Master's in Health Administration-Health Systems (MHA-HS)
Application Deadline: Open
The Master’s in Health Administration-Health Systems is designed to enhance the management and leadership capabilities of middle and senior level managers in the Health Sector. It is a taught Master’s degree based on lectures, coursework, examinations and a project.
The programme is organised to address management skills gaps within the Trinidad and Tobago Health Sector, utilising established principles and practices in the following key areas:
- Management
- Leadership
- Health Systems
- Health Operations Management
- Health Sector Planning and Quality
Programme Credits: 49
Available Full Time:No
Available Part Time:Yes
Part Time only; Two (2) years (At least one (1) weekend per month all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday; 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.)
- UTT Chaguanas Campus
- A Bachelor’s degree in a related field and work experience at middle or senior management level in the Health Sector (Public or Private Sector).
- Mature students with significant Public and/or Private Sector experience are encouraged to apply.
- Applicants are also required to submit a one-page statement of reasons for study and two (2) referees.
Note: Applicants may be required to participate in an interview.
Year 1, Semester 1
| COURSE CODE | COURSE TITLE | NO. OF CREDITS |
|---|---|---|
| HMGT5004 | Organising and Managing in the Health Sector | 3.0 |
| MGT5004: ORGANISING AND MANAGING IN THE HEALTH SECTOR This course examines the attitudes and behaviour of individuals and groups in organizations (i.e., human resources) to understand the factors which affect organizational effectiveness and efficiency, and ultimately service delivery. Students will be exposed to individual, group, and organisational theories of behaviour. Furthermore, they will learn about the implications of these behavioural theories for human resource management practices in the health sector such as employee selection, training and development, performance and reward management, and health and well- being. It is believed that an understanding of the underlying factors behind organisational behaviour will facilitate the successful management of healthcare workers, and that effective management of healthcare workers is critical to quality service delivery. | ||
| HEPQ7007 | Health Sector Quality Management | 3.0 |
| HEPQ7007: HEALTH SECTOR QUALITY MANAGEMENT This course aims to provide an overview of strategies for system-wide quality, across the health sector, for ensuring sector-wide quality through the functions of health facility audits, licensure, credentialing, and accreditation and quality improvement through health care collaboratives. Students in this course are introduced to the basis for quality and patient safety and are provided an overview of health sector quality, methods of assessing quality, andtechniques for improving quality. They will learn key terminology and concepts, including defining quality; measuring quality in terms of the structure process-outcomes model; distinguishing between clinical/ technical and customer service quality; identifying techniques to avoid adverse clinical events; and exploring customer service quality in terms of defining, measuring, and improving patient satisfaction. Students will also exploreanddiscusstherolesofgovernmental agencies in promoting and reporting quality information regarding hospitals and other health organisations, accrediting bodies, and performance initiatives of government. They will apply course concepts to current issues for improving management, clinical and service quality in health organisations. | ||
| HMGT5003 | Introduction to Health Sector Management | 3.0 |
| HMGT5003: INTRODUCTION TO HEALTH SECTOR MANAGEMENT Thisintroductorycourse, providesthecontext for the other modules of the MHA-Health Systems programme. It indicates that health care organisations are complex, and there are growing expectations and competing demands for quality health services while there are challenges with respect to changes in technology, need for quality initiatives, and inadequacy of resources. The provision of this service occurs within a dynamic environment by professionals with a mix of skills. Managing this complexity requires health care administrators with management skills to exert authority, allocate resources, gain support and mobilise action to achieve quality outcomes. It will introduce the student to information relevant to their role in the management of health service organisations but more particularly the coordination of a continuum of care which would support those who have chronic illnesses in addition to encouraging and maintaining wellness such that the health status of a defined population would be improved. | ||
| HMGT6005 | Managerial Communication | 2.0 |
| HMGT6005: MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION In this course, the aim is to provide students with the tools to think strategically about communication as manager, at both the personal and organisation levels. Students will learn techniques to write and present more effectively, and build their interpersonal communicationskills within the managerial setting. This course in Epidemiology covers the principles and methods of epidemiologic investigation including describing the patternsofillnessinpopulationsandresearch designs for investigating the aetiology of disease. It also introduces quantitative measures to determine risk, association and procedures for standardisation of rates. It also focuses on various epidemiologic study designs for investigating associations between risk factors and disease outcomes. The application of these disciplines in the areas of health services, screening, genetics, and environment policy are presented. The influence of epidemiology on legal and ethical issues is also discussed. By applying the concepts learned in this course to current public health problems and issues, students will understand the practice of epidemiology as it relates to real life and makes for a better appreciation of public health programs and policies. | ||
