Curriculum at a Glance
The Vanderbilt Master of Management in Health Care is a 30-credit-hour graduate degree in management designed specifically to help rising managers in healthcare organizations gain fundamental business skills and apply them immediately on the job.
Over a one-year period, students participate in core business courses live online on Thursday evenings, attend healthcare industry-specific courses one weekend per month (in person, on campus), and work in teams on a Capstone Strategy Project throughout the program, while honing leadership skills along the way. The unique schedule assures the highest quality educational experience without disrupting the day-to-day operations of students and sponsoring organizations.
Program Structure
The Vanderbilt Master of Management in Health Care program gives you a foundation in management fundamentals, a deep dive into business specifics in healthcare delivery, an integrated and applied curriculum, and a collaborative classroom. In addition, you can take part in a robust Leadership Development Program, offering an executive coach and leadership tools used by Fortune 500 companies.
The program offers students the flexibility of a schedule designed for working healthcare professionals. Students attend live-online classes on Thursday evenings and in-person weekend classes once a month.
12 Credits, Thursday Evenings (Live, Online)
The Management Core includes six graduate-level management courses that provide the solid business foundation upon which the healthcare industry specific courses build. These modules are taught by the same professors who teach in the world-class Vanderbilt MBA programs and offer both theoretical and practical knowledge across comprehensive business disciplines.
12 Credits, 1 Weekend/Month (In Person, On Campus)
In tandem with the general management courses, six intensive Healthcare Industry courses challenge you to apply the core management disciplines so that you are equipped to manage profitable, innovative healthcare programs and services. Senior leaders and managers from provider organizations partner with Owen faculty to provide the pragmatic insight required for these courses.
4 Credits, Concurrent with 1-Year Program
The Capstone Strategy Project is an immersive experience that ties the curriculum together, enabling you to apply new knowledge to a real health care business challenge.
Working with a sponsoring organization—often your own—you and your team will take on a project of strategic importance. With faculty guidance, you’ll diagnose a critical issue and deliver actionable recommendations through both written analysis and a final presentation.
Non-Credit, Concurrent with 1-Year Program
The Leadership Development Program is an immersive component that ties the curriculum together while honing your leadership abilities. It includes individual assessment, personalized executive coaching, and planning prior to the team project, followed by the application of new leadership techniques, as well as reflection and evaluation as the project progresses.
Capstone Strategy Project
The Capstone Strategy Project complements the classroom instruction and is defined as learning by construction. It is a total immersion experience in which students are challenged to use all of the tools and concepts learned to date to tackle a current business problem for a healthcare organization.
With faculty oversight, you demonstrate rigorous application of business concepts and disciplines. Leading a project of utmost importance for your organization provides immediate impact that benefits the student and the sponsoring organization.
Your team will kick off the Capstone Strategy Project in Mod 3 by meeting with the client sponsor to outline and discuss the initiative at hand. Your team will spend the next six months working on all aspects of the project.
Learn from Faculty Who Are Leaders in Their Fields
With the tools I have gained, I am able to engage in important conversations with other pharmacy leaders, I have also cultivated my brand and style of leadership through my sessions with my LDP [Leadership Development Program] coach.”