Master of Science in Health Systems Management
Rochester, USA
DURATION
3 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
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EARLIEST START DATE
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TUITION FEES
USD 41,424 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning
* $41,424 - $54,974 | based on credits taken
Key Summary
Introduction
A health administration degree, driven by today’s health care imperatives
Critical success factors driving health care systems today are often referred to as the Quadruple Aim:
- Improve the health of populations
- Enhance the quality of care for individuals
- Reduce the per capita cost of health care
- Improve the work-life of care providers
Successfully managing strategy, finance, patient experience, and operations in the highly regulated and unique health care sector requires specialized competencies and expertise beyond a traditional MBA. The master of science in health systems management is the currency needed to advance and perform in health care systems today.
Faculty
The MS in health systems management is led by a team of faculty who are practice-based scholars with extensive experience in the field. Faculty members are accessible, offer constructive feedback on course projects and assignments, and are at the forefront of providing an educational experience in which students can learn and directly apply classroom theories and concepts to the real-world practice of health care management.
An advisory board of health administrators from around the country guides the development of the degree program to ensure the curriculum addresses today’s most pressing challenges for health care leaders.
Industry outlook
Health care is the largest industry in the U.S. and the second-largest employer, representing 20% of the Gross National Product, and employing more than 11 million people. Employment opportunities for health systems managers and administrators will increase by 20% over the next 10 years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Gallery
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
RIT awards more than $37 million in merit scholarships and assistantships to graduate students each year. Scholarship awards range from 5% of tuition all the way up to full tuition. Awards are based on an applicant's academic excellence. Many things are considered when awarding scholarships - undergraduate grades, graduate placement test scores, and your research and work experience all factor in.
Graduate assistantships are offered to full-time matriculated graduate students to serve as teaching, research, or administrative assistants. Graduate Assistants receive wages (determined by the department making the appointment) in exchange for work performed. Many graduate assistants also receive tuition remission (i.e., tuition support) in addition to receiving wages for assistantship duties.
Graduate students can be awarded both scholarships and assistantships. These funding opportunities are the same for both US and international applicants.
RIT awards more than $30 million in merit scholarships and assistantships to graduate students each year. Scholarship awards range from 10% - 40% of tuition. Our median scholarship amount is around 30% of tuition or $13,000. Awards are based on an applicant's academic excellence. Many things are considered when awarding scholarships - undergraduate grades, graduate placement test scores, and your research and work experience all factor in.
Graduate assistantships are offered to full-time matriculated graduate students to serve as teaching, research, or administrative assistants. Graduate Assistants receive wages (determined by the department making the appointment) in exchange for work performed. Many graduate assistants also receive tuition remission (i.e., tuition support) in addition to receiving wages for assistantship duties.
Graduate students can be awarded both scholarships and assistantships. These funding opportunities are the same for both US and international applicants.
Optional Co-Op
Cooperative education is paid work assignments with corporations and organizations around the U.S. and abroad. Co-op allows students to spend one or more semesters employed in a full-time, paid position related to their academic program before they graduate. Many students use co-op earnings to help finance their education.
Work-Study
Graduate students studying full-time may apply to work part-time on campus. RIT has more than 9,000 jobs available yearly, and students typically work 10 – 20 hours per week. International students studying on an F-1 or J-1 visa may work up to 20 hours per week on campus and 40 hours during break periods.
Curriculum
This health administration master’s degree is a 39-credit applied, competency-based, and industry-focused online degree. Unique to this degree, you will have the opportunity to attend two on-campus leadership immersions, blending the flexibility of online learning with the value of face-to-face networking and interaction. You will take case-based, dynamic, and interactive courses focused on key health care topics including economics and policy, health IT and decision support, ethics, systems quality, and organizational learning.
Business and leadership courses prepare you to tackle issues involving financial management, quality improvement, operations, and strategy formulation—all within the context of real-world health care trends and challenges. You’ll be well prepared to develop, direct, and implement strategies and tactics that will shape the health care organizations of the future.
On-campus leadership immersion
To best profer highly developed leadership skills, you will have the valuable opportunity to attend two on-campus, hands-on, application-based learning and networking experiences. You will work closely with your classmates and faculty on case analysis, problem-solving, critical thinking, teamwork, and leadership skills during these 4-day sessions. This face-to-face training delivers skills and competencies which will continue to be developed in a virtual environment within the online courses to maximize your return on investment in skill development and practice.
Travel course
One of the most distinguishing and attractive benefits of this health administration degree is the culminating travel course. During the final summer term, you will have the opportunity for a faculty-led travel experience in which you will conduct an intensive study of the locale’s health system in comparison to your native system. As your final project, you will use that experience to innovate a product or service. For those unable to travel, an alternative study option will be provided.
Flexible degree built around your schedule
This online degree offers 5 start dates per year and an accelerated course format which will allow you to complete your degree in half the time of a traditional, semester-based program. A full-time student can complete this degree in one year; a part-time student can complete the degree in 24 months.
Stackable Credentials
You may earn a graduate-level credential and advance your career while you work toward your MS. The advanced certificate in health care finance stands alone, and may also be applied to your MS degree.
Curriculum
Health Systems Management, MS degree, typical course sequence
First Year
- HLTH-608 Integrated Health Systems & Population Health
- HLTH-706 Leading Health Systems I
- HLTH-710 Health Care Economics and Policy
- HLTH-718 Evidence-Based Management in Health Care
- HLTH-730 Health Care Financial Management I: Principles & Practice
Second Year
- HLTH-725 Healthcare Strategic Marketing & Communications
- HLTH-731 Health Care Financial Management II: Concepts/Applications
- HLTH-733 Organizational Quality and Systems Learning
- HLTH-746 Leading Health Systems II
- HLTH-760 Health IT and Decision Support
- HLTH-796 Healthcare Strategy: Analysis & Formulation
Third Year
- HLTH-736 Health Care Operations: Building High-Reliability Systems
- HLTH-798 Health Systems Analysis & Innovation
Program Outcome
Upon completing the MS in health systems management, you’ll be proficient in:
- Knowledge of health care systems in the U.S.
- Communications and interpersonal effectiveness
- Critical thinking, analysis, and problem-solving skills
- Management and leadership skills
- Professionalism and ethics theory and practice
Career Opportunities
Industries
- Health Care
- Scientific and Technical Consulting
- Research
- Management Consulting