Course Descriptions—Health Policy & Administration

HPA 400 - Principles of Management in Public Health (3 sh)

A detailed discussion of the conceptual and theoretical foundations to the principles of management with an emphasis on public health and health care settings. Prerequisite: Enrollment restricted to public health students; other graduate and professional students admitted by consent as space permits. To obtain consent, see the SPH registrar.

HPA 402 - Social Ethics and Public Health (3 sh)

Applications of ideas from philosophy, law, political science, and economics to analyze the ethical basis of public health policies and programs.

HPA 403 - U.S. Health Care System (3 sh)

Overview of the U.S. health care system, including its evolution, utilization patterns, providers - human, institutional and organizational, financing, regulating, evaluating, and reforming.

HPA 405 - Leadership in Public Health Practice (3 sh)

Same as CHSC 405. Utilizing public health core functions, this course explores leadership style and practice through case studies and techniques which enhance leadership development. Prerequisites: CHSC 400 and consent of the instructor.

HPA 407 – Foundations of Emergency Management in Business Continuity Planning (3 SH)

Designed to provide the student with the core public health and emergency management practices and principles to prepare for and execute emergency management and business continuity planning and operations. Prerequisite(s): Graduate or professional standing and approval of the department.

HPA 410 - Health Organizational Leadership (3 sh)

Examines the roles, responsibilities, and impact of leaders of organizations in the health industry.  Critical structures and techniques of effective organizational leaders are taught.

HPA 417 - Quality Management in Health Services (3 sh)

Surveys development of quality management and theoretical basics and diverse perspectives of quality management and regulation. Presents relevant research and management methodologies.

HPA 429 - Introduction to Health Services Research (2 sh)

Introduction to health services research using classic studies and current trends which examine access, cost, quality, and organization of health care. Prerequisite: HPA 400.

HPA 430 - Introduction to Public Health Policy Analysis (3 sh)

Identifies and discusses health status as a function of public policy, policymaking to improve the public's health, and current health policy topics and methodology.

HPA 431 - Law and Public Health (3 sh)

Surveys basic concepts and content in major areas of health law; explains the sources of legal authority; and develops familiarity with legal language and thinking.

HPA 432 - Public Health Advocacy (3 sh)

Examination of the courts, government agencies, legislatures, and public opinion, and an analysis of their decision making; planning an advocacy campaign using strategic analysis.

HPA 434 - Law and the Health Care System (3 sh)

Survey of legal topics important to the management of health care organizations. They include: relationships among the parties involved in the delivery of health care and the law of business organizations. Prerequisite: Graduate or professional standing; and approval of the department.

HPA 437 - Health Care Data (3 sh)

Same as BHIS 437. Review of data types in a health care information system. How data is transformed into information and then again transformed  into knowledge through integrated computer systems. Prerequisites: Graduate standing; and consent of the instructor.

HPA 441 - Strategic Management (3 sh)

Introduction to strategic analysis for healthcare organizations. Topics include: Health care competition, entrepreneurship, technology and innovation, multi-constituent environment, and human resources. Prerequisites: Graduate standing; and approval of the department.

HPA 444 - Health Care Budgeting and Strategic Planning (3 sh)

Budgeting systems in health care; budgeting techniques, flexible budgeting, cost behavior and forecasting, revenue and expense analysis; strategic planning in health care agencies; continuous quality improvement.

HPA 451 - Health Care Finance (3 sh)

Examines practical aspects of finance in health care and recent developments in financial management of health care organizations, and applications of financial management techniques to specific problems facing health care managers. Prerequisites: Graduate or professional standing; and approval of the department.

HPA 460 - Introduction to the Economics of Health and Healthcare (2 sh)

Introduces principles of economic analysis, with examples from public health and medical care. Examines how consumers and companies decide what to buy or sell, why markets determine a product's price, and when public intervention improves welfare. Prerequisite: None.

HPA 463 - Managerial Health Economics (3 sh)

Uses managerial economics to study the health care system: demand for medical services; role of health insurance; productivity/cost measurement; labor markets and competition. Prerequisite: HPA 400 or consent of the instructor.

