The Health Systems Management program prepares future managers and leaders who will improve the healthcare delivery services in diverse organizational settings worldwide. Students learn the fundamental areas of management of health services through coursework and practicum experience, preparing them for entry-level managerial roles in healthcare settings. Taking a systems approach, courses emphasize active management in planning, financing, implementing, evaluating, and maintaining complex systems. This concentration is only available to MD-MPH dual degree students.
Program Competencies
At the completion of the MPH degree, the student will be able to:
Analyze healthcare systems and organizational structures to identify opportunities for operational improvement that enhance patient experience, outcomes of care, population health, efficiency, or workforce wellbeing.
Evaluate healthcare delivery models, resource allocation, or cost effectiveness using economic or financial principles.
Design quality improvement strategies using evidence-based frameworks to address disparities, improve care processes, or promote safety across diverse healthcare delivery environments.
Apply basic managerial tools to budgeting, monitoring, and evaluation of organizational initiatives.
Examine leadership and change management theories to guide interdisciplinary teams, foster innovation, or drive strategic transformation in health organizations.
The MPH Degree in Health Systems Management requires 45 credits that includes:
Tulane's MD/MPH program offers the following two options for students who have (1) earned a baccalaureate degree, and (2) already been admitted to Tulane University School of Medicine (SOM) and who wish to complete the requirements for both the medical degree and public health degree:
Four-Year Option (for incoming or T1 SOM students)
Applicants to the 4-year program must have earned a 28 or higher on the MCAT and/or a 504 or higher on the MCAT2015.
Requirements for the MD/MPH combined degree should be completed within 4 years: students must graduate with both degrees concurrently.
Students are strongly encouraged to begin the combined degree program the summer before their SOM curriculum begins. Students may begin the four-year program as late as the spring of their T1 year. If admitted to SOM, you can apply for the four-year program. Please email Rachael Ruiz for an application form.
Five-Year Option (for T2 or T3 SOM students)
Students who require more than 4 years to complete the public health degree requirements are also eligible for the MD/MPH combined degree program. Students choose this option for a variety of reasons, including a desire to focus exclusively on public health for a year, career exploration, Couples Match timing, and a host of other personal reasons.
In the five-year option, students must graduate with both degrees concurrently. The most common path for these students is to take a leave of absence from SOM after either the T2 or T3 year of medical school.
Students who choose this option have been admitted to SOM and are generally in their T2 or T3 years. Students may also begin the program by pursuing the four-year option and then opt to take a year off from SOM to complete the MD/MPH combined degree in five years. The requirements for both options are the same; however, the application process differs.
If you are a T2 or T3 SOM student and wish to apply for the MD/MPH combined degree program, contact Rachael Ruiz for more information.
T4 students are not eligible to begin their public health studies as part of the five-year program in the MD/MPH combined degree program. However, T4 SOM students who wish to pursue a public health degree are encouraged to pursue their public health degree as a non-combined-degree student by applying directly to the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and completing the public health curriculum for non-combined-degree students.
A student may not receive the MD degree and then continue working on MPH requirements as part of the MD/MPH combined degree program. A student may graduate with the MD degree and may continue working towards their public health degree, but must meet the full MPH, MSPH, or MPH&TM requirements for non-combined-degree students. MD/MPH students can discuss the non-combined-degree public health requirements with their public health advisors if they wish to delay completing their MPH requirements until after they earn their MD degrees.
