The George Washington University Online Programs in Health Care Quality & Management (Degrees and Graduate Certificates)

• BSHS - Clinical Operations and Healthcare Management
• DHSc - Leadership in Clinical Practice and Education (Clinical Track)
• DHSc - Leadership in Clinical Practice and Education (Education Track)
• Graduate Certificate - Clinical Operations and Healthcare Management
• Graduate Certificate - Health Care Quality
• MSHS - Clinical Operations and Healthcare Management
• MSHS - Health Care Quality

By Sara Navratil Reviewed By Jocelyn Blore Reviewed By School

Updated January 10, 2024

About This Profile

×

Every summer, the MHAOnline.com team updates school profiles like this one to provide a current, up to date list of schools offering online MHA programs for the upcoming academic year.

We collect the school and program data ourselves, then review the profiles for accuracy, and then send them off for final review by the school.

When the school’s representative provides feedback, we make any necessary updates and mark the profile as “Reviewed by School”.

We collect and validate the same data for every school in our database, regardless of whether or not the school is an advertiser (sponsor). Click any “sponsor” link to learn more.

The George Washington University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences offers a master of science in health sciences (MSHS) degree in both health care quality and clinical operations and health care management, with corresponding graduate certificates available. All courses in the graduate certificates may be applied to the respective MSHS degree. GW also offers a bachelor’s of science in health sciences (BSHS) in clinical operations and health care management, and a Doctor of Health Sciences (DHSc) degree in Leadership in Clinical Practice and Education.

The MSHS and graduate certificate in health care quality seek to educate students as leaders in patient-centered, high-quality health care while at the same time addressing safety improvement on local and global levels. Students learn skills in health care leadership, organizational change theories, collaboration with health care teams, safe practices, risk assessment in patient safety, health policy, and more.

The BSHS, MSHS, and graduate certificate in clinical operations and health care management seek to prepare health care professionals to spearhead patient quality of care improvement, communicate effectively with all parties involved in operations, and develop effective strategies using data analysis. Students learn skills in communication, systems evaluation, data analysis, quality care improvement, and organizational performance.

The DHSc leadership in clinical practice and education program prepares students to design, evaluate, and implement programs to advance health care. Two separate weekend campus residencies and a finalized manuscript for submission to a peer-review journal are part of the program requirements.

The George Washington University is located in Washington DC near the White House. Students can attend on campus or online from all US states and from countries around the globe. GW is dedicated to providing a real-world education that can be applied to real issues in the workplace. The faculty includes health care experts from public and private health care organizations and corporations, as well as alumni who are serving as experts in their respective fields.

Admission Requirements: Applicants to the BSHS in clinical operations and health care management must have an associate’s degree or transfer 45 to 60 credits of college-level coursework to the program, with a minimum GPA of 2.5 out of 4.0. Additional materials include an application fee, official transcripts, a resume/CV, a personal statement, and one letter of recommendation.

Applicants to the GW MSHS and graduate certificate programs must hold at least a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Additional materials include an application fee, official transcripts, a resume or curriculum vitae, a statement of purpose, and two letters of recommendation. No GMAT/GRE is required. Applicants must have relevant work experience in clinical research or a related field.

Please note that international students must submit TOEFL or IELTS scores for all degree applications.

Applicants to the online DHSc must have a master’s degree from an accredited institution, as well as an entry-level degree such as an MD, DPT, PA, OTD, MSN, or DNP in biomedical science or some other health-related field. Application materials include the application and fee, a 250-500 word personal statement, a resume or CV, two letters of recommendation, official transcripts from all institutions/programs attended, and proof of at least one year of healthcare-related clinical practice or health administration or leadership experience.

Study Plan: The online BSHS and MSHS degrees can be completed in two years. The graduate certificate completion times are as follows: health care quality (18 to 24 months); clinical operations and health care management (18 months). The DHSc can be completed in 2.5 years or 30 months.

Start dates are offered in the fall, spring, and summer. Students can expect to spend 18 to 20 hours working for each three-credit course taken.

