Things to consider when deciding to register for credit:

1. You would be earning a letter grade for two credits per course.
2. In order to earn credit, you have to follow the evaluative component of the syllabus (more work for you-papers, presentations, other).
3. The cost is $650 instead of $550 (only $100 more for either grad or undergrad, which is a bargain!)
4. If you choose to earn credits, you want to know why. For example:
   • Do you want these credits to articulate to another degree? If so, please work with your advisor to ensure that these courses meet those requirements. Some programs have a ceiling for how many or what kind of credits you can earn external to their program.
   • Are you choosing credit so that you can utilize your tuition reimbursement benefit from your employer? If so, please check your company's policy prior to registration to ensure that these courses meet their standards.
5. If these reasons for taking courses for credit do not matter to you, take the course (or entire certificate) non-credit. You still earn CEUs for each course and a course completion certificate. You still earn the entire program certificate if you complete all courses non-credit (or credit for that matter.) You still learn a great deal.

The program was developed as a non-credit professional development program to help you learn today what you will use tomorrow to do better at your job.

For Professional Development Center programs, admission to Portland State is not a prerequisite to enroll in classes. For PDC classes that are non-credit, formal admission to Portland State is not necessary. It is not necessary to be admitted to Portland State if the student is registering for less than 8 undergraduate or graduate credits per term.

The Healthcare Management courses are designed to stand alone and can be taken in any order that works best for students' schedules.

A student has up to three years to complete the required courses in each certificate.  The Healthcare Management Certificate has six required courses.  The Healthcare Management: Leadership Certificate has four required courses.

These certificates are designed for the working professional. For an 18-hour course students can miss up to six hours with no penalty and still earn the course certificate.  For a 16 hour session students can miss up to four hours with no penalty and still earn the course certificate.

If you are taking these courses for either undergraduate or graduate credit, you must refer to the individual course syllabus.  Attendance may be considered when determining your letter grade.

The continuing education unit (CEU) is a nationally recognized method of quantifying the time spent in the classroom during noncredit learning. Ten hours of instruction equal one (1) CEU. The CEU provides a permanent record of the educational accomplishments of an individual who has completed significant noncredit education and career-enhancement experiences.

Certificate Registration Discounts
A $300 tuition reduction is given to any individual registering for all six courses in the Healthcare Management Certificate. For more information contact the program manager at 503-725-5848.

Financial Aid
Contact the Portland State Admissions Office at 503-725-3511 or www.pdx.edu/finaid/. Note: Portland State financial aid is applicable only to courses with credit option. Students must be admitted to Portland State and take a minimum of 6 credits per term for eligibility. Other financial options are available. See Financial Resources in PDC.

For specific questions relating to financial aid and credit within the Professional Development Center program, contact the Portland State financial aid office. Please allow 5 to 6 weeks for processing.

Providing your SSN (and consent to its use) is not required, and if you choose not to do so, you will not be denied any right, benefit, or privilege by law. Portland State will disclose your ID/SSN only if authorized by law. If you choose not to provide your SSN as your ID number, Portland State will assign an ID number for you. Also, if you choose not to provide your SSN as your ID number, Portland State will be unable to provide Enrollment Verification Reports (such as those deferring prior college loans) or other automated verification functions, and some financial arrangements (such as third-party billings) may not be available.

Advising on a certificate path and the Lifetime-Learning Tax Credit is always available by appointment with the healthcare program manager.

If you miss the first session, materials may be picked up at our offices, 1515 SW Fifth Avenue Suite 1050, Portland, Oregon 97201. Please make prior arrangements for picking up materials between 4 and 5pm. If you have any questions concerning class materials, call 503-725-4820.

All Professional Development Center courses and seminars are canceled when Portland State is officially closed due to weather. Please contact the office at 503-725-4820 for instructions on cancellations and make-up sessions. To determine if the campus will be closed, call 503-725-3000 (Portland State Information Line) or listen to your local radio news station.

Noncredit refund
Notification of withdrawal or drop must be given and requests for refunds for noncredit courses must be received at least one week prior to the first class session. Refunds are not given after this time. Withdrawal or drop must be done by email to pdc@pdx.edu or to your program manager's email address.

Credit refund
Refund of the credit portion of the fee only is based on the Portland State University fee refund schedule:

100%	refund before 1st class meeting
85%	refund before 2nd class meeting
50%	refund before 3rd class meeting
25%	refund before 4th class meeting

Please note that a full refund of credit fee is available only before the first class meeting. If a student is unsure whether to add the credit option of a course, it is the student's responsibility to contact the instructor for specific credit completion requirements prior to the start of the course. Please call the Professional Development Center for information on how to contact instructors. Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for refund processing.

Payment
Payment for courses is the responsibility of the student. Full payment or approved company purchase order number must accompany the registration form in order to process registration. If payment on a purchase order is not received, the student is responsible for the course fee balance.