Total Credits: 11
Year 1, Semester 2
| COURSE CODE | COURSE TITLE | NO. OF CREDITS |
|---|---|---|
| HESY5007 | Biostatistics | 3.0 |
| HESY5007: BIOSTATISTICS This course introduces basic statistical concepts and analytical methods as applied to data encountered in public health, applied research and management decision making. The course content focuses on quantitative study designs and nonparametric statistical procedures; additional consideration will be given to understanding the implementation of qualitative research designs with reference to experimental and survey design. Quantitative analysis of data and the accompanying inferential analysis will be examined. The course provides students with an understanding of the use of statistical procedures in the medical sciences, public health and for decision making. The course prepares students to critically analyse and evaluate professional health literature and is a foundation for the development of research projects and studies. | ||
| HESY5008 | Epidemiology | 3.0 |
| HESY5003 | Introduction to Health Systems of Trinidad and Tobago/Health Systems | 2.0 |
| HESY5003: INTRODUCTION TO HEALTH SYSTEMS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO This introductory course sets the stage for understanding the Trinidad and Tobago Health System. It includes an examination and analysis of how the system works and the cultural bases of its organisation and financing. The course provides a comprehensive overview of health system development theory as it relates to the planning and development of health sectors within the Caribbean region and, particularly, in Trinidad and Tobago. The course will provide students with a conceptual framework for understanding the relationship between this course and other core MHA-Health Systems courses. The course will build on Open Systems Theory and explore the nexus between health and development. A fundamental assumption of the course is that Health Services Development (HSD) is as much a prerequisite for health service delivery as it is an Organisational Development (OD) tool for managing change in health services. Topics covered in this course will include leadership and governance, politics in health, financing, health workforce, regulation, organisation and delivery of health services in Trinidad and Tobago. | ||
| HESY6001 | Primary Health Care/Community Oriented PHC | 2.0 |
| HESY6001: PRIMARY HEALTH CARE This course seeks to provide studentswith an introduction to the concepts and components of Primary Health Care, the international evidence ofits impact on the health status of populations, and the elements needed for building health systems based on Primary Health Care in order to assure access to high quality, affordable services and reduce inequities in the population. The course also aims to equip students with a working knowledge and basic skills in conducting a health-needs assessment (Rapid Needs Assessment) that will inform planning for the development of service delivery models based on key Primary Health Care principles. | ||
| HPRJ7004 | Research Methods | 2.0 |
| HPRJ7004: RESEARCH METHODS This course focuses on exposing students to the main components of academic research and ethics, specifically the design of a protocol to conduct research in a health administration and/or management area. Students will examine and define a health sector problem to research and propose how they will design the study, collect data, address ethical issues, report, and present their findings. Students will also learnhow to critically analyse literary debates in relation to the identified research problem, position their study within the context of the larger body of work in the research area, develop hypotheses (specifying independent and dependent variables) or research questions, and assess strengths and weaknesses of their proposed methodologies and those of past studies. | ||
Total Credits: 12
Year 2, Semester 1
| COURSE CODE | COURSE TITLE | NO. OF CREDITS |
|---|---|---|
| LEAD5003 | Leadership and Management in Health | 3.0 |
| LEAD5003: LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT IN HEALTH In this course, students will become familiar with leading and managing others within their roles in the health sector by critically analysing and exploring the applicability of leadership theories to diverse healthcare situations. Of particular importance, is the shift from an emphasis on the characteristics or traits of “heroic individuals” to understanding that leadership in the face of uncertainty and rapid change in a complex health sector must now be shared and distributed among many actors throughout health organizations (Hartley & Benington, 2010, p. 11). The course will systematically examine these leadership debates by exploring the nature of leadership including the difference between leadership and management, how leaders use influence and power, the evolution of organisational leadership theory, the role of effective leadership in conflict management, and organizational change, the ethical, legal, and professional contexts within which health professionals lead, the challenges concerned with leading and the consequences of effective leadership. Continuous improvement of healthcare professionals’ leadership skills is a critical aspect of effectiveness in healthcare service delivery. Good leadership can make a positive difference in the organisational lives of the healthcare staff and the care of their patients. | ||
| LEAD6003 | Health Planning | 3.0 |
| LEAD6003: HEALTH PLANNING his course seeks to provide students with the opportunity to apply health planning principles and tools in the development of strategic plans to address problems in the health sector using a systems perspective. The course will refine their strategic health planning management skills by providing exposure to the tools, approaches, and methodologies that underpin strategic analysis, then requiring them to apply each to real-world problems. The course also aims to develop requisite analytic and strategy development skills critical to the implementation of a strategic management approach in the health sector. | ||
