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Master of Public Health: Healthcare Management Option

Develop the analytical, communication, strategic and financial expertise you need to positively impact public health strategy and policy with this online MPH program.

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Please Note: Test requirements for graduate applications have been temporarily waived. Learn more.

Earn Your MPH Online and Become a Public Health Leader

With UMass Lowell's Master of Public Health (MPH): Healthcare Management Option program, you will build the knowledge you need to effectively tackle new and existing technology, information systems, finance and management challenges facing our healthcare system at the local, national and regional level.

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No GRE Required

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Variety of Financial Aid and Scholarships Available
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Online Students Receive the Same Degree and Diploma as On-Campus Students
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By expanding your qualifications with an advanced public health education, you will position yourself for a rewarding public health career with this 42-credit post-BS MPH healthcare management program — which is well suited for those who hold an undergraduate degree in fields such as public health, psychology, biology, clinical laboratory sciences, nutrition and physical therapy.

Upon graduating from this program, you will be prepared to assume leadership positions in the vital and complex healthcare industry — especially at organizations that contribute to the public health of communities and populations.

Employment of medical and health services managers is projected to grow 32 percent through 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations. As the large baby-boom population ages and people remain active later in life, there should be increased demand for healthcare services.
—Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2020

Gain the Knowledge that Will Take Your Career in Public Health to New Heights

The MPH Healthcare Management Option will give you flexibility when pursuing a public health career and will prepare you to:

  • Develop, implement and evaluate public health initiatives
  • Assume "hands-on" management of public health programs and organizations
  • Provide leadership as a thoughtful, analytical and ethical manager within the public health community
  • Pursue epidemiology and public health research
  • Support increased efficiency, effectiveness and accountability within the public health sector

UMass Lowell's MPH healthcare management program covers a wide range of critical healthcare issues including law and ethics in healthcare, healthcare operations analysis and quality improvement, epidemiology and biostatistics, healthcare management and finance, environmental health, and healthcare information systems.

Open the Door to a Variety of Opportunities

Graduates of UMass Lowell's MPH Healthcare Management program have found exciting and meaningful public health careers at such places as:
  • Public sector organizations including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Government of Indonesia
  • Healthcare institutions such as Boston Medical Center, Partners Health Care, Lowell Community Health Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Tufts Medical Center
  • Private corporations such as Vinfen, Signify Health, Caduceus Healthcare, JSS Medical Research, SCM Insurance Services and Spring Street Exchange
  • Nonprofit organizations such as Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts Medical Society and The Bridge of Central Massachusetts

Look Forward to a Lucrative Career

The median annual wage for medical and health services managers was $100,980 in May 2019. The median annual wages for medical and health services managers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
Government $115,520
Hospitals (state, local and private) $110,4430
Outpatient Care Centers $95,320
Physician Offices $91,600
Nursing and Residential Care Facilities $86,820
—Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2020

One Success Leads to Another

Apply credits from lower credentials to higher ones. Our programs are designed to build upon themselves:

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Graduate Certificate Program in Health Service Management
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Master of Public Health: Healthcare Management Option

Curriculum Outline

- 14 Courses (42 Credits)
- Please note: Students are not required to complete program coursework in a specific sequence. This applies to both required and elective courses.

Required Courses (12 / 36cr)

Elective Courses* (Choose 2 / 6 Credits)

*Additional online electives not listed here can be taken with approval of an academic advisor or the Master of Public Health program director.

Program Requirements

To be recommended for a University of Massachusetts Lowell master's degree, candidates must satisfy all of the general requirements below, plus any additional requirements that may be required by the department through which the program is offered. Any additional requirements for this program are either listed below or may be found in the University's Graduate Program Catalog.

General Requirements:

  • Students must complete the program of study designed by the department in which he or she is enrolled and approved by the University.
  • Satisfactory grades in all subjects offered for the degree must be earned (See Academic Standing).
  • All financial obligations, including tuition, fees, and expenses, must be satisfied as evidenced by completion.
  • Upon completion of all their courses, graduate degree candidates must submit a signed Declaration of Intent to Graduate (DIG) form to the Registrar's Office.

