Objective

The Health Sector Management (HSM) Certificate:

• Allows working professionals worldwide to acquire a Duke MBA with an international health care focus in only 20 months. 
• Offers insight into the interaction and interdependencies of health-related industries and organizations.
• Hones functional skills and the ability to think strategically in a global business environment, allowing the immediate application of new knowledge and skills. 
• Prepares students for leadership roles in a variety of health arenas, including pharmaceutical, medical device, consulting, banking, venture capital, entrepreneurial, biotechnology, research and development, and payor and health systems.
• Builds and/or enhances a network of contacts worldwide.

Program Format

This program combines Internet-enabled distance learning with residencies in Dubai, New Delhi, St. Petersburg, Shanghai/Kunshan, and our home campus in Durham, North Carolina. The HSM curriculum provides students the flexibility to merge their focus on health care with other areas of interest within the MBA program.

Student Profile

Cross Continent HSM students represent numerous health care professions including pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, information technology, and insurance industries. HSM is also suited for physicians and students from supporting sectors such as consulting, finance, and technology who seek to enter the health care field. Applicants typically have a minimum of three years of work experience.

The HSM Certificate is an optional course of study available to Cross Continent MBA students. Tuition charges are applied at the time of course registration. To earn the HSM Certificate, Cross Continent students must complete:

• Six courses including
• Four required HSM courses
• Two additional health care-specific electives 

Students take HSM courses either in person or via the distance learning platform along with students from the Global Executive, Weekend Executive, and HSM Alumni Certificate programs. Students have some flexibility to customize and schedule their HSM courses but three HSM courses must be taken while students are still enrolled in the Cross Continent MBA program: 

• Fundamentals of Health Sector Management: A Global Perspective
• Economics and Strategy of HSM (taken in Term 6)
• One HSM elective course (taken in Term 6)

Residency at Duke's campus in Durham, North Carolina, is required for students taking courses during Term 6 (the elective term). Students also have the option of completing the HSM Certificate within two years of graduation.

Course Requirements

HSM tuition charges cannot be covered by federal student loans.

Course Descriptions

Required Courses

Fundamentals of Health Sector Management: A Global Perspective
This multi-term online course provides an overview of the global health sector, addresses current business and policy challenges, and creates a common discourse and understanding of health sector management within and across Fuqua's executive MBA programs.

Economics and Strategy of Health Sector Management
This online course applies the tools of economics and strategy to challenges and opportunities faced by product manufacturers, insurers, health care providers, and hospitals.

Health Care in the 21st Century
This week-long course provides a detailed overview of the health care system's segments and stakeholders, analyzes the industry's evolution, and addresses likely changes within the sector during the next century. Cross Continent, Weekend Executive, Global Executive, and Daytime MBA students may take this course together.

HSM Project Course
During this independent study, students apply core business skills to an in-depth analysis of health care topics by developing actionable recommendations for their current organization(s) and/or exploring opportunities for organizations that might offer career options.  

Electives
Two electives are required, and at least one must be taken during Term 6. 

Management of Health Systems and Policy
Students travel to Washington, D.C. to visit federal institutions, advocacy groups, and non-governmental organizations critical to the development of health policy and technology and the delivery of health care services. Enrollment is limited and determined by lottery selection.

Economics and Management of the Pharmaceutical Industry
An examination of management and policy issues concerning innovation, product commercialization, competition, and regulation in the pharmaceutical industry — international in perspective with an emphasis on the current U.S. market and policy.

Health Care Marketing
This course leverages and deepens core marketing knowledge by addressing how standard marketing analysis, tactics, and strategy apply within the health sector.

Provider Strategy
This course focuses on organizational innovation, specifically strategies and tactics for provider networks to successfully manage resource constraints as well as insurance and reimbursement issues in order to deliver quality, ethical and cost-effective care. 

Health Care Law and Policy
This course is designed for both law students and MBA students and aims to bridge the market and legal issues that combine to shape the industry. No preliminary knowledge in either law or business/economics is required or assumed, though the course will rely on students' comparative expertise in each.

Medical Device Commercialization
An exploration of the market model for medical products, services, and technologies, as well as the assessment of market need — the centerpiece of a company product plan and agenda to forge its place in device history.

Biotechnology: Management of Drug Discovery
An overview of the biotechnology industry from scientific, clinical, legal, financial, and ethical perspectives.

Health Sector Management (HSM) students will be able to actively collaborate and innovate in the global health care arena through industry conferences, company practicums, alumni activities, and studies abroad. These HSM initiatives offer students a variety of opportunities to engage with peers, leading health care professionals, and potential employers.

Student, Peer & Industry Networking

Cross-Border Networking

• Global Executive students often take HSM courses with students in Fuqua's other MBA programs, who are from around the world, allowing for cross-program and cross-cultural networking
• The week-long class, Health Care in the 21st Century, brings current MBA students together with Fuqua alumni who return to Duke to pursue the HSM Alumni Certificate
• HSM students are invited to attend various HSM and Fuqua alumni activities around the world

Health Care Club

This student-run organization educates its members about career opportunities and industry trends. Through panel discussions and other activities, the club also provides a forum to interact with industry professionals and alumni from prominent health care organizations. The Health Care Club regularly sponsors the Annual Healthcare Conference.

HSM Events

Health Sector Advisory Council

Formed to provide faculty, students, and staff with the latest outside perspective on health care, the Health Sector Advisory Council meets twice a year to review new trends, emerging technologies, and research-grounded insights. The council is made up of senior health care executives as well as faculty and students across Duke. A select number of HSM students are given the opportunity to attend these meetings through the Health Sector Management office.

Additional Health Industry Events

HSM partners with numerous health care organizations to arrange seminars, meetings, and other events that bring together the top minds in academia and industry. Many of these events involve and/or are open to HSM students.

Industry-Sponsored Conferences and Meetings

HSM provides some sponsorships and stipends for students to attend local, national, and international health care conferences. These include meetings organized by the:

• American College of Healthcare Executives
• Council for Entrepreneurial Development
• Triangle Healthcare Executive's Forum
• North Carolina Biotechnology Center
• Healthcare Businesswomen's Association

Global Learning Opportunities

Worldwide Partnerships

Students have access to valuable resources and learning experiences through Duke's many global partnerships, including:

• Duke Clinical Research Institute — the world's largest and oldest academic clinical research institution, which has 5,000 investigators worldwide and currently conducts research in 63 countries
• Duke Global Health Initiative — brings together interdisciplinary teams and partners to reduce health disparities locally and worldwide, solve highly complex health problems, and train the next generation of global health leaders
• Duke-National University of Singapore Graduate Medical School — Singapore's first medical school based on the American medical education model