| HEOM7008 | Managing Health Organisations: Cases and Applications | 3.0 |
| HEOM7008: MANAGING HEALTH ORGANISATIONS: CASES AND APPLICATIONS This course will review management practices in the health sector such that through improvement in their efficiency, effectiveness, and cost control, high quality service can be delivered and maintained to the public. The course will provide the context within which various units and organisations are located and operated. Students will be exposed to, and required to apply, aspects of operations; management best practice; planning; quality management to cases in the health sector. | ||
| HESY6005 | Health, Policy and Management | 2.0 |
| HESY6005: HEALTH POLICY AND MANAGEMENT This course is intended to introduce health policy, with students expected to identify a specific area of interest regarding a health policy issue in Trinidad and Tobago. The rapidly evolving health system presents the health sector manager with complex challenges and risks. Health Administrators and Managers must possess the skills needed to assess external and internal health polices to influence organisational design and delivery of health services. Students will assess and discuss key policy initiatives. | ||
| HEPQ7008 | Programme Planning and Evaluation | 2.0 |
| HEPQ7008: PROGRAMME PLANNING & EVALUATION This course is aimed at examining and comparing the performance indicators used by various countries and international organisations for monitoring, assessing, and managing health systems in order to achieve effectiveness, better quality, efficiency, equity and sustainability. Students will familiarise themselves with different types programme evaluations including: needs assessment, formative research, process evaluation, monitoring of outputs and outcomes, impact assessment and cost analysis. Consideration will be given to the usefulness of these performance indicators for Trinidad and Tobago’s health sector organisations and the health sector. | ||
Total Credits: 13
Year 2, Semester 2
| COURSE CODE | COURSE TITLE | NO. OF CREDITS |
|---|---|---|
| HMGT6004 | Health Economics | 2.0 |
| HMGT6004: HEALTH ECONOMICS The course Health Economics introduces the basic concepts of microeconomics and the issues surrounding the economics of health. The course will pave the way for the students to understand the basic theory of supply and demand as it relates to the provision of health services, given scarce/limited resources and a concern for improving the quality of life. In addition, the application of these theories to health policy (linking epidemiology and resource allocation) and the provision of services will be introduced and examples discussed. | ||
| HESY6006 | Management Ethics | 1.0 |
| HESY6006: MANAGEMENT ETHICS This course is designed to provide students with a framework for identifying, analyzing and effectively addressing ethical dilemmas associated with the health sector at the organisational and health system levels. The course examines the impact of ethical issues on leadership decision making. It will explore dominant ethical theories and principles relevant to every aspect of health leadership. Both clinical and organisational ethical issues are considered along with communication and stakeholder strategies. | ||
| HMGT6006 | Financial Management in Health | 3.0 |
| HMGT6006: FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT IN HEALTH Thiscourseprovidesstudentswithathorough understanding of financial accounting concepts and practical approaches to budgeting, financial analysis and the management of financial resources as well as provide an overview of health financing options highlighting the various issues that impact health management and policy. Key topics include the role of health insurance as well as an examination of provider payments – types of payment systems, methods of administration, reporting and cost control, monitoring and evaluation. Special emphasis will be placed on national health insurance and issues relating to its design, functions, management, regulation and evaluation. In so doing, a comparative review of national health insurance systems and financing of health systems, internationally and regionally, will also be conducted. Case studies will be an integral part of the course material. | ||
| HSEM7001 | Seminars in Health | 1.0 |
| HSEM7001: SEMINARS IN HEALTH This course is a taught course and will be guided by in-sector experts and professionals to expose students to a practical overview of how the health sector in Trinidad and Tobago works. It will covervarious seminarsin health related contemporary topics such as: Health Insurance Provider Payments, Health Sector Reform, Supply Chain & Logistics, Human Resource competencies, Decision Making in Health etc. | ||
| HPRJ7005 | Postgraduate Thesis | 6.0 |
| HPRJ7005: POSTGRADUATE THESIS Students must have successfully completed a combination of Biostatistics and Research Methods to proceed. This is not a taught course. Students will be required to complete their Thesis/Post Graduate Project following the University stipulated guidelines. | ||
Total Credits: 13
- Middle / Senior Level Supervisors/Managers in the public areas of the Health Sector*
- Middle/Senior Level Supervisors/Managers in the private areas of the Health Sector*
- Health Agencies / Hospitals / Primary Care Institutions.
- Executive Management Positions, e.g., General Manager, Director of Health, CEO etc. in RHAs, MoH, NGOs and private institutions.
- Head of Department/Department Manager in RHAs, NGOs, and private institutions.
- Consultancy
- Research
- Academia
Candidates writing examinations or awaiting results are encouraged to apply
– we are currently accepting applications towards provisional offersContact Information
Programme Officers/Admin Asst
Stacy Carr-Galindo: 868-642-8888 ext. 21309
Fees
Click on the image below to download Fees Booklets
The University of Trinidad and Tobago | (868) 642 8888 or (868) 223 4888 | e: utt.marketing@utt.edu.tt
