MBA–Health Care Management: Curriculum

This course introduces leadership in dynamic, changing organizations where customers change, technologies shift, and work processes evolve. In this course students will examine how leaders develop themselves and others and create alignment as an organization changes to meet the needs of the future.

This course will develop marketing strategy and execution of diverse communication tactics critical to all enterprises. Students will examine competitive value propositions for business growth across various markets. Course work will analyze business scenarios and determine strategic objectives, target markets and messages, as well as demonstrate how to use and apply multiple marketing tactics.

The student takes a deep dive into vocation through practical exploration of career, as opposed to job, opportunities and aspirations. The student benefits from the “just-in-time” job growth to cultivating their deepest career aspirations. Through reflection and guidance, the student learns to understand their value and skills while effectively telling their vocational story and articulating their servant leadership.

This course examines the various research methodologies used in organizational settings. It provides an overview of quantitative and qualitative methodologies including research design, data collection and analysis, interviewing, case studies, and action science. The philosophy, ethics, and politics of management research are introduced. Students will critique published research, write a literature review, and design research studies.

The course will apply economic theory to develop a framework to analyze and predict trade, exchange rate, environmental, health, labor and other policies. Strategies will encompass the interaction of American and global economic institutions and policy making entities such as the United States Trade Representative, Congress, Federal Reserve, WTO, and the European Union. Topics will include tariffs and comparative advantage.

This course looks at human resources management from an operating manager’s perspective and focuses on the key role strategic human resource management plays in the development and execution of organizational strategy. Emphasis will be placed on the cultural, behavioral, and the legal issues faced by companies as they attempt to compete in an increasingly expanding global economy. Students will work collaboratively to analyze and compare the complexities and challenges of doing business abroad as well as in the United States and discuss approaches, plans, and programs to address those issues strategically.

This course will examine the framework and systems of current accounting and finance principles including preparation of financial statements, accounting cycles and balance sheet classifications. Students will apply these principles along with ethical responsibility and critical thinking skills to management practices of business decision making and strategic planning.

This course integrates the treatment of law and management. It helps managers and leaders spot legal issues before they become legal problems and emphasizes developing the legal astuteness to craft solutions that attain core organizational objectives without incurring undue legal risk. Traditional legal concepts are discussed as well as current topics in developing areas of the law. An emphasis on ethical concerns stimulates understanding of how managers must incorporate considerations of ethics and social responsibility into their managerial actions.

This course will focus on how managers think clearly and make effective decisions. Students will examine and apply several models of decision-making from intuition to predictive analytics. In support of effective execution, students will explore innovative, critical, emotional and futuristic thinking. Students will develop their own tools to become effective decision-makers.

The student’s context for 21st century commerce will become broader, richer, and deeper as they see change, not in singular events but as an interrelated tapestry of complex systems. Beyond simple research they will learn to master an industry of their choice by anticipating unfolding change and discovering rich professional opportunities.

As formal and informal healthcare leaders, students will clarify and affirm their vocation/calling and moral compass including examining potential vulnerabilities that may challenge one’s integrity. Students will explore ethical theories and principles from the healthcare leader perspective in the context of current healthcare issues including economic constraints and resource allocation, access-to-care, autonomy and decision-making especially at end-of-life, moral distress, and other issues faced by healthcare professionals. Students will analyze contextual factors contributing to ethical dilemmas including professional values, patient/family rights and preferences including cultural differences, social and health inequities, political factors including hierarchy and ethical climate, and policy, legal, and regulatory requirements. Students will synthesize course concepts through the application of ethical decision-making models within the Christian context to various bioethical, clinical, business, and professional ethical dilemmas.

A call has come from the highest reaches of government for the computerization of all medical records. Information systems and the interlocking of these systems will be a major concern for health care providers in the years to come. Students will learn how to collect, massage, manipulate data in order to make it useful. There is plenty of useless data and information available; the real professional can mine that data and information into golden nuggets of knowledge.

In order to compete in this new economy, health care entities, particularly hospitals, need to employ quality practices. This course will examine current theory and practices for health care institutions: Six sigma, Lean and other processes and procedures. Students will understand how the quality system interweaves with customer service and happiness.

The distribution system for health care is complex and changing rapidly. The strategy process represents an essential opportunity for health care leaders to establish, implement and guide the organizations direction in these turbulent waters of changing distribution systems. MAP is a process in which students summarize, synthesize, and demonstrate knowledge, skills, and competencies as organizational managers and leaders. Students will draw from their MBA course work, career experiences, and synthesizing activities to build a portfolio.

The student examines and reflects on their program learning and professional development. Course tools will measure and illuminate the student’s progress in gaining a better understanding of their professional worth and value. The Managerial Application and Portfolio (MAP) articulates that value. The MAP is the bridge that examines and applies an ethical framework to a formalized process that will guide the student’s professional and personal life journey.