assess its outputs and limitations, and what responsible use involves. Responsible AI also serves this need, helping you make informed decisions about AI in health care.
AI applications: introduce AI into practice. In Implementing Health Care AI into Clinical Practice, learn how to assess workflows, evaluate a solution and address implementation, maintenance and organizational change. Connect AI understanding with the work of adoption in a health care organization.
AI innovation: build solutions and rethink how work is done. Explore product innovation through Building AI Solutions to Transform Health Care, or operational innovation through Innovation with AI in Health Care: Agentic Operations. Innovation draws on AI awareness, literacy and an understanding of application in health care. These foundations can come from previous learning or experience; review each course’s preparation and learning format.
Certificate Criteria
AI in Health Care Certificate of Specialization
Complete 3 courses within 5 years:
- Core (Required):
- Responsible AI in Health Care: Concepts and Applications—gain AI awareness and literacy
- AI Electives (Choose 2):
- Innovation with AI in Health Care: Agentic Operations—Rethink health care operations with AI agents
- Implementing Health Care AI into Clinical Practice—Bring AI into clinical workflows
- Building AI Solutions to Transform in Health Care—Turn health care challenges into AI prototypes
- AI in Health Systems (Coming Soon)
Note: Certificate criteria were updated in March 2026. If you began the certificate prior to this update, the original requirements will apply. Please contact enrollment@hsph.harvard.edu with any questions.
Advanced Certificate Criteria
AI in Health Care Leadership Advanced Certificate of Specialization
Extend your AI learning with an additional AI elective and leadership study relevant to your work. Complete the following requirements within 7 years:
- The AI in Health Care Certificate of Specialization 3-course requirement
- Additional AI Elective (Choose 1)*:
- Innovation with AI in Health Care: Agentic Operations
- Implementing Health Care AI into Clinical Practice
- Building AI Solutions in Health Care
- AI in Health Systems (Coming Soon)
- Leadership Elective (Choose 1):
- Conflict, Feedback, and Negotiation in Health Care
- Financial Management in Health Care for Non-Financial Managers
- Leadership Development for Physicians in Academic Medical Centers
- Program for Chairs of Clinical Services
- Leadership Development to Improve Health Outcomes for All
- Emerging Women Executives in Health Care
- Health Care Leadership Intensive for Managers (Coming Soon)
*Note: This elective must be different from those already applied toward the AI in Health Care Certificate of Specialization.
Program Directors
From our Alumni
This certification provides a deep understanding of how artificial intelligence can be used in business applications to improve patient outcomes
Dr. Anuja Joshi, BSc, MSc, OD, Doctor at CareMount Medical – Optum
See our Faculty in Action
In the video below, you can hear directly from course faculty on how AI is reshaping healthcare operations and patient care. This discussion offers a preview of the key concepts and case studies you’ll explore more deeply in this program.
Frequently Asked Questions
You pay for each course separately. The total depends on the courses you choose and the fees for their respective offerings. Follow the course links above for current dates, prices and availability.
Complete the three-course Certificate of Specialization within five years. Complete the five-course Advanced Certificate of Specialization within seven years. Earlier participants should check the March 2026 criteria note above, and reach out to enrollment@hsph.harvard.edu with any questions
Yes. You can take an individual course for focused learning and receive a Certificate of Completion. Eligible courses can later count toward a Certificate of Specialization, subject to its requirements and completion window.
The Certificate of Specialization requires Responsible AI and two eligible AI electives. The Advanced Certificate adds a different AI elective and one eligible leadership course, for five courses in total. Both build on learning from individual courses; the advanced option extends the breadth of AI and leadership study.
For AI awareness or literacy, begin with Responsible AI. It is relevant both if you are new to AI and if you already use tools such as ChatGPT but want a stronger understanding of how they work.
For applications, choose Implementing to learn about adoption in clinical practice. For innovation, choose Building to develop and test an early solution, or Agentic Operations to explore new ways of organizing work with AI agents.
Innovation draws on foundational AI understanding and knowledge of application in health care, which may come from previous learning or experience. Review each course’s preparation and format. Responsible AI remains the required certificate core; there is no compulsory sequence through all four courses. If you are unsure where to begin, ask the enrollment team for advice.
Tell the enrollment team about your AI experience, your responsibilities and the challenge you want to address. Email enrollment@hsph.harvard.edu for advice on course fit, next offerings and how completed courses count toward a certificate.