Graduate Credit Certificate Program
Dr. Janice L. Dreachslin
The School of Graduate Professional Studies
Penn State Great Valley
30 E. Swedesford Road
Malvern, PA 19355
Phone 610-648-3269
Fax 610-725-5224
E-Mail jld13@psu.edu
The School of Graduate Professional Studies at Penn State Great Valley offers a four-course (12-credit) Graduate Certificate program in Health Sector Management.
The program is designed to provide preparation for individuals who work or aspire to work in the health sector as administrators, managers, physicians, nurses, pharmaceutical representatives and scientists, and other health sector professionals. The program is designed to respond to the needs of professionals in health care provider organizations, third-party payors, biopharmaceutical organizations, and other organizations whose business is focused on the health sector including information technology, medical devices, benefits management, clinical research organizations, and consulting firms.
The curriculum emphasizes development of the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to understand and influence the dynamics of the health sector's business environment. The curriculum's broad focus considers business issues from the vantage points of multiple stakeholders to prepare students with a comprehensive understanding of the health sector. The program is designed to help students build a distinctive competence in health sector management that is relevant not only to managers and professionals employed by payor and provider organizations but also for those employed by biopharmaceutical, medical device, information technology, and other organizations that comprise the health sector. Required course work emphasizes the key dimensions of policy, financing, and organization in the health sector; critical analysis of current issues that health sector organizations face; as well as legal and ethical dimensions of decision making in the health sector. The cost, quality, access paradigm serves as an over-arching framework for study of current issues in the health sector including commercialization of biopharmaceuticals, information technology (IT) solutions, marketing, regulation, and quality improvement. Content is grounded in research and best demonstrated practice and is both theoretical and applied, with an emphasis on practical application of knowledge gained.
This certificate program is attractive to individuals who desire advanced education in health sector management but who do not wish to pursue a master's degree at this time, as well as those interested in pursuing specialized knowledge of health sector management concurrent with a graduate degree program. With program approval, the courses in this graduate certificate program may be applied to the Master of Business Administration program at Great Valley or, in the case of two courses in the certificate program (BUSAD 530 and BUSAD 534), to the Master of Leadership Development (MLD) program. This graduate certificate program also is valuable for individuals who already hold a master's degree and wish to update or expand their knowledge and skills.
Individuals wishing to enroll in this graduate certificate program must hold either (1) a bachelor's degree from a U.S. regionally accredited institution or (2) a postsecondary degree that is equivalent to a U.S. baccalaureate degree earned from an officially recognized degree-granting international institution. Applicants are expected to have achieved a 3.0 (B) or higher undergraduate grade point average. Applicants holding a master's degree or doctoral degree should have attained at least a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (B) in previous graduate work. Professional experience will be taken into consideration for admission.
Applicants should submit an online nondegree certificate application, available at http://www.gradsch.psu.edu/portal/gateway.html and the application fee (payable online), along with supporting credentials. Supporting credentials include two official transcripts from each undergraduate and graduate institution attended, a current resume, and a statement of intent or career objective. Supporting credentials should be sent directly to the Admissions Office at Penn State Great Valley, 30 East Swedesford Road, Malvern, PA 19355.
Admission decisions are made by a faculty committee and are based on the quality of the applicant's credentials in relation to those of other applicants. Evaluation criteria include professional and academic accomplishments. Upon approval, certificate program students will enroll in course work on a nondegree basis. Students must complete each course with a grade of B or better in order to receive the certificate. Note that admission as a nondegree graduate student neither guarantees nor implies subsequent admission to a degree program. Nondegree students are not eligible to receive fellowships or graduate assistantships.
With adviser approval, all four courses in the certificate may be applied to the Great Valley MBA, and two courses (BUSAD 530 and BUSAD 534) may be applied to the Great Valley Master of Leadership Development program.
International applicants should consult with a program adviser prior to applying for admission for more information about admission and enrollment requirements. International applicants must satisfy all Graduate School requirements for admission.
The graduate certificate program in health sector management requires a total of four 3-credit courses (12 graduate credits) as outlined below. One course is required (BUSAD 530), and three courses are electives selected from a list of four courses (BUSAD 534, 578, 835; H P A 836). Students completing each of the four 3-credit courses with a grade of B or better will be eligible to receive a graduate certificate.
Required Course (3 credits)
Business Administration (BUSAD)
530. Biotechnology and Health Industry Overview
Elective Courses (9 credits) (Choose 3 from the following 4 courses):
Business Administration (BUSAD)
534. Ethical Dimensions of Management in the Biotechnology and Health Industries
578. Managing Business Processes
835. Commercialization of Biopharmaceuticals
Health Policy and Administration (H P A)
836. Health Law
Graduate courses carry numbers from 500 to 599 and 800 to 899. Advanced undergraduate courses numbered between 400 and 499 may be used to meet some graduate degree requirements when taken by graduate students. Courses below the 400 level may not. A graduate student may register for or audit these courses in order to make up deficiencies or to fill in gaps in previous education but not to meet requirements for an advanced degree.
Effective Date: Spring Semester 2012
Expiration Date: Fall Semester 2016
Last Revised by the Department: Spring Semester 2012
Blue Sheet Item #: 40-05-139
Review Date: 02/21/2012