University Master "Health Management MSc"

Aims & Objectives

Aims:

This course is designed for health professionals or graduates with public health management experience who expect to move into senior and top management roles in a health system. The program is set primarily within the context of the public and national health services, but it is also relevant for managers of NGOs, and international organisations and of private hospitals. It is expected that students will be able to draw on their own knowledge of health management in class work and assignments, and applicants without any hospital experience will normally be expected to gain such experience before starting the program.

The course aims to develop the ability to think analytically and to handle the management and development issues faced by hospital senior and mid- level managers. These include structure and organisation, planning and managing resources, reviewing and evaluating services and understanding the local / national and international context of a health system.

Objectives:

In order to achieve the goals of the program, the following objectives were developed:

• To provide graduates with a sound understanding of complex public health systems across the world focusing on different health care systems
• To develop sector-specific management knowledge together with the technical and managerial skills to successfully pursue a career in the health sector
• To support the development of the next generation of senior managers and leaders in the health sector
• To support the development of a skill set to manage health entrepreneurship, innovation and change
• To enable students to acquire critical appraisal skills for evidence based decision-making

At the end of this program students should be able to:

• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding in the field of public health management, planning and policy-making in developing health systems with particular reference to governmental & NGO sectors;
• Identify, describe and critically analyse the major issues in management, planning and policy in the public health and health related sectors in developing countries;
• Identify and explain the context, challenges and opportunities involved in the formulation and implementation of health policy within the health systems of developing countries;
• Review types of policies, situations and issues in the field of public health management, planning and policy-making in developing country health systems;
• Apply knowledge and skills in selected areas of health management, planning and policy to local circumstances;
• Conform to accepted modes of professional behavior and work in a team in an appropriate role; build upon the concepts and methodologies developed during the program through completion of a dissertation;
• Evaluate economic activities whose primary purpose is to promote, restore or maintain health;
• Describe the role and apply selected techniques of health economics for financial planning
• Develop and use a methodology for managing and planning for a decentralised health system;
• Describe and use concepts of organisation and structure, methods of planning and managing resources, and systems for reviewing and evaluating services;
• Analyse and develop hospital service policies in the relevant local and national context;
• Undertake comparative study of national and international health policy and management issues;
• Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of good governance and professional ethics;
• Communicate effectively, work in groups, set priorities and manage workload effectively;
• Develop their capacity for independent learning and continuing professional development;
• Describe and critically analyse contemporary issues of public health sector reforms and their relevance to human resources development;
• Analyse contemporary approaches to health human resources management and develop a strategic approach to development for the public health sector;
• Construct a human resources development framework including the planning, training and management functions in health care;
• Conduct primary and secondary research in order to understand and develop evidence-based practice;
• Critically evaluate different training strategies and organise a training strategy for health personnel in a decentralised organisational structure;
• Describe and critique concepts of project appraisal, and design a framework for monitoring and evaluating a project or program;
• Describe and critique current concepts, models and theories of quality assurance;
• Construct a quality management policy for public health care institutions.
• Demonstrate an understanding of theories and practices of public sector organisations and their management and leadership;
• Demonstrate an understanding of theories and practices which underpin effective, efficient and equitable health policies and practices;
• Understand the role of management and leadership roles in public health;
• Possess conceptual understanding of management and leadership thinking that enables students to reflect on and evaluate critically both current research and its application to the practice of leadership in a public health context;
• Improve the understanding of management and leadership at the health workplace by research-informed teaching into practice;
• Introduce students to the main scientific disciplines that contribute to modern public health.

Didactic Organization

The Master’s course lasts 18 months corresponding to 90 ECTS credits structured in videolessons, seminars, exercises, conferences, tutoring activities, research activities and training periods.The Master’s course includes ten modules and a research dissertation. It has two specializations:

Specialization in International Health Management

Module 1
Principles of Health Management  - 6 ECTS

Module 2
Human Resources Management and Health Organizations - 6 ECTS

Module 3
Decision Making, Planning and Leadership- 6 ECTS

Module 4
National Health Systems and Health Policy - 6 ECTS

Module 5
Management of Health Organizations - 6 ECTS

Module 6
Financial and Economic Management of Health Organizations - 6 ECTS

Module 7
Information Technology in Health Systems - 6 ECTS

Module 8
Anthropology and Sociology of Health and Medical Care- 6 ECTS

Module 9
Ethical, Cultural and Behavioural Aspects of Health - 6 ECTS

Module 10
Socioeconomic Research in Health Services - 12 ECTS

Module 11
Dissertation - 24 ECTS

Specialization in Public Health Management

Module 1
Principles of Public Health - 6 ECTS

Module 2
Globalization and Public Health Challenges - 6 ECTS

Module 3
Decision Making, Planning and Leadership- 6 ECTS

Module 4
Public Health Systems and Public Health Policies - 6 ECTS

Module 5
Management of Health Organizations - 6 ECTS

Module 6
Financial and Economic Management of Health Organizations - 6 ECTS

Module 7
Information Technology in Health Systems - 6 ECTS

Module 8
Anthropology and Sociology of Health and Medical Care - 6 ECTS

Module 9
Ethical, Cultural and Behavioural Aspects of Health - 6 ECTS

Module 10
Research Methods - 12 ECTS

Module 11
Dissertation - 24 ECTS

Didactics

Didactic activity takes place through the Internet, in the “Master” section of the portal: www.uninettunouniversity.net, the first portal in the world where teaching is delivered in six languages: Italian, English, French, Arabic, Greek and Polish. The adopted psycho-pedagogic model implements the shift:

• from the central role of the teacher to that of the student;
• from the transmission of knowledge to the building of knowledge;
• from passive and competitive learning to active and collaborative learning.

