DURHAM, N.C. –- Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business will add a concentration in Health Sector Management to its Weekend Executive MBA program beginning in January 2005, Fuqua Dean Douglas T. Breeden announced Tuesday.
This is the only general health care program offered in the weekend executive format at any major U.S. business school, Breeden said. The Duke MBA–Weekend Executive is a 20-month program in which students attend classes at Duke on alternate weekends.
The Health Sector Management concentration, offered since 1992 to Duke students in the Daytime MBA program, provides in-depth training specific to the business of health care. Weekend Executive Health Sector Management students will earn the full Duke MBA, with additional specialized training in the business of health care.
“The health care industry is struggling to keep pace with rising costs, changes to the Medicare system and an aging population,” said Kevin Schulman, M.D., director of the Fuqua Health Sector Management Program and professor of medicine at Duke University Medical Center. “In this environment, management training for health care executives is more critical than ever.”
“The Duke Health Sector Management program provides the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the complex world of managed care, government regulation and the constant introduction of new technologies to health care,” Schulman added.
The Weekend HSM concentration will be open to a wide range of health care professionals, including managers in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and insurance industries. The concentration is also intended for physicians, nurses and other clinicians with management responsibilities.
“Duke has offered the Weekend Executive MBA since 1984,” Breeden said. “While we’ve had many health care professionals complete the program, we feel it is time to provide a concentration that will allow health professionals to earn a complete MBA with special attention to their industry. Fuqua is well-positioned to offer this concentration because we are not only a top-ranked business school, we are also fortunate to be associated with Duke University Medical Center.”
The Fuqua Weekend Executive MBA is consistently ranked among the Top 5 executive MBA programs in the world by BusinessWeek and the Financial Times. The Health Sector Management concentration offered through Duke’s Daytime MBA program has been accredited through the Accrediting Commission on Education for Health Services Administration (ACEHSA) since 1995.
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For more information about The Duke MBA–Weekend Executive Health Sector Management program, or to apply, call (919) 660-7804 or visit www.fuqua.duke.edu.