Graduate Program Policies

In applying for a degree program or registering for courses, each student assumes full responsibility for knowledge of and compliance with the definitions, regulations and procedures of UMass Lowell as set forth on our website. For additional information, please refer to the Graduate Program Policies found within the UMass Lowell Graduate Catalog.

Course Descriptions

This course introduces core concepts of social and behavioral determinants of health and provides a foundation for the analysis of social, political and economic influences on health and their role in contributing to health inequities. The core functions of public health and essential services are discussed as well as the history of public health, its philosophy and values. Upstream and downstream reforms to addressing fundamental determinants are evaluated. The influence of behavioral and psychological factors on health and disease are analyzed. 3 credits.

This course reviews the organizational structure of healthcare facilities and the behavior of individuals within them. Students analyze the role of administration, human resources, providers and other support staff and apply organizational, behavioral, and social science practice and theory, to the operations of the healthcare organization. Comparison is made between healthcare and non-health care types of industry to highlight the unique characteristics of healthcare workers. An emphasis is also made on leadership styles, organizational culture, and change management within the healthcare organization. 3 credits.

The course provides students with a foundation of public health policy and related institutional knowledge required within public health. This course will survey and analyze the health care system in the United States, emphasizing the major issues and trends. 3 credits.

This course explores analytic methods that can be used to improve the decision making of management, clinicians and others within the healthcare industry. Students learn the conceptual foundations of quantitative analysis and common methods used in supporting decision-making; developing evidence-based practices; analyzing data and testing hypotheses. Students also learn how to use industry-standard data analysis software applications, statistical packages and common applications for the development and reporting of analytic findings. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

CSCE Graduate Restrictions

This environmental health course explores the links between human activities and environmental systems and examines how these interactions can impact human health. The course is designed to provide knowledge and skills necessary to understand how human and industrial activities such as population growth, methods of food production, pollution of the air and water, waste, the built environment, toxic substances, pest control, and global climate change can result in human diseases and impact the environment. Understanding the links between human activities and environmental systems is essential to developing effective prevention strategies and building sustainable communities. 3 credits.

The purpose of this course is to enhance the students' ability to effectively build and lead high-performing Public Health organizations. This course will integrate fundamental principles from the behavioral and social sciences to provide students with a coherent set of strategies and techniques to effectively collaborate with internal external stakeholders as well as to influence meaningful, sustainable change. This course will also provide students opportunities to self-reflect on their own leadership styles and develop growth plans. 3 credits.

Provides broad exposure to the concepts and practices of healthcare finance and healthcare financial management. Teaches a practical understanding of basic healthcare financial issues, financial reporting and analysis, and provider payment structures. The course enables students to read, analyze and use healthcare financial information in today's healthcare environment. 3 credits.

This course focuses on a multi-disciplinary approach to operations analysis, process redesign and quality improvement in health care. Focus is placed on the tools, methods and processes used for improving work flow processes, patient safety and performance in a variety of health care settings. Students study the history, development and principles of quality improvement in healthcare. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

Graduate level or permission

This course provides a framework for addressing common issues faced by management within a healthcare organization. Students are provided with an overview of how healthcare institutions are organized and governed, the unique roles of management, clinical staff, support staff, and human resources in the healthcare setting. Students also learn the management systems designed for efficient and effective operations. 3 credits.

Students explore the economic dimensions of healthcare by considering the input, output, production and costs of producing quality healthcare which meets demand and evaluates the behavior of supply. Students consider provider payer systems and aspects relative to private and public health insurance in determining market power and competitive markets. Common economic evaluation methods are introduced to measure health service feasibility, and promote value judgment in the realm of healthcare reform and regulatory compliance. 3 credits.

Students learn the fundamentals of planning and marketing and how they are applied to the health care system. Students use common tools and techniques to conduct environmental scanning, and feasibility analysis to determine if marketing goals for a new product or service meet the mission, vision and strategic plan of the healthcare organization. SMART Goals are introduced along with other campaign foundations in the development of a marketing summary and strategy for the healthcare organization. 3 credits.

This course introduces healthcare professionals to the power of data and the importance of analysis. Students learn how population informatics, consumer health informatics, translational bioinformatics, and clinical research informatics are essential components in selecting the techniques and systems used for transforming clinical data into information, knowledge and improved decision-making. The past, current and future role of healthcare IT is also discussed. 3 credits.

Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of disease in human populations, and the risk factors associated with diseases. This course provides an introduction to epidemiology and the associated biostatistical methods that constitute the principal quantitative methods for disease prevention. Topics include: measures of disease frequency, measures of central tendency and spread, rates and risks, precision and validity, bias, simple linear regression, and the important study designs (population surveys, cohort, case-control and cross-sectional studies). 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

CSCE Graduate Restrictions

This is a practical course in biostatistical methods for health research. Emphasis is placed on developing an understanding of the use and interpretation of standard biostatistical methods. Topics include probability and sampling distributions, regression and ANOVA, methods for analyzing rates and proportions, power and sample size calculations. Students will gain experience in using a statistical software package to apply and expand their data analysis skills. 3 credits.

This course provides a broad-range overview of the healthcare information systems industry, its history, recent developments and continuing challenges, as well as a practical understanding of healthcare information systems acquisition and implementation. Topics include EMR, Data, CMS Quality Programs, Clinical Integration and health information exchange. 3 credits.

This course presents and overview of legal and ethical issues facing managers and providers in health care. It provides students with a foundation of health law and ethics and reviews health care legal and ethical situations and dilemmas. The goals are to provide students with practical knowledge of health law and ethics and their application to the real world of health care. 3 credits.

This course provides students with a basic framework for health policy analysis and examines major aspects of U.S. health policy. Detailed consideration and discussion focus on the relationship of national policy to the planning, implementation and funding of healthcare services. The course covers topics such as the healthcare policy environment in the U.S, government-funded healthcare through Medicaid and Medicare, and the Massachusetts healthcare reform. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

CSCE Graduate Restrictions

A course examining contemporary healthcare information system requirements and focusing on the design, implementation, and modification of these systems. Actual or hypothetical health system related projects are used to support the theoretical framework. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

CSCE Graduate Restrictions

A practical approach to the design, and development of a relational database with an emphasis on healthcare. Analyzing the requirements of the database proceeds to the design of the structure of the relational database, which is then developed in a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS). Microsoft Access is used as the RDBMS platform. 3 credits.

This is a graduate level course providing a comprehensive foundation for project management as it applies to healthcare. Students will be introduced to the theory and concepts of project management and the tools to manage projects with a focus on healthcare. At the end of this course, students should be able to develop, execute, and control a basic project plan that is capable of supporting organizational objectives linked to measures of success for a single project. 3 credits.

A graduate-level course introducing healthcare professionals to strategic planning for the information systems organization. The concepts are taught in a manner that allows the skills learned to be applied to any discipline with the organization. The course is designed to give healthcare professional a practical understanding of strategic planning and its importance to a successful organization. Skills learned in this course will enable the student to work effectively with and support the information systems planning effort in order to ensure better IS, clinical and business alignment. 3 credits.

The course addresses Electronic Health Records (EHR) integration with patient care flow, clinical decision making and patient engagement, as well as patient registries and clinical quality reporting. Students also learn core EHR functions, strategies for EHR optimization, and how the EHR can be leveraged for population health management. The course uses industry-leading EHR software as a learning tool to demonstrate how electronic health record technologies are used in a healthcare setting. 3 credits.

This practicum requires students to apply theories and principles from coursework in a public health setting. The practicum is a planned, supervised and evaluated practice experience under the supervision of a qualified preceptor. Students meet regularly on campus in a seminar with a faculty member who oversees the practicum experience. 3 credits.

This course is designed as the second of two applied learning courses following PUBH.6660 MPH Practicum. It is a culminating experience for students in the MPH program. Students in this course will demonstrate the mastery of a body of public health knowledge and achievement of the MPH competencies. They will do this through completing their practicum experience and developing a high-quality written product. 3 credits.

Tuition & Fees

At UMass Lowell, we believe that students should have as much information as possible up front so they can make informed decisions before enrolling in a degree program or signing up for a course.

Tuition for all undergraduate courses offered through the Division of Graduate, Online & Professional Studies is the same for both in-state and out-of-state students. Tuition for all online graduate courses is also the same for both in-state and out-of-state students. Tuition is priced per credit. To calculate the tuition for a course, simply multiply the per-credit tuition by the total number of credits per course. Exception: If the total number of course contact hours is greater than the total number of credits, the per-credit tuition is instead multiplied by the total number of contact hours.

