Graduate Courses
Master of Science in Healthcare Management Course Descriptions
Core Courses
This course focuses on some of the unique components of finance as they relate to a healthcare facility and some of the major issues they are faced with. Students will strive to develop an understanding of the healthcare industry and the unique aspects related to healthcare finance. Increased knowledge of major national issues pertaining to Medicare and Managed Care payment systems and how they affect the economics of providers will be explored. Students will also develop an understanding of significant and nonsignificant financial management and management process issues. A preview of the healthcare industry and its effect on healthcare finance will also be explored. Additional topics include reimbursement systems, managed care, insurance, Medicare and Medicaid, DRG prospective payment, accessibility, eligibility, budgeting, and planning. Emphasis will be placed on the application of these topics to aid in making managerial decisions.
This course provides a foundation in healthcare law and how it can be used to improve the quality of healthcare delivered. Topics include tort law, medical personnel, information management, patient consent, legal reporting, patient rights, management of healthcare data, ethics, AIDS, and end of life issues. Emphasis is placed on establishing foundational knowledge of the different aspects of the legal system as it pertains specifically to healthcare. This includes understanding historical implications that shape the legal system as we know it today. This course will also strive to understand the responsibility to protect the needs of the uninsured and those who face barriers to quality care.
This course presents the principles and dynamics of healthcare management, the healthcare system, and basic concepts and skills in administration. Students will analyze the institutional, social, and political forces in the field of healthcare and fundamentals of management in modern healthcare. This course introduces an overview of the healthcare stakeholders in a variety of settings as well as key health and medical terms. Students will also examine current trends in modern healthcare delivery.
Students identify and describe components of the system, including patients, healthcare professionals, public and private third-party payers, regulators, reimbursement methods, and information technology. The roles of patients, physicians, hospitals, insurers, and pharmaceutical companies through the lens of the healthcare value chain. The interaction between the government and these different groups will also be covered using the most contemporary healthcare legislation as the backdrop.
This course explores how healthcare organizations can create sustainable competitive advantage in a volatile, reimbursement driven industry. Topics include external and internal environmental analysis, strategy formulation, organizational design and control, and the impact of mergers and alliances on industry performance. This course also explores the theories, processes, and practical techniques of negotiation so that students can successfully negotiate and resolve disputes in a variety of situations including interpersonal and group settings. Emphasis is placed on understanding influence and conflict resolution strategies; identifying interests, issues, communication strategies, and positions of the parties involved; analyzing co-negotiators, their negotiation styles, and the negotiation situations; and managing the dynamics associated with most negotiations. The course will also discuss the role of motivation as a tool for the encouragement of growth and creativity. Practical skills are developed through the use of simulations and exercises.
This course will focus on the methods used by managers to assess the quality of hospital or provider healthcare and evaluate the tying of reimbursement to healthcare outcomes. Topics will include the history of healthcare outcomes analysis; the framework for outcome studies; and how the consumer and the payers define and demand quality. By the end of the course, students will have developed a thorough appreciation of the current methods used by policymakers, researchers, payers, and healthcare providers to evaluate outcomes as well as those used by consumers to choose where they get medical care. Specific issues facing the healthcare manager and the need to synthesize complex and often disparate outcomes will be addressed as well.
This course introduces students to the importance of strategic thinking and planning, and the management of strategic momentum, and the impact this has on the healthcare industry. Students will understand the role of the leader in managing healthcare organizations. The course will discuss various ways that strategic leaders need to think in order to change the environment by carrying out the strategic plan. Students will also develop a thorough understanding of the analytic strategic management process.
This course examines the role of the human resource professional as a strategic partner in managing today's organizations. Key functions such as recruitment, selection, development, appraisal, retention, compensation, and labor relations are examined. Implications of legal and global environments are appraised and current issues such as diversity training, sexual harassment policies, and rising benefit costs are analyzed. Best practices of employers of choice are considered.
Managing organizational change is challenging at the best of times. In today's dynamic fast-paced global environment, change is a constant component of organizational life. Whether the change is simple or complex, organizations must constantly change or die. Leaders need to act as change agents to envision necessary change and effectively lead an organization through a change initiative. This course prepares participants to lead change within a variety of organizational settings. Models for the creation and communication of change plans are examined to develop an understanding of the specific challenges associated with change. The theory and methods for effective implementation of change plans are used to examine the practical realities of change implementation in modern organizations.
This course acquaints students with important research concepts so they can develop a sound research study. Students apply the research design process to develop a proposal that incorporates appropriate methods of developing a plan and gathering information. This course is specifically designed to prepare students for their Capstone course, in which the research plan moves to the implementation stage, culminating with a Capstone paper.
Note: This course must be taken one to two terms prior to Capstone. Prior to registering for this course students are required to schedule an academic advising appointment for approval. Instructions on how to schedule an appointment are located on our website.
This course introduces project management from the standpoint of a manager who must organize, plan, implement, and control tasks to achieve an organization's schedule, budget, and performance objectives. Tools and concepts such as project charter, scope statement, work breakdown structure, project estimating, and scheduling methodologies are studied. Students will practice with Microsoft Project software to be able to manage a project from start to deployment. What is a project? How is it managed? What is the best approach? This is an opportunity to learn the project management fundamentals that can guide a project through a maze of challenges to successful completion. Successful projects do not occur by luck or by chance. In fact, many projects do not achieve their organization's goals.
Capstone
This master's-level Capstone course is an opportunity for students to showcase the intellectual and professional skills that they have cultivated during their degree programs. Students will produce a Capstone paper that advances scholarly and professional knowledge in their chosen fields through structured activities including primary and secondary data collection. Throughout the course, students will communicate closely with their mentors and classmates, creating a supportive community of learning professionals. The completed Capstone project provides substantial evidence of students' conceptual, analytical, research, application, writing, and presentation skills; with these abilities, graduates will be empowered to accelerate their careers and pursue unique leadership opportunities in their evolving fields and communities.
Note: Candidates for completion of the Master of Science (MS) degree in Management, Master of Science (MS) degree in Healthcare Management, Master of Human Resources Management (MSHRM) will complete this Capstone course at the end of their programs and following the successful completion of ORR-5100: Organizational Research.