University College | Arts & Sciences

The Master of Health Science Program in Health Care Services (HCS) is an interdisciplinary program sponsored jointly by Washington University's School of Medicine, Department of Psychology and University College. This 30-credit-unit graduate degree program aims to produce professionals competent in the development and evaluation of health care services, across a variety of settings.

The HCS program focuses on the importance of coordinated care services focusing on nonacute and preventive care delivered to diverse individuals and communities. The program addresses all recommendations of the PEW Commission: Practitioner Competencies for the Year 2005.

The Master of Health Science degree can be pursued on a part-time basis with most courses held during the evening hours to accommodate working professionals. Students may select electives from various departments and divisions of the University (education, health administration, human resources management, psychology, social work, etc.).

Based on their studies as well as previous experience, students might pursue a variety of career opportunities:

• Director of Continuous Quality Improvement
• Director of Managed Care
• Program Development Managers
• Program Coordinator of Clinical Services
• Management in various health care organizations
• Management of research in government or university settings
• Faculty in professional programs
• Health educator in a variety of settings (community, worksite, schools)
  

Core Courses (18 credit units)

All core courses must be completed at Washington University.
Academic Standing: It is the policy of the Graduate School at Washington University that students must maintain a grade point average of 3.0. In addition, it is the policy of the Health Care Services program that students must receive a grade of "B-" or better in all Health Care Services core courses (with the exception of the first two courses taken whereby students must receive a "B" or better).

U88-HCS 514 Health Behavior (3 units)
Focuses on analysis and application of behavior theories to health education and health promotion. Examines personal, family, and sociocultural factors that influence health behavior. Addresses lifestyle issues related to behavior change and adherence.

U88-HCS 516 Seminar in Interpersonal Communication and Group Dynamics in Health Care (3 units)
Exploration of theoretical frameworks in the field of communication. Provides advanced study and practical application of these principles to enhance professional communication in various health care settings. Topics include supportive communication, creative problem solving, effective oral presentation, persuasion, meeting management, and group process.

U88-HCS 524 Foundations of Health Care Research (3 units)
An introduction to the scientific methods of investigation. Focuses on methods of inquiry, research design, and techniques of data collection. An overview of data analysis and presentation is included. Prerequisite: introductory statistics (400-level or above).

U88-HCS 532 Principles of Management Health Care Services (3 units)
This course enables students to explore the theoretical framework and practical application of classic management principles so that they can function effectively in a variety of organizational settings in the provision of healthcare services. Topics include the management process; managerial decision making and planning; negotiation skills; organization design; and leadership.

U88-HCS 536 Health Education: Methods, Planning and Evaluation (3 units)
Basic concepts of learning theory as they relate to health behavior. Students become familiar with the teaching/learning process, teaching methods, and selection of appropriate evaluation strategies.

U88-HCS 582 Evaluation of Health Service Programs (3 units)
Emphasizes practical and scientific application of evaluation theory to health service programs. Includes evaluation design, interpretation, and utilization of findings.

Electives (12 credit units)

In addition to the core courses, students must select 12 units of elective course work from the HCS curriculum and/or from other departments and divisions of the University. Elective courses not offered by our program must be presented to the student's advisor or Associate Director in order to be evaluated for approval. Courses taken without consent are in jeopardy of being disallowed as counting towards graduation from the HCS program. A grade of “C” or better must be obtained in all elective courses.

U88-HCS 512A Counseling Skills for Health Care Professionals (3 units)
Counseling skills necessary to promote self-care behaviors in individuals including techniques for adapting communication style to cultural needs and developmental differences. Methods for incorporating family members and significant others into the counseling process will be addressed. Self-evaluation of counseling techniques will be facilitated by videotaping practice sessions.

U88-HCS 523 Introduction to Statistics for the Health Sciences (3 units)
Survey of basic descriptive and inferential statistics through multiple linear regressions. Course will include discussion of statistical techniques used in the health services. Computers will be used to analyze data from pertinent studies.

U88-HCS 539 Race, Ethnicity, and Health (3 units)
This course explores how membership in a diverse/special group can impact health and health care, including health care services and policies governing these services. Students are encouraged to give critical thought to the question of what it means to deliver culturally competent care. The goal of this course is to understand what it means to create environments (social and otherwise) that help to make individuals and communities healthy.

U88-HCS 540 Community Health Promotion (3 units)
Concepts in health promotion including community assessment, resource identification, intervention strategies and evaluation. State and national interventions for lifestyle change and model school and worksite programs are discussed.

U88-HCS 546 Health and Aging (3 units)
Explores various aspects of health and illness in later life. Uses current literature in the areas of social gerontology, psychology of aging, health promotion, and health behavior to provide a multidisciplinary perspective. Cross listed with HRM 546 (Human Resources Management).

U88-HCS 562 Leadership and Change in Health Care Services (3 units)
This course enables students to engage in the advanced study of leadership, integrating theory, research, and application in a diagnostic approach. Leadership skills for managing planned organizational change are developed through group discussions, class exercises, case studies, and the application of organizational approaches to change and innovation. Topics include personal effectiveness, team building, and creating learning environments in organizations.

U88-HCS 588 Epidemiology for Clinical Research (3 units)
This course enables students to gain an understanding of the concepts of epidemiology to help solve and understand clinical issues and to understand the medical literature about these issues. This course consists of 1) the discussion of theoretical concepts related to the application of epidemiology in clinical research, and 2) practical applications of the concepts covered. Classes include presentations of concepts and their applications, as well as in-class discussions of journal articles and exercises.

Graduation Requirements

The Health Care Services program leads to the Master of Health Science degree, awarded by University College, the evening division of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences of Washington University. Students are required to complete 30 units of graduate-level course work (400-level and above) at Washington University with a minimum 3.0 grade-point average. All core courses of the Health Care Services program must be completed at Washington University. Up to 6 units of related graduate-level course work may be transferred as elective course work from another university with the approval of the Associate Director.

Transfer Credit

• A course that has been applied toward another degree is not ordinarily accepted for transfer credit.
• A course which contains content similar to a core course or an elective that has been completed will not ordinarily be accepted for transfer credit.
• A course in principles, theory, history, or philosophy that is older than 10 years at the time of the request for transfer credits will not ordinarily be accepted. Other courses that address content that is no longer current at the time of the request for transfer credits will not be accepted.
• To have the statistics prerequisite for HCS 524 Foundations of Health Care Research waived or to transfer an introductory statistics course of 400 level or higher into the program, students must take and pass a brief screening test that gauges mastery of basic statistical concepts. One hour is allotted for the test, and it is administered closed book. Students may take the test only once. A score of 70 percent or higher will be considered meeting the prerequisite requirement for HCS 524. Students who receive a score below 70 percent will be expected to take HCS 523 Introduction to Statistics for the Health Sciences before enrolling in HCS 524 (7/02).

For a printable Application for Admission to a Graduate Degree Program form, press here. For more information, contact Irene Fischer at (314) 286-1916, or E-mail IFischer@im.wustl.edu.

Click here for information on the Washington University Medical School's post-doctoral K30 Mentored Training Program in Clinical Investigation (MTPCI).