MatCH receives certification

Prospective Maternal and Child Health Scholarship Program (MatCH) students will be thrilled to hear that those who enrol in the program after fall 2020 will receive an embedded certificate. An embedded certificate recognizes additional education and appears on university transcripts, making it clear to prospective employers that the graduates have specialized research training in the area of maternal and child health.

Sujata Persad, associate professor and program coordinator for graduate education, has been working with different levels at the University of Alberta to ensure the approval of the certificate. “Having the university recognize that this is a focused training program makes it more impactful for students to highlight their specialized training when applying for jobs,” says Persad.

The MatCH program encompasses basic science, clinical, epidemiology and health services research in the departments of obstetrics and gynecology, medical genetics, and pediatrics as part of the Medical Sciences Graduate Program. MatCH began in 2012 with a call from the provost who was seeking innovative ways to train graduate students, with a focus on improving rates and time of degree completion. During the first semester of MatCH, students rotate through three laboratories for four weeks each. This provides them an opportunity to see if they are interested in the supervisor's research project and provides a chance for the supervisor to evaluate the student. Students then “make their match” and pursue a degree in the department of their choice.

Learn more about MatCH
Learn more about graduate embedded certificates