College of Nursing and Health Science

Health Science, M.S.

The M.S. in health science provides students with the skills and tools to work in one of three capacities: 1) leaders and executive-level managers in evolving health systems; 2) health policy analysts; or 3) consultants and managers of electronic commerce and technology products and enterprises in the health system. The 39-credit curriculum was developed in response to the demand for advanced, health management and policy preparation for a variety of health care and allied health professionals.

The program of study is designed to prepare graduates with state of the art technical and humanistic skills to serve as leaders, managers, consultants, and health policy advisors in a variety of settings. Graduates are prepared to work in public and private health care systems; legislative arenas and public health agencies; health management and policy-related trade and consumer organizations; and health accreditation/regulatory organizations. The curriculum integrates concepts selected from a variety of disciplines with application in health management and policy endeavors; business management, economics, philosophy, organizational behavior, information technology, social psychology, public policy, law, and ethics as they uniquely apply to health management and health policy analysis.

The interdisciplinary curriculum is designed to prepare graduates with an understanding of the larger sociopolitical and economic context of which the health system is a part. It prepares working professionals with leadership knowledge, skills, and abilities that serve to improve efficiency and effectiveness of health systems by alignment of decisions and resource management that optimizes organizational and health-related public policy objectives/goals. Students examine issues and mechanisms of universal access as a social imperative, and the feasibility, need, and mechanisms of strengthening market factors. They create linkages and alignment between public and private sectors, and among voluntary, market, and regulatory forces in the context of a variety of public policy frameworks. From a community focus, students explore the design of seamless systems of care that provide health services on the life span continuum, and how to manage these systems and their impact on outcomes of care using ethical principles.

Admission Requirements/Student Characteristics

Health care professionals with a baccalaureate degree and at least three years of leadership experience in the health field are eligible to apply. The curriculum is designed for experienced, working professionals with a track record of success in academic and work areas. An accelerated teaching/learning format consistent with executive-style programs is utilized. Class expectations are rigorous and require students to manage the learning of technically complex material at a fast pace. Students also are expected to possess basic computer skills (familiarity with Windows environments, e-mail, and Internet web browsers). An introductory noncredit course is available for those who do not have these skills.

Applicants to the program must submit transcripts from all previous college-level studies, references, a letter of interest specifying study goals, a curriculum vita, and a completed copy of the graduate admissions form. GMAT scores may be requested. Applicants are competitively selected. Admissions are made on a rolling basis for studies that commence in fall, spring, and summer.

Program Format and Curriculum Features

The program is scheduled to be convenient for working professionals. The usual schedule for students involves part-time study comprising two classes (6 credits) per semester. Classes are held primarily in evenings, with some Saturday day classes. Selected courses also are available via the Internet.

Courses in the health systems management curriculum offer content with the following unique features:

1. Content focuses on individual competencies in analytic decision making and how services are provided across institutions and levels of care through integrated systems. Services are analyzed according to the impact on individual health status and on enrolled populations, and how these groups affect utilization of health services. Business functions are taught in the context of integrated systems versus individual institutions (e.g., financial management examines how risk is incurred and distributed across multiple institutions).

2. Management skills are taught (breaking from traditional curriculum) from the contexts of leadership in learning organizations and as team leaders managing professionals across functional and clinical units. Business and clinical decisions are integrated with competencies in computer application in health care and clinical decision support systems, clinical case management, evaluation of clinical outcomes, and interorganizational relations.

3. The orientation of integrated managed care is based on the organization and delivery of community-based service networks. The curriculum prepares graduates to assess health risk, evaluate and understand consumer behavior, and structure/optimize community-based networks and fully integrated health systems.

4. The curriculum teaches applied public health policy skills that support the development and analysis of health policy and the management of political processes involving the health industry and health professionals in the United States.

Health policy analysis concentration courses build on and integrate content from the courses in the degree program to prepare graduates for mid-level policy advisor or health policy analyst positions in government agencies, public policy and legislative arenas, and the health sector (i.e., formulate, analyze, interpret, and evaluate health policy).

Electronic commerce and technology concentration courses build on and integrate content from the courses in the degree program to prepare graduates for mid-level consultant or management positions in the health industry related to the development and management of electronic commerce and technology. This includes the development and management of products, services, and systems related to Telehealth and electronic commerce in health-related services, and information and data management in health care enterprises.

Prerequisite for electronic commerce courses:

Prior to enrolling in INFS courses, students must demonstrate programming experience in at least one block-structured programming language (e.g., Java, C, C++, Visual Basic, Pascal) or in a scripting language (e.g., Javascript) used in web design. This experience can be obtained either through taking a basic program language course and/or work experience.

Degree Requirements

Program of study for the M.S. degree in health science comprises 39 credits (three concentrations). Twenty-four credits form the common core of the degree, and another 15 form each of the three concentrations. Note: If students have not had recent relevant experience in the U.S. health system/industry, an additional three-credit core course is required, HSCI 678 Introduction to the U.S. Health System, bringing the number of credits required to 39.

Concentration in Electronic Commerce and Technology in the Health Industry (15 credits)

Applicants to the electronic commerce certificate program must have earned a GPA of 3.000 or better in the last 60 credits. Additionally, applicants must possess the equivalent knowledge of the following three foundation courses: INFS 501 Discrete and Logical Structures for Information Systems, INFS 515 Computer Organization, and INFS 590 Program Design and Data Structures. In addition, applicants must possess the equivalent knowledge of operating systems theory and practice (INFS 601), database communications and distributed processing (INFS 612), and database management (INFS 614).