About
The Certificate in Medical Language program provides students with a credential recognizing their proficiency in medical terminology, including etymology, word formation and the conventions of contemporary usage.
- One- or two-year certificate
- Full- or part-time program
- You can enter this program directly from high school
What you will learn
During the process of completing the required courses for this certificate, you will develop not only the necessary skills to define medical terms (including the Latin phrases that comprise the international corpus of anatomical names, known as the Terminologia Anatomica), but also to coin original terms to describe new medical conditions, procedures and discoveries accurately and succinctly.
Requirements (15 credit units)
Course | Description |
---|---|
Complete the following 12 credit units: |
|
CLAS 103.3 | Medical Terminology |
CLAS 203.3 | Advanced Medical Terminology |
LATN 112.3 | Latin for Beginners I |
LATN 113.3 | Latin for Beginners II |
Choose 3 credit units from the following: |
|
LATN 202.3 | Intermediate Latin I |
GRK 112.3 | Greek for Beginners |
CLAS 101.3 | Introduction to Scientific Terminology |
HIST 273.3 | History of Ancient Medicine |
The Course and Program Catalogue has the complete and official listing of required classes and their descriptions for this program.
Opportunities
The Certificate in Medical Language is designed to help you develop your proficiency in defining and understanding medical terminology.
Students in numerous programs - including nursing, biology, kinesiology and any of the biomedical sciences - regularly encounter complex medical terms throughout the course of their studies, and the training provided by this certificate will enable you to recognize and define those terms quickly and easily whenever you encounter them.
In addition, on completion of the certificate, you will be well-versed in the linguistic skills needed to understand the medical terms that you will come across in postgraduate studies and your future career.
Careers
Some career opportunities include:
- Health records clerk
- Medical clerk interpreter
- Health information management professional
- Medical transcriptionist
This certificate will also benefit anyone who is considering future studies in life or health sciences such as medicine, dentistry, nursing and veterinary medicine etc., in addition to many related graduate programs.
Tuition estimates

Canadian students | International students | |
---|---|---|
Tuition | $689.40 per 3 credit unit class | $2,481.84 per 3 credit unit class |
Student fees | $1,050 per year | $1,050 per year |
Tuition will vary depending on the type and number of classes you take in a year. This estimate reflects a typical amount you could expect to pay per class (2022-2023 Canadian dollar rates).
Student fees are used to fund specific student benefits, including health, vision and dental coverage, a bus pass, recreational programs and fitness centre access. This estimate reflects the price you would pay if you are a full-time student.
The cost of books and supplies varies widely depending on the courses you choose. It is recommended that you budget between $1,500-$2,500 for this program.
Admission requirements and deadlines
Deadlines

Ready to apply?
If you are a current USask student, consult your academic advisor regarding enrolling in this program.
To apply to this program as a new student, please apply for admission to any undergraduate program in the College of Arts and Science and after you are admitted, declare your plans to the college.
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