Master of Science in Health Care Management and Policy

The health care management and policy sectors clamour for graduates with a Master’s degree, who are able to manage a health care institution successfully, while taking into account the broader social, ethical, legal, legislative, economic and governmental context.

Master's Programme
1 year 60 credits
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
Dutch
About the programme
Programme summary
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Off to a good start
After graduation

What

Professional management of health care institutions presupposes taking into account both staff and patient welfare, while at the same time considering the institution’s financial viability. Social responsibility and economic acumen are the basic principles of good governance. An important goal of this Master's programme is to cultivate a critical-scientific attitude vis-à-vis the management and policy of health care institutions.

The following aspects take centre stage:

  • developing thinking and working skills at an academic level;
  • a focus on lifelong learning and learning in practice;
  • groundbreaking, systematic and problem-solving thought;
  • accessibility to students with a (part-time) job.

For whom

The admission requirements vary. Depending on your prior education, you are either able to enrol directly, or there are additional requirements.

Structure

> Master
The Master's curriculum focuses on an academic approach to management and policy issues. We offer our students advanced academic knowledge, so that they are well-prepared for sound decision-making in the complex setting of a health care institution.  All our course units are management- and policy-oriented. Basic science course units are part of the academic bridging programme and (possibly) the preparatory programme.
Our curriculum enables students to acquire the necessary competencies to carry out three roles in health care management and policy, i.e. the role of scientist, manager, and professional. The curriculum culminates in a Master's dissertation, which proves that you are able to study a management and policy issue in a critical-scientific and independent manner. This is what distinguishes a Master’s programme from a professional Bachelor's programme. The first term of the Master’s programme contains a mobility window. An important asset of our programme is that it is tailored to the needs of students who are working their way through university. We offer them course units scheduled in clusters on a limited number of days.

> direct admission
If necessary, students with a prior education in economics can make up for their lack of a medical background by means of specific electives.

> academic bridging programme
Holders of a professional Bachelor’s degree enter the Master’s programme only after successfully completing an academic bridging programme. This 60-credit curriculum contains basic sciences and research skills, introductory course units related to health care management and policy, as well as the general health care context. We build on the learning outcomes of the professional Bachelor's programme.

> Preparatory programme
For a number of academic Bachelor’s programmes you need to take a preparatory programme before accessing our Master (cf. admission requirements). Depending on your prior education, you will take an individualised curriculum. Holders of a Master’s degree in Health Promotion or Nursing and Midwifery are also admitted into our programme after taking a preparatory programme. A thorough review of your track records may lead to additional exemptions.

Labour Market

Due to the increasing professionalisation of health care management and policy positions, specific knowledge on health care management and policy has become an absolute necessity. The health care sector clamours for academically trained managers and policy staff. Our purpose is to give holders of a health care-related or management-related professional Bachelor’s degree, as well as holders of other academic Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees (Economics, Medicine) the skills and tools sets they need to take up middle and top management positions in health care institutions, or to help shape government policy.

In addition to health care institutions, our graduates find employment in the health care supply sector, e.g. at consultancy firms and pharmaceutical companies. Another significant sector are research departments and/or health care-related government administrations.