Dual Enrollment: Master of Health Services Administration and Master of Public Health

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Distance Learning

Program Overview

The Chicago School offers a unique dual enrollment program for students who are interested in both health administration and public health. This program takes advantage of the many areas of overlap between each programs curriculum and allows students to receive both degrees upon completion of 69 credit hours.

The student will receive a Master of Health Services Administration (MHSA) and a Master in Public Health (MPH).

The MHSA/MPH dual enrollment program offers a distinctive educational experience. The program provides students with the opportunity to learn organizational and analytical skills and strategies to provide solutions to the complex issues surrounding health care and public health sectors through a diverse, interprofessional, and ethical approach. 

Program Learning Outcomes 

Master of Health Services Administration

Upon successful completion of this program students will be able to:

Professional Practice

• Have knowledge of the healthcare system and administrative/management roles in in health services.
• Successfully negotiate the challenges between business practices and evidence based findings in health services administration.
• Combine leadership skills, logic, initiative, and innovation to prepare for organizational transformation.

Diversity

• Evaluate the impact of diversity issues on individuals and society and demonstrate awareness and competence while working with diverse populations.

Professional Behavior

• Apply oral and written communication skills through collaboration and relationship management.
• Recognize and assess self-development, problem solving skills, and self-reflection in service.
• Operate with integrity, accountability and achievement orientation by practicing from a code of ethics and professional values and beliefs.

Scholarship

• Select and use statistical and financial data to monitor and drive organizational success, financial health, payment processes, and to support decision making.
• Analyze and design organizational processes, develop solutions and best practices.

Master of Public Health

Upon successful completion of this program students will be able to:

Professional Practice

• Compare and contrast the structure, function, and organization of public health and healthcare systems in the United States and globally; and apply systems thinking tools to understand public health issues.
• Identify public health needs, design and execute interventions to promote, preserve and protect the communities’ health. 
• Assess the impact of public health programs, ensuring community partnerships are built and sustained in the process.
• Apply principles and practices of ethics, leadership, and management to empower stakeholders as they collaborate throughout the process of evidence based decision making to improve health behaviors and outcomes.

Diversity

• Drawing from the literature on the social determinants of health, students will create culturally competent solutions for public health concerns keeping in mind the cultural norms, values and practices of diverse populations, as well as the inequities experienced by those groups.     
• Advocate for policies, and programs whose goals include improving health outcomes and health equity among diverse communities.

Professional Behavior

• Determine appropriate communication strategies and modalities to communicate public health content based on need of the audience and environment.      
• Public health professionals will engage ethically and professionally with the communities they serve and on interprofessional teams.

Scholarship

• Apply epidemiological methods that use both quantitative and qualitative research methods to examine public health challenges and utilize tools and techniques of biostatistics, informatics, computer programming to interpret findings that inform further research, policy and practice.      
• Evaluate the public health impact of policy and understand the process associated with policy-making.

Admission Requirements

The Chicago School is not currently enrolling new students in this program.

For information on where The Chicago School is currently authorized, licensed, registered, exempt or not subject to approval, please visit https://www.thechicagoschool.edu/why-us/state-authorization/

Application to the MHSA/MPH Dual Enrollment Program is open to any person who has earned a bachelor’s degree from an institutionally accredited institution and who meets other entrance requirements.

Factors that are considered in admission to the MHSA/MPH Dual Enrollment Program are:

Generally, an undergraduate GPA of a 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale is required for admission. Applicants must submit official transcripts from all schools where a degree was earned.

• Application fee: $50
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae
• Candidate interview
• Two-page personal statement/essay answering the following questions:

1. How will your personal and professional accomplishments, academic background, and experience contribute to your success in the MHSA/MPH Dual Enrollment Program?
2. How will the successful completion of the MHSA/MPH Dual Enrollment Program support your professional career goals

Applicant Notification

The Chicago School reviews applications on a rolling basis. Once review begins, complete applications will be considered by the Admission Committee and applicants will be notified regarding the admission decision. The Chicago School does not share information or provide any feedback regarding admission decisions.

If a student is offered admission and in order to secure a place in the incoming class, a non-refundable tuition deposit of $250 will be required by the deposit deadline indicated in the offer of admission. The non-refundable deposit will be applied in full toward the student’s tuition upon enrollment.

Policies

The following policies are located under Academic Policies and Procedures: Academic Calendar, Admissions Requirements, Attendance, Satisfactory Academic Progress, Service Learning, and Transfer Credit/Course Waiver. Click the link above for detailed information.

Fieldwork Requirements

Students will complete a minimum of 100 hours of fieldwork over a 15-week semester within the MPH curriculum. Through supervised field experience, students apply public health principles to real-world challenges.

Additionally, students will participate in two Practical Capstone courses within the MHSA curriculum, with each seminar course occurring over an eight-week term schedule.  The first, two-credit seminar course, requires a minimum 80 hours of fieldwork; the second one-credit seminar course requires a minimum of 20 hours of fieldwork.  In each seminar students conduct their fieldwork and also complete online course requirements related to fieldwork challenges and achievements, focusing specifically on the application of MHSA program principles to a health-services related work environment. Students registered in this program incur a one-time $195 Experiential Learning Technology Fee.

Degree Conferral

A student in the Dual Enrollment: Master of Health Services Administration and Master of Public Health program may earn a Master of Health Services Adminstration or a Master of Public Health following the successful completion of required coursework and specific program requirements. At the beginning of the semester in which a student expects to be eligible for the master’s degree, they are required to submit Petition for Degree Conferral to the Office of the Registrar. The petition is a request to conduct an audit to determine eligibility for the degree. A student who meets the requirements is eligible to participate in the next scheduled commencement. Eligibility guidelines are contained in the catalog under which the student was admitted. A student who files a Petition for Degree Conferral is charged a fee.