HPA 465 - Health Information and Decision Support Systems (4 sh)

Introduction to computer-assisted management information and decision systems in health organizations; analysis and design of databases; data and information flow; reports and uses of microcomputers.

HPA 470 - Quantitative Methods for Healthcare Managers (2 sh)

This course will build on basic statistical skills, teaching other quantitative methods within the context of specific decision-making issues encountered by healthcare managers and leaders. Prerequisite: BSTT 400; and approval of the department.

HPA 481 - Development of Public Health Surveillance Information Systems (3 sh)

Examination of the process and methods of designing and evaluating public health information surveillance systems. Prerequisite: HPA 465.

HPA 490 - Topics in Healthcare Leadership (1 sh)

This course will provide students with a series of explorations of various leadership specialty areas within the delivery of healthcare. The specific demands and skill of each will be covered. Prerequisite: Approval of the Department.

HPA 494 - Introductory Special Topics in Health Policy and Administration (1 to 4 sh)

Introductory topics in health administration, policy analysis, health care financing, and cost-effectiveness evaluation. Topics vary by semesters.

HPA 495 - MHA Preceptorship (1 to 3 hours)

May be repeated for a maximum of 6 hours of credit. Preceptor-guided field experience in health administration designed to promote critical thinking and problem solving skills, and application of management knowledge and skills in a practice setting. Prerequisites: Graduate or professional standing; and approval of the department.

HPA 496 - MHA Capstone (1 sh)

Individual, integrative product in health administration designed to demonstrate student's mastery of health administration concepts and skills, including information access, synthesis and use in critical thinking. Prerequisite(s): Graduate or professional standing and approval of the department.

HPA 497 – Integrative Project in Emergency Management (2 sh)

Independent investigation that draws upon the professional experience and knowledge synthesis of the student. Students investigate a topic/problem in their field and write an article.

HPA 510 - Health Care Information Systems I (4 sh)

Same as BHIS 510. Examination, through case studies, group and class discussions, and problem-based learning, of the effective utilization of information technology applications currently in place and on the horizon in health care organizations. Prerequisites: Graduate standing; and consent of the instructor.

HPA 511 - Organization Theory Applied to Health Programs (3 sh)

Classical and modern organization theories applied to health programs. Includes organization structure and goals, management functions and processes, and managerial controls and evaluation. Prerequisite: HPA 400 or consent of the instructor.

HPA 512 - Ethics in Clinical Research (1 sh)

Same as MHPE 512.  Survey of key ethical issues involved in conducting research with human subjects, including informed consent, confidentiality, access and equity. Extensive computer use required. Requires completion of an online course in human subjects research, to be supplemented by classroom discussion of the topics raised in that course and others. Prerequisite(s): Approval of the department. Students must be enrolled in the Master of Science in Public Health program.

HPA 516 - Health Personnel Management (3 sh)

Health personnel policies and programs, human resources requirements, recruitment, development, performance appraisal, salary and wage administration, and management/labor relations in the health industry. Prerequisites: HPA 400 and consent of the instructor.

HPA 520 - Management of Health Care Communication Systems (4 sh)

Same as BHIS 515. Examination and management of data communications in and between health care facilities including examination of issues, standards, technologies, and system configurations. Prerequisites: BHIS 510 or HPA 510; and graduate standing; and consent of the instructor.

HPA 522 - Public Health Research Design and Methods (3 sh)

Graduate level quantitative research methods course. Utilizes social science research methods with an emphasis on experimental and quasi-experimental research designs in the study of methodologically sound public health research investigations. Prerequisites: BSTT 400; and graduate standing.

HPA 525 - Population Based Healthcare Services Planning (3 sh)

Examines the roles that health care delivery organizations can play, and methodologies used, in developing programs specific to the needs of the community they serve. Prerequisite(s): HPA 403 and HPA 410 and HPA 495.