Fall 2021 Tuition

 Per Credit / Contact Hour
Graduate Online Courses
(Except Graduate Online Business*, IT, Engineering and Education Courses)
 $575.00
Graduate Online Business* Courses $655.00
Graduate Online IT and Engineering Courses** $590.00

*Applies to courses with the following prefixes: ACCT, BUSI, ENTR, FINA, MGMT, MKTG, MIST, POMS offered through the Manning School of Business

**Applies to courses with the following prefixes: CHEN, CIVE, EECE, ENGN, MECH, PLAS offered through the Francis College of Engineering. Applies also to MSIT courses in the Master's in Information Technology, Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity and the Graduate Certificate in Systems Models and Management.

The cost to audit a course will be charged the rates listed above.

Additional Fees
Registration Fee per Term $30.00
Late Fee for Nonpayment $50.00
Fee for Graduate Degree and Certificate Applications $50.00

Looking for Financial Assistance?

UMass Lowell offers a variety of financial aid and scholarship options.
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Registration

Current students can register using SiS Self-Service. New students who have not already applied and been accepted to a program must use the Non-Degree Registration Form.

You can take courses without being officially enrolled in a certificate or degree program, but you must meet course prerequisites. Registrations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Class size is limited. We recommend that you register early to reserve your place in class.

For more information, please visit our Registration Page.

New Students

If you have not already applied and been accepted to a program.
Register with Non-Degree Reg. Form

Current Students

If you have applied, been accepted to and are currently enrolled in a program.
Register with SIS Self-Service

Questions?

Email our Advising Center for assistance, or call 800-480-3190 to speak with an advisor.

Please Note: While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information presented within this website, the Division of Graduate, Online & Professional Studies reserves the right to implement new rules and regulations and to make changes of any nature in its program, calendar, locations, tuition and fees. Whenever possible, appropriate notice of such changes will be given before they become effective. In applying for a degree program or registering for courses, each student assumes full responsibility for knowledge of and compliance with the definitions, regulations and procedures of UMass Lowell as set forth on our website. For additional information, please refer to the Graduate Program Policies found within the UMass Lowell Graduate Catalog.

Career Outlook

To help you make an informed decision about continuing your education, we access real-time labor market data to provide up-to-the-minute employment information including:

  • Job postings for the occupations this program will prepare you to pursue
  • Demand for specific positions within the industry
  • Salary information (nationwide and by region)
  • Expected career growth rate over the next 10 years vs. total labor market growth rate

With this information, you'll have a clear understanding of the return on investment you can expect from this program and which skills can help you to further increase your earning power.

Information provided by Burning Glass Technologies

Prerequisites

Grades of C or better in required, prerequisite college-level courses. These include a minimum one semester of statistics and one semester of either biology or anatomy and physiology. Applicants who are missing prerequisites may be admitted with the provision that they meet with their advisor before or during their first semester and develop a plan of study to complete the prerequisites during the first year.

Applying into a Graduate Degree Program

All applicants must submit:

For specific information regarding any of the above application materials (which may vary for some programs), please see UMass Lowell's Graduate Application Requirements at https://www.uml.edu/Grad/Process/.

Applications can be completed and submitted at any time during the year. Each application is processed — and each applicant notified — as soon as all admissions materials have been received and reviewed. For additional details, please visit https://www.uml.edu/grad/.

Graduate Program Admissions Requirements

Admission to all graduate programs at UMass Lowell is contingent upon successful completion of a bachelor's degree. In many cases, applicants may register for a course before they have formally applied into the program; however, students requiring financial aid may want to wait until they have been formally accepted into the program to ensure that their course(s) will be covered. Contact UMass Lowell's Office of Graduate Admissions if you have questions about the application process.

Please Note: Test requirements for graduate applications have been temporarily waived. Learn more.
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Questions Regarding Your Graduate Application?

Email Graduate_Admissions@uml.edu or call 800-656-4723 (for U.S. students) or 978-934-2390 (for international students).

For General Assistance:

For general questions about registering for courses or to find out who the advisor is for your graduate program, call 800-480-3190. Our admissions and advising teams are here to help!

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