Curriculum
The MHSc Program was conceived to meet the needs of practicing health care professionals who felt they needed graduate education to advance professionally. Being that our student population generally has broad and varied health care (clinical) experience; the curriculum includes courses that would improve their understanding of issues of leadership and management within the industry. Specifically the curriculum includes courses in research (within the context of evidence-based practice), leadership, ethics, policy analysis, management, and evidenced-based program development. These comprise the required courses in the MHSc Program. The elective courses provide students with some choice in terms of the topics they wish to study. Our elective courses include an Introduction and Advanced Pharmacology courses, Issues in Clinical Practice (which examine current trends in health care), Practicum for the Underserved (immersing oneself in a population or setting and learning about it and the clients it serves), Special Topics which presently studies alternative medicine, and Diversity in Health Care. Additional elective options are in development to provide more choices for our students. It is of interest that in the last year, we have had more and more traditional graduate students enroll in the program. We are studying these student’s needs and what implications they may have on our curriculum.
We strongly encourage students to enroll in Research Methodologies as their first course, or at least, one of their very first courses. This course provides many fundamentals that are utilized in the subsequent courses. Clinical Residency Project is our capstone course, and it should be one of the last courses in which students enroll. Advanced Pharmacology is the only course within our curriculum which has a prerequisite requirement (all other courses can be taken as they suit the student’s schedule). Students must have successfully completed MHS 506, Introduction to Pharmacology, or, if they have a pharmacology background, must secure permission from the instructor before they enroll.
For more information on each of the MHSc courses, please visit our University Catalog on our website http://www.francis.edu/Catalog.htm.
30 credit curriculum Core Curriculum - 18 credits
*Students must complete all 18 credits within the core curriculum | Electives- 12 credits
*Students may choose which electives they would like to complete for a total of 12 credits |
Core Curriculum (18 credits)
MHS 503 Research Methodology (3 credits) MHS 505 Ethical Issues in Practice (2 credits) MHS 508 Health Care Systems Management (3 credits) MHS 515 Leadership (3 credits) MHS 513 Clinical Residency Project (4 credits) MHS 518 Strategies in Health Policy (3 credits) |
Electives (12 credits)
MHS 504 Issues in Clinical Practice (3 credits) MHS 506 Introduction to Pharmacology (3 credits) MHS 507 Advanced Pharmacology (3 credits) MHS 509 Communication for Health Care Professionals (3 credits) MHS 510 Practicum for Underserved (3 credits) MHS 516 Special Topics (3 credits) MHS 520 Diversity in Health Care (3credits) |
Up to six (6) advanced level health science credits may be transferred into the MHSc Program for credit toward your degree. Students must submit a written request to have a course transferred, as well as course syllabus and transcripts verifying course completion. All requests will be evaluated by the MHSc Director.
Course Descriptions
MHS 503 - Research Methodology
(3 credits) | Typically the first course of the MHS curriculum, this course will teach students how to construct a quality research question, mine databases for research articles, interpret and assimilate research. This course also introduces students to the APA writing format required for the remainder of the program. |
MHS 504 - Issues in Clinical Practice
(3 credits) | This course will examine contemporary health care issues and practices. The content will change on a regular basis to reflect timely concerns. The content of the course will equip students to engage in dialogue with other providers and administrators related to current and evolving health care issues. |
MHS 505 - Ethical Issues in Practice
(2 credits) | This course will provide the student the opportunity to learn a structured approach in understanding the relationships between important ethical schools of thought and developing and ethical thinking process.
The purpose of this course is to provide the master’s level student with information and guidance to understand the principals of bioethics and how to make appropriate decisions in those difficult situations that require insight in ethical decision making. |
MHS 506 - Introduction to Pharmacology
(3 credits) | This course will provide an introduction to the fundamental principles of pharmacological science. Major classes of medications will be identified and include instruction on mode of action, indications for use, side effects, and administration. This course will serve as a prerequisite for MHS 507 for students without previous pharmacology background or experience. |
MHS 507 - Advanced Pharmacology
(3 credits) | This course is designed to update the student on the latest approaches to pharmacotherapeutics as well as provide timely information on the pharmacological industry. Pharmacological management approaches to various disease processes will be addressed including prescriptive therapy based on current clinical guidelines. |
MHS 508 - Health Care Systems Management
(3 credits) | This course is intended to give the student an overview of the organization, governance, and operation of the U.S. Healthcare system. Evaluation of the U.S. healthcare system will include operational management and marketing; legal and regulatory issues; and the role of information technology to promote an integrated healthcare system in the United States. |
MHS 509- Communication for Healthcare Professionals
(3 credits) | This course examines communication within the settings, roles, and issues relating to health care professionals. Through the examination of theoretical frameworks and communication techniques, emphasis will be placed on the roles of communication in health, health and risk behavior, health care, and health promotion including interpersonal, organizational, and media contexts. |
MHS 510 - Practicum for Underserved Populations
(3 credits) | This course provides the opportunity for an experiential or research experience focusing on underserved populations. Students will explore the health related disparities within these populations including the cultural, ethnic, psychosocial, and economic factors influencing them. Students will be required to apply knowledge and skills gained from other MHS coursework to address the needs of the underserved populations. |
MHS 513 - Clinical Residency Project
(4 credits) | This is the master’s capstone project providing the opportunity for students to build a body of knowledge in a specific medical discipline through preparation and development of an evidence-based project. The project will require students to identify an unmet need related to the health and wellness of an identified community and develop a project or program that could improve health related outcomes within that community. |
MHS 515 - Leadership (3 credits) | Contemporary practice environments are characterized by rapid change requiring effective charismatic leaders to guide others through these changes. This course examines the dynamic nature of leadership within the context of healthcare and will require students to reflect on personal leadership characteristics, examine theories of leadership, and apply these theories to varied practice and community contexts. In the Franciscan tradition, humble service to others will be identified as a critical component of effective leadership. |
MHS 516 - Special Topics
(3 credits) | This course is intended to provide students with a general overview of traditional (Western) and non-traditional (Complementary and Alternative) health care/medical interventions and care service delivery. The course will focus on comparing and contrasting biomedicine to CAMs on numerous levels and examine the evidence supporting the use of CAMs. |
MHS 518 - Strategies in Health Policy
(3 credits) | Healthcare in the United States is organized, modified, and implemented based on policy decisions. This course will teach students a method of critically analyzing various health policies and require students to identify the benefits and risks related to various policy mandates. Creative solutions will also be sought for today’s most interesting healthcare policy scenarios. |
MHS 520 - Diversity in Healthcare
(3 credits) | With an understanding of the growing cultural diversity in the United States, this course focuses on preparing students in health professions to become culturally competent individuals. Students will understand the need for cultural competence within health care, will analyze their own cultural identity, will understand prevalent cultural groups and influences on medical interactions, and will develop communication skills necessary for interaction with minority populations in health care. |