Curriculum: The breakdown of courses and credits for each degree follows:

MSHS in Health Care Quality (36 credits): 21 credits of core classes, six credits of research courses, and nine credits of professional courses. Courses may include: building a quality culture, the health care quality landscape, patient safety systems, leadership and change in health care quality, and the health care enterprise, among others.

Graduate Certificate in Health Care Quality (18 credits): Courses are taken from the MSHS and include: introduction to health care quality; building a quality culture; the health care quality landscape; quality improvement science in health care; health care quality measurement, data management, and analysis; and patient safety systems.

BSHS in Clinical Operations and Health Care Management (60 credits): Students transfer 45 to 60 credits of college-level coursework. Any gap must be completed in addition to the 60 credits for this degree. Courses may include the management of human resources in health sciences organizations, finance for health care managers, health policy and the health care system, current issues in bioethics, quality improvement in health sciences, and several others.

Students complete supervised fieldwork in a clinical operations and health care management setting. Electives may include the psychosocial aspects of health and illness, health care in literature, principles of biostatistics for health sciences, pathophysiology, and disease prevention and health promotion concepts.

MSHS in Clinical Operations and Health Care Management (36 credits): 30 core credits, three credits of practicum, and one elective. Core courses may include leadership and change, strategic communications, informatics for operational leadership and health care quality, health care systems operations, and human resource development. The practicum involves completing a health care operations proposal, which is then presented to a group of professionals and can be added to their portfolios upon graduation.

Graduate Certificate in Clinical Operations and Health Care Management (18 credits): Courses are taken from the MSHS and include strategic communications, informatics for operational leadership and health care quality, health care systems operations, finance for health care operations, topics in health care leadership, and applications in clinical operations and health care management.

DHSc in Leadership in Clinical Practice and Education (48 credits): Choose from two tracks – clinical practice leadership, or education practice leadership. Core courses for both tracks include interprofessional collaboration in practice, HP practicum I-II, program theory and innovation in the health professions, academic and clinical leadership in the HP, bioethical implications of health research, advanced statistical methods for clinical and translational research, research methods in HP I-II, and seminar I-III. Optional electives for both tracks include finance for health care operations, measurement of human function and learning, qualitative methods for HP leadership, mixed methods in translational health sciences, independent study for health professionals, and the health care enterprise.

Clinical practice leadership courses include health information, quality, and outcomes, introduction to health care quality, knowledge translation health care, and health care research.

Education practice leadership courses include teaching strategies in the health professions, curriculum development in the health professions, assessment in HP education, and technology and education in HP.

Online Experience: Students in the online GW BSHS, MSHS, and graduate certificate programs start with virtual student orientation, and new students are also assigned an academic advisor. GW uses the Blackboard learning management system (LMS) for online learning, including course videos, assignments, course syllabi, faculty/peer communication, forums, discussion groups, and assessments. GW provides 24/7 online technical support and other student services to all online students.

On-Site Requirements: There are no on-site requirements for the GW online BSHS and MSHS degrees or graduate certificates. Some pathways require a practicum of field experience where the students live and work. Students are invited to participate in graduation on campus.

DHSc leadership students come to campus for two weekend immersions. And in addition to the immersion weekends, DHSc students prepare a finalized manuscript for submission to a peer-review journal.

The George Washington University charges varying tuition rates for its health care quality and management programs. Tuition numbers are listed in the tables below, and do not include additional fees. Prospective students should contact the admissions department of the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences for cost clarifications and updates.

GW also offers financial aid in the form of scholarships, grants, and student loans. Students who are local can also apply for work/study opportunities. Students may also seek outside resources for help paying for their degree. Graduate students may check with their employer concerning tuition reimbursement programs for employees seeking an advanced degree.

Tuition is calculated based on credits, at the published tuition rate. For programs with variable tuition rates, we use the rates for part-time students. Tuition number represents the cost of tuition for the entire program, not per semester or year. Estimated total tuition does not include additional fees, unless otherwise specified. Please check here for any tuition updates.

Sara Navratil

Writer

Sara Navratil is a freelance writer and a Certified Canfield Success Principles Trainer. She's the owner of Sara Liza Life, a company dedicated to helping people rewrite their lives. She enjoys researching and writing about healthcare-related topics, including information on online MHA programs. When not working she likes to read, bake, and spend time with her family.