Health Care Management

About the Program

The Master of Science in Health Care Management (MHCM) features an integrated curriculum combining a multidisciplinary core, advanced study in heath care management, and an elective component. A culminating experience will integrate and synthesize heath care management skills and competencies. This program flexibility encourages students to choose from relevant health care management electives and other complementary graduate offerings.

This program has been designed for health care administrators, managers, providers, or other health related professionals who wish to increase their knowledge and expertise in the specific application of health management. Applicants who have not previously studied health care management are welcome and will find the flexibility of the program especially attractive.

Graduates of this program will find diverse job opportunities with a variety of health organizations, such as: hospitals, pharmaceutical organizations, home health agencies, health insurance companies, life-care facilities, managed care organizations, medical group practices, and mental health agencies.

The program is coeducational and provides a broad-based academic preparation for succeeding in the ever-changing health care environment. Teamwork and peer collaboration is stressed.

Master of Science in Healthcare Management (MHCM)

Background Preparation

Students admitted into the MHCM degree program are required to have proper health professional background preparation for taking the graduate level coursework. The student must clear all deficiencies before being allowed to take the degree required courses.

A student with deficiency in any required background subject must clear it by either 1.) Taking the course for credit at CTU and earn a grade of at least C- or higher or 2.) Taking and passing the appropriate preparatory module of studies. With advance approval by the academic review committee, the student may be allowed to take proficiency exams indicated by review committee to clear his/her background requirements.

MHCM Curriculum

The MHCM program requires a minimum of 36 semester units of graduate study. A maximum of four 400 level courses are allowed to count towards graduation credits. Before the student takes any one the courses below he/she must meet the prerequisite requirements.

Health Care Management Electives- (9-15 Credits)

Other Electives-(0-6 Credits)

Students may elect graduate-level courses 400 or 500-level, and higher courses in any discipline as electives to meet the elective requirements.

Health Care Management Internship (course work-MHCM-528)

The Health Care Management Internship is a web-supported, supervised, educational experience in a Health Service organization that serves as the culmination of the student's study of Health Care Management. This 3-unit course is a major requirement and students must commit to work under the direction of a preceptor.

This internship will provide students with an in-depth learning experience where they can apply health care management theories and principles in a specific health care setting. In addition to easing role transitions from school to professional work settings, the internship will provide students with a range of opportunities to further enhance their understanding of the unique aspects of health care management. To get internship student must search for internship work provider, preceptor and approval from course coordinator.

Examples of learning experiences available to students during the internship include (but are not limited to):

• Observation of professionals in the field;

• Participation in the decision-making process;

• Demonstration of leadership and organizational skills; development of professional contacts, and

• An accumulation of practical experiences that will assist in future job searches.

• Students will assume major responsibility for a program or project in the health service

• Organization, directed by the preceptor that will enable the student to demonstrate critical leadership and organization skills in written and verbal form.

MHCM Total Requirements: (36 units)

Course descriptions:

MHCM-500 Issues in Health Care Management (3.0 Credits)

The student examines current and significant issues in the health care field. Special emphasis is given to new and emerging theories, technique patterns of organization, and health care delivery systems. Students synthesize and integrate learning from the entire program. The course develops understanding and analysis of factors that determine changes in teaching systems in health professions. Concrete applications (group and individual assignments) are related to training situations experienced by students in their professional lives.

MHCM-501 Human Resources Management in Health Care (3.0 Credits)
Management of human resources in the health care system including human resource planning and staffing, training and development, performance appraisal, job design and analysis, and compensation.

MHCM-502 Advanced Financial Management in Health Care (3.0 Credits)
Financial environment, payment systems, discounted cash flow analysis, risk, financial statements, capital investments, and capital budgeting. Emphasis on decision making using accounting and finance theories, principles, concepts and techniques.

MHCM-503 Professional Values and Ethics in Health Care (3.0 Credits)

This course focuses on values and professional ethics in human rights issues. Students explore the theories of ethics and the components of those theories. The exploration enables the student to determine a step-by-step model of decision making when confronted with ethical problems.

MHCM-504 Advanced Theories and Concepts in Health Care (3.0 Credits)

This course promotes an understanding of the usefulness of models and theories in nursing and health care and of the advantages and difficulties linked to the teaching and applications of conceptual framework in these fields. Instruments necessary for the implementation and evaluation of a conceptual framework useful in nursing and health care are developed.

MHCM-505 Strategic Planning and Marketing in Health Care (3.0 Credits)
Strategic planning based on analysis of analyses of secondary quantitative and qualitative data to study changes in technological, social, political, regulatory, and competitive aspects of the health care market.

MHCM-506 Continuous Quality Improvement in Health Services (3.0 Credits)
Administrative and professional issues to assure quality in health care: Historical beginnings; metrics and indicators; state-of-the-art practices; voluntary and governmental monitoring.

MHCM-521Economics of Health (3.0 Credits)

Application of microeconomics principles to the health care industry; economic behavior of health care systems, and institutions. Third party payment systems, asymmetric information and health care markets.

MHCM-522 Organization and Systems of Health Care (3.0 Credits)

Analysis of operational activities and managerial functions essential to the health care delivery system, with emphasis on management and leadership influence on developing effective systems of care within various institutional arrangements.

MHCM-523 Quality Assurance of Health Care (3.0 Credits)

This course focuses on health care evaluation (especially nursing care evaluation). It involves the study of some evaluation instruments, the use of these instruments in an institution, and the use of the evaluation results for management.

MHCM-524 Quantitative Methods for Health Administration (3.0 Credits)

Application of quantitative and operations research techniques to problems in health care settings. Exposure to decision theory and control systems. Problem solving experiences in resource allocation, procedures, scheduling, forecasting, measurement and cybernetic control.

MHCM-626 Perspectives in public health (3.0 Credits)

This course focus on out look of public health and views related to healthcare management.

MHCM-525 Hospital Management (3.0 Credits)

Analysis of hospitals by broad function and specific departments through cases, simulations and visits to develop familiarity with internal operations of acute care hospitals and skills in solving hospital operational problems.

MHCM-527 Long Term Care Management (3.0 Credits)

Overview of long term care services and facilities. Analysis of forces influencing development of long term care in the US; specific organizational aspects affecting outcomes of services.

MHCM-528 Internship in Health Care Management (3.0 Credits)

Minimum 10 weeks of structured work experience in a health care organization, under supervision of a preceptor-employee. Graduate students study and report on institution's organizational structure, philosophy, problems and personnel. Internship work report must be submitted to course coordinator. Grading will be pass or fail.

May be repeated to a maximum of 6 credits, in different a semester which includes previously earned credit in MHCM.