The intent of this course is to train future public health practitioners on the economic and political questions that emerge in the process of developing health systems. The various sessions during the course will review core economic principles applied to the role of governments, the private sector and the competitive marketplace. The course will provide an overview of traditional microeconomic theory and practice as applied to demand, supply, competition, monopoly, and social welfare. It will drill down on topics such as role of governments, private sector, market competition, government failure and market failure. Special sessions will be devoted to topics on clinical services, non-clinical services, the health care workforce, health financing, the health related manufacturing sectors (pharmaceuticals, medical technology and information technology) and leadership/health management. Special attention will be paid to the implication of the Covid 19 crisis for the economic function and performance of health care system and its major components. The major course output will be guided, semester-long exercises in analyzing and developing strategic development plans from a public health professional's perspective to guide political and economic decision making. The focus on health systems is a concrete means to understand the more general competencies involved in the application of economic analysis, which include political, financial, technical and organizational skills. The course will link to the ongoing health care reform debate to help participants understand the underlying economic issues raised by the reforms.

This course is an introduction to understanding; the competencies, roles and responsibilities of public health and health managers; health organizations, which are complex and changing in response to community needs and to changing environments; the skills required to establish and maintain organizational culture and organizational change; and talent and team management. Through readings, class discussion and the analysis of case studies, students, will have an opportunity to explore and identify key management and leadership challenges impacting public health and health; formulate and evaluate alternative solutions to problems; learn verbally and in writing to present analysis of managerial plans and proposals. The course will emphasize skill development in the management of mission, strategy, operations and the business aspects of health organizations.

This course combines essential statistical analysis techniques with intermediate-level Excel skills tailored for health care administration. It covers the foundational elements of statistics, including variable types, common distributions, and basic hypothesis testing, enabling you to analyze and describe key features of data sets. Additionally, the course delves into vital Excel functions for health care administrators, such as data consolidation and cleanup, payroll scheduling, revenue and expense analysis, quality improvement initiatives, dashboard creation, and inventory management. A solid working knowledge of basic Excel functions is required; if you need to enhance your Excel skills, contact the program director to explore options.

This course covers the modern application of information technology that is critical to supporting operational knowledge in managing health care delivery organizations. Health care decision-makers have to meet head-on the dynamic challenges of health care delivery quality, cost, access, and regulatory control. This course integrates healthcare information systems as integral to quality initiatives including measurement of systems inputs, processes, and outputs with special emphasis on systems outcomes research and organizational accountability to various stakeholders, not the least of which is government regulators.

A structured mentorship experience connecting MHA students with health care leaders and administrators. Students meet monthly to explore career development, professional networking, and the practical realities of health system leadership. Attendance is expected as part of the MHA program experience.

Human resource management in health organizations and the relationship between HR, organizational strategy, and organizational behavior is the focus of this course. We will analyze human work behavior at the individual, interpersonal, team and organizational levels. Included are topics such as motivation, communication, group and team dynamics, leadership, decision-making, job and organization design, conflict management, organizational culture and identity, and organizational change. We will apply organizational behavior theory and explore the factors that affect behavior, performance, and job satisfaction of people working in organizations. The objectives of the course will be to understand the characteristics and processes of work organizations; to successfully develop management skills; to apply the skills of management and impact organizational behavior and performance.

A short, interactive workshop on the emotional intelligence skills that health care leaders rely on, including self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and relationship management. Students reflect on their own patterns and practice applying these skills to team and workplace situations.