The students play an active role in their learning progress and can study whenever and wherever they wish to. In the course of their learning, the students are guided by an online tutoring system, which is able to facilitate their learning and web-based communication process and to supply them with the tools to carry out their study of their particular subject successfully. The online tutoring is organised into classes of students, with an advanced agenda system that is able to recognize each individual and to obtain the tracking of didactic activities and the quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the learning process of each single student.

How to study

The didactic activity on the Internet unfold within the WEB macro-area known as the Didactic Cyberspace. In the Didactic Cyberspace the learning and developmental process is implemented and the access are differentiated through login and passwords on the basis of the three different roles of those who participate in the learning process: Professors, Tutors and Students. The three categories of those who utilize the service can access information linked to each teaching subject.

In particular, the Professor and Tutor can modify or substitute didactic materials and add new ones for the duration of the teaching period, while the student has his or her own area where data, information and personal notes can be inserted. The student can access:

• the Page of the Appointed Teaching Professor
• the Tutor Page.

Within these pages the Learning Environments are inserted and it is possible to access:

• Didactic Materials

They constitute the course contents: digitized video-lessons with bookmarks allow the hypertextual and multimedia link to books, selected bibliographical references, texts of the exercises, lists of selected websites. The system of dynamic bookmarks gives the Internet-based video-lessons a hyper-textual character allowing different levels of navigation: from one lesson to the other one, between the subjects of a single lesson, between the materials referring to the same subject.

• Distance Tutoring

The students enrolled in the Master’s course will be able to be followed during every step of their study path by the Telematic Professor-Tutor, who represents a guide as well as a constant presence during your Learning Process. The long distance Tutoring activities can be carried out in two ways:

• in a synchronic manner, by using the chat rooms, the videochat rooms, video and audio-conference systems activated in the Didactic Cyberspace, but also the three-dimensional classroom created on the UTIU Island of knowledge on Second Life.
• in a diachronic manner, through tools such as e mail and discussion forums on the Internet. The discussion forums, related to the topics of a given teaching subject, allow you to extend the dialogue and activate a collaborative learning and to organize your thoughts regarding the discussion topic and study activity that you are engaged in.
• The virtual classroom in UNINETTUNO Island of Knowledge on Second Life

In UNINETTUNO (International Telematic University) Island of Knowledge we realised a 3D Auditorium devoted to the Master’s course. This is where the students’ avatar and professors/tutors’ avatars interact in the three-dimensional world of UNINETTUNO by them voice. Practice works, assessment tests and videoconferences with the protagonists of the European Union attending through their avatars are carried out, as well as direct practice activities guided by the professors/tutors’ avatars. In the virtual classroom of Second Life on the UNINETTUNO Island of Knowledge the students and the professors/tutors teach and learn in a collaborative and cooperative way, they build and share knowledge with people belonging to different political, cultural and religious realities, they dialogue, cultural differences are compared, socialization processes are activated as well as the creation of new knowledge.

Assessment

For the completion of the Program successful evaluation of the 10 Academic Modules is required as well as in the Master's Dissertation. Students are assessed in the English language. More specifically, students are assessed as follows:

•       for each Academic Module:

• written assignment or assignments are required, that are marked by the module coordinator professor and graded with 10 as the highest mark. The assessment of the written assignments counts towards the 30% of the total final grade of each Academic Module. Written assignments are submitted electronically, via the personal special portal that each individual student has, on a specific date (special instructions are given during the course by the Professors, whereas overdue assignments are not accepted by the electronic system. In the case that students want to apply for an extension they have to submit a special request and justification well before the due date).
• written vis-à-vis / face-to-face examination which takes place in the premises of the University in Rome, or in a venue abroad arranged for the occasion by the University, or in one of the University Technological Poles abroad, or in the premises of Italian Embassies, or via monitored teleconferencing. The assessment of the assignments and of the written exams and the organisation of the exams is conducted exclusively by the Academic and Administrative staff of the University. In the following link there is a list of the University Technological Poles abroad: http://www.uninettunouniversity.net/en/politecnologicicomunic.aspx . The assessment of the written examination counts towards the 70% of the total final grade of each Academic Module.

In the case of unsuccessful evaluation the student has the right to repeat the examination. In the case of new unsuccessful evaluation he/she has to repeat the whole module.

Students cannot proceed to the last stage of their studies, the drafting of their Dissertation Thesis and the Final Examination, if previously they have not been successfully assessed in ALL the assignments and written exams.

•       for the Dissertation Thesis:

assessment of the Dissertation Thesis from the supervisors professors of the University.

•       for the Final Examination :

oral vis-à-vis / face-to-face viva examination of the Dissertation Thesis by the Committee of the University Professors that supervised and evaluated the dissertations and the Special Exam Commission. The Final Examination is conducted in English and takes place in Rome or in a venue abroad arranged for the occasion by the University, or in one of the University Technological Poles abroad, or in the premises of Italian Embassies, or via monitored teleconferencing. The Committee of the Professors and the Exam Commission apart from the evaluation of the oral dissertation examination / viva has the jurisdiction to ask questions for all the academic modules of the Program. After the Final Examination the Exam Commission ratifies the final grade of each student.

Entry Requirements

The Master of Science is aimed to prospective students that have a first degree or an equivalent recognized academic title. In addition, knowledge of the English language and Information Technology skills are required. Relevant professional experience is also desirable.

Credits awarded by previous studies could be transferred to the Program subject to approval by the Program’s Scientific and Academic Committee.

The International Telematic University UNINETTUNO holds a strict equal opportunity policy towards all prospective students.