School of Health Professions 2024 - 2025 Catalog

Graduate Certificate in Health Systems Policy and Management (CRHS)

Program Description

A Graduate Certificate in Health Systems Policy and Management (CRHS) is available for working professionals who would like to expand their knowledge and further their education in health systems policy and management without pursuing a full graduate degree in healthcare administration. It is a flexible, 100% online, 12-semester hour program, provided in an accelerated 8-week format. 

Up to two courses that meet the academic requirements are eligible to transfer in the Master of Science in Healthcare Administration program should you choose to continue on towards the MSHA graduate degree. 

Admission to the Program

The CRHS certificate program begins three times a year, in the Summer, Fall and Spring. The application period will open on January 1st for Summer, March 1st for Fall, and August 1st for Spring. The deadline for the receipt of the application, supporting documentation, and application fee is April 1st for Summer, July 1st for Fall and December 1st for Spring.

Application Process

To be considered for admission, applicants must have one of the following qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7.

The following are considered in the admissions process:

  • All official college transcripts
  • Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7

It is in the best interest of the applicant to apply as early as possible. Applicants should understand that fulfillment of the basic requirements does not guarantee admission.

CRHS Curriculum

Students admitted to the CRHS program will be required to complete 12 semester hours with passing grades and a cumulative GPA of 2.7 or better to meet the certificate requirements.


REQUIRED COURSES
HPHC 5310      Health Law & Ethics
HPHC 5312      Strategic Planning & Marketing in Healthcare
HPHC 5313      Healthcare Economics & Policy


ELECTIVES*
HPHC 5306      Healthcare Delivery System
HPHC 5321      Healthcare Operations & Supply Chain Management
HPHC 5318     Organizational Behavior in Healthcare 
HPHC 5320     Health Insurance & Reimbursement 
HPHC 5323     Healthcare Business Innovation and Entrepreneurship
*Students must complete one of the electives.


This certificate is not open to MSHA graduates. This certificate is a distillation of the MSHA curriculum. Therefore, the MSHA degree supersedes it in prestige and knowledge base.

CRHS graduates may enroll into the MSHA program. They may transfer two core courses from the Certificate Program into the MSHA program. They will need to take additional electives within the MSHA program to make up for each of the core courses (over 2) that they've taken within the certificate program. 

  • HPHC 5302 Medical Sociology (3:3:0,O)

    This course provides an introduction to central topics in the sociology of medicine, health, and illness. Topics include but are not limited to: epidemiology, history of medicine in the West, public health, the social stratification of illness, the medical profession, and health care provision, access and delivery. In exploring these topics, emphasis will be placed on how socio-economic factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, race, and financial status affect health care.

  • HPHC 5306 Healthcare Delivery System (3:3:0,O)

    This course provides an introduction to healthcare services, offering students an overview of the U.S. healthcare delivery system and the important components of the system. The course will examine the healthcare delivery system broadly and explore contemporary issues affecting the institutions that provide healthcare and are designed to protect the health of the American public. The course will cover the historical development of the U.S. healthcare system, the changing roles of healthcare providers, major health programs, determinants of health, disparities in health, and healthcare finance. The goal of the course is to provide students with the necessary skills to be effective participants in efforts to improve the U.S. healthcare system.

  • HPHC 5310 Health Law and Ethics (3:3:0,O)

    This course provides an overview of legal, regulatory, and ethical issues in healthcare. Topics include patient consent, privacy, confidentiality, torts, contract law, corporate liability, malpractice, antitrust, fraud and abuse, and key federal regulations. Students will analyze and discuss legal and ethical considerations in providing health services and learn to apply these considerations in decision making as a healthcare administrator.

  • HPHC 5312 Strategic Planning and Marketing in Healthcare (3:3:0,O)

    The purpose of this class is to integrate key aspects of strategic planning and marketing in healthcare. The class examines strategic planning techniques, concepts, and practices, as well as leadership responsibilities regarding the creation of mission, vision, goals, and objective statements. The course integrates marketing with strategic planning such that the key elements of marketing and the complementary roles of public relations, advertising and sales are captured in the organizational analysis.

  • HPHC 5313 Healthcare Economics and Policy (3:3:0,O)

    The course introduces the concepts of economic theory and analysis within the health services industry focusing on healthcare consumption, supply and demand, healthcare resource allocation, and the impact of health policy on the delivery of healthcare in the U.S.

  • HPHC 5318 Organizational Behavior in Healthcare (3:3:0,O)

    The purpose of this course is to help students gain an appreciation of the theory of organizations and how this theory shapes the way healthcare administrators come to think about their administrative responsibilities and the range of options available to them through the literature. Understanding the attitudes and behaviors of individuals and groups in healthcare organizations will also be emphasized. Students will learn about organizational strategy that draws from and integrates a number of disciplines, including organization theory, finance, planning, and marketing. Course concepts will be applied in a series of cases.

  • HPHC 5321 Healthcare Operations and Supply Chain Management (3:3:0,O)

    This course examines operational issues in healthcare management. Healthcare operations topics include systems analysis, forecasting, facility location and design models, decision analysis techniques, inventory control, CQI and statistical quality control. The course also integrates key components of supply chain management, including strategic sourcing and purchasing, acquisition, logistics, inventory management, and point of use applications, providing understanding, knowledge and evaluation models to operate and manage an organization's enterprise resource planning and management system.