Mar 28, 2024  
2019-2020 Graduate Bulletin 
    
2019-2020 Graduate Bulletin [ARCHIVED BULLETIN]

Health Care Delivery Science Certificate


The Health Care Delivery Science Certificate is offered primarily online through the TU Institute of Health Care Delivery Sciences and the Oxley College of Health Sciences.  This program is designed for mid-career professionals seeking opportunities to become change-agents and leaders within their own organizations, and across the health care industry in general.  Health care delivery sciences education is essential in helping leaders steer their respective organizations not only toward better health outcomes, but also to help promote stability in times of deep uncertainty.  Students in the program will receive training in a broad number of leadership skills - including financial planning, population health, policy, communications, quality improvement, ethics, and health information technology - with special emphasis on behavioral wellness and the social determinants of health.

Learning Objectives


  • Evaluate current and anticipated ways that health care delivery systems function and interact with the populations and communities they serve.
  • Apply interdisciplinary and analytic thinking skills when evaluating health care delivery issues.
  • Evaluate creative and innovative ways to solve health delivery challenges.
  • Communicate clearly about anticipated benefits/burdens of an ever-changing health care delivery system.
  • Apply leadership skills while collaborating with colleagues, peers, and stakeholders.

Admission


Admission to the program will be based on relevant experience, written statements, and fidelity between the candidate’s career goals and the program’s learning objectives.  Admission criteria include, but are not limited to: 

  • A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, with an overall undergraduate G.P.A. of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or the international equivalent.
  • At least one to three years of professional experience working in health care, or a health care-related industry.
  • A written statement of purpose
  • Two letters of recommendation from colleagues/mentors that can provide an accurate assessment of the person’s character and goals
  • Recent GMAT or GRE scores.  Exemptions for standardized testing will be made for those already holding master’s or professional (terminal) degrees and/or those with 10+ years of professional experience working in the health care industry.

Those without the above qualifications must seek special permission from the program director to enroll.  Experience with research and research methods is encouraged, but not required for admission.

Curriculum Requirements


Students must complete the following list of courses to successfully complete the program, comprising 15 credit hours of coursework and a final capstone project.  The ‘Science of Health Care Delivery’ course is considered a prerequisite to the other credit-bearing courses and the final capstone project.  

Completion of the program is expected to take a minimum of two years/five semesters, including one summer semester. Additional time may be required to complete the program if a student needs to retake a course or skips a semester. Lapses in enrollment are permitted. Students in the certificate program are subject to the six-year statute of limitations policy.

Capstone Project


Students are required to complete a final Capstone Project to successfully finish the program, gaining practical experience in planning and executing a project, while learning to solve problems that plague existing health systems.  Each student is assigned a faculty advisor, who initially approves their projects, and later serves as a mentor and coach.  Elements of designing, managing, and refining the Capstone Project will be integrated into the curriculum of each HCDS course.