Master's in Palliative Care Program Overview

Support people and caregivers facing serious and life-limiting illnesses. The online Master of Science in Palliative Care (MSPC) degree program is designed to give you the flexibility you need to earn a degree and grow your expertise in palliative care without putting life on pause. This 33-credit-hour program can be completed fully online in a minimum of 22 months.

Implement new strategies and skills in your current career path or set yourself on a new one. With practical assignments and projects, the MSPC program prepares you to offer consultation and care to patients and caregivers facing serious and life-limiting illnesses in your area. The MSPC program is 100% online with synchronous virtual intensives required twice during the program

Graduate Certificate vs Master’s Degree Comparison

CU Anschutz offers both a graduate certificate and master’s degree in palliative care, but what’s the difference between the two?

Palliative Care Career Outlook

The key outcome of the MSPC program is equipping you to support and provide excellent palliative care programs in your community. The master’s program in palliative care is designed to prepare a broad array of providers — physicians, physician assistants, pharmacists, social workers, spiritual care providers, psychologists, therapists, counselors, child life specialists, death doulas and ethicists — to be Palliative Care (PC) Community Specialists.

PC Community Specialists provide high quality palliative consultation and care to patients and families in their own communities, giving them the choice of treatment outside an academic tertiary medical center. PC Community Specialists represent secondary palliative care. In this comprehensive program, they are:

• linked to tertiary care experts
• equipped to bridge a network of services, and
• prepared to work in and/or develop palliative care services in their geographic areas.

Most MSPC students find employment while enrolled in the program.

Salary Data for Top Roles Associated with Palliative Care

Annual expected salaries for palliative care roles vary depending on the career field. The palliative care programs at CU Anschutz are designed to prepare nurses, physicians, pharmacists, social workers, psychologists and more.

For example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a median salary of $81,220 in 2022 for registered nurses and $55,350 for social workers. Specializing in palliative care with a graduate degree may increase your earning potential and set you apart from others in your career field. Additionally, many occupations related to palliative care are projected to grow faster than average over the next ten years.

Tuition & Fees

Investing in your future is a big decision, and a degree program at CU Anschutz is an investment that will benefit you for years to come. When you earn a degree, you’re not simply getting a diploma — you’re making a lifelong investment in yourself and empowering your future career.

Admissions

A list of required application materials is available through CU Anschutz Palliative Care Admissions.

International Applicants: Please visit the international graduate student admissions page for more information.

Master’s Degree in Palliative Care Completion Time

The MSPC program can be completed in less than two years (22 months).

Palliative Care Info Session Recording

View an information session recording to learn more about the format, curriculum, outcomes, faculty and more. This is an excellent, no-pressure way to see if the palliative care graduate programs are right for you and learn how continuing your education could fit into your life.