HPA 527 - Critical Issues in Long-Term Care Policy (3 sh)

Same as CHSC 527. Long-term care organization, financing, delivery, utilization, and policy, emphasizing affordability, access, and quality in a managed care environment. Prerequisites: CHSC 400 and 425 or consent of the instructor.

HPA 531 - Health Information Systems Analysis and Design (4 sh)

Same as BHIS 520. A project course applying systems analysis and design theory to health care systems evaluation, modeling and implementation. Prerequisites: BHIS 510 or HPA 510; and graduate standing; and consent of the instructor.

HPA 534 - Research Design and Grant Writing (2 sh)

Same as MHPE 534. Introduction to the skills necessary to plan a research project and write a research grant proposal using a systematic approach. Prerequisite(s): Graduate or professional standing; and approval of the department.

HPA 535 - Translating Research into Practice (3 sh)

Same as MHPE 535. Current theory and practical reality related to the adoption and use of new scientific findings in patient care. The influence of research on public policy. Extensive computer use required. Prerequisite(s): Graduate or professional standing; and approval of the department.

HPA 540 - Social and Organizational Issues in Health Informatics (4 sh)

Same BHIS 525. Examines the impact of information systems on the health care organization and applies theory through case study analysis. Prerequisites: BHIS 510; and BHIS 515 or BHIS 520 or BHIS 530; and graduate standing; or consent of the instructor.

HPA 550 - Topics in Health Informatics (4 sh)

Same as BHIS 530.  Current theories and methods in health informatics. Prerequisites: BHIS 510 or HPA 510; and BHIS 515 or BHIS 520 or BHIS 525 or HPA 520 or HPA 531 or HPA 540; and graduate standing; and consent of the instructor.

HPA 551 - Marketing Health Programs (3 sh)

Concepts of marketing as a management tool; application of marketing to health care: the marketing process, marketing resources, and strategies for accomplishing marketing objectives. Prerequisite: HPA 400 or MKTG 563 or consent of the instructor.

HPA 556 - U.S. Mental Health Policy (2 sh)

Public policies which have supported the U.S. mental health service system from 1946 to the present. Theory, development, and evaluation of mental health policy in the U.S. Prerequisites: HPA 400 and HPA 430, and either EPID 400 or BSTT 400.

HPA 557 - Measurement in Health Services Research (3 sh)

Presents measurement, reliability and validity theory, and assessment using correlation, internal consistency, factor analysis, and others. Application in developing, analyzing, and reporting behavioral and/or organizational measures. Prerequisites: BSTT 400 and 401 or consent of the instructor.

HPA 563 - Web-based Public Health Information Systems (4 sh)

This is an on-line course. Examination of web based applications in public health practice and factors in the design of web based public health education and database systems. Prerequisites: HPA 465; and graduate or professional standing. Consent of the instructor mandatory. Unless otherwise permitted, limited to students in the public health informatics track of HPA.

HPA 564 - Geographic Information System Application in Public Health (3 sh)

Same as EOHS 564. This is an on-line course. Examination of GIS applications in Public Health and the process of designing a GIS-based public health investigation. Prerequisites: BSTT 400 and HPA 465; and graduate or professional standing; and consent of the instructor.

HPA 565 - Datamining Applications in Public Health (3 sh)

Same as EOHS 565. This course presents the key public health information system sources, describes the process of datamining and introduces the student to a sample of datamining techniques. Prerequisites: BSTT 400; and graduate or professional standing.

HPA 573 - Principles of Economic Evaluations of Health Care Interventions (3 sh)

Same as PMAD 573. Principles, models and practical methods for the economic evaluation of health care services with an emphasis on pharmaceutical care. Prerequisites: HPA 460; and graduate standing; and consent of the instructor.

HPA 590 - Grant Writing (1 sh)

Students will learn how to write a grant application through the guidance of a mentoring committee. They will formulate a research proposal which will be presented to a panel of researchers who will critique the proposed study.

HPA 594 - Advanced Special Topics in Health Policy and Administration (1 to 4 sh)

Advanced topics in health administration, policy analysis, health care financing, cost-effectiveness evaluation. Topics vary by semester. Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor.