Students may complete 8 credit hours of a focus area to count within the Major Elective requirement. Only one declared focus area will print on the diploma.
OR
At least 8 credits from the following courses:
Health Informatics Focus
HIM 802 - Advanced Health Information Governance (4)
In this course students will evaluate an organizations current health information governance infra-structure and will make recommendations for improvement that will cover the broad spectrum of strategic issues in healthcare including policies, guidelines, standards, processes and controls required to manage and implement enterprise-level information. Students will research how health data and organizational information systems are utilized as a strategic asset to healthcare organizations, process to manage various risks to the quality of information and ensure its appropriate use.
HIM 810 - Advanced Clinical Workflow & Applications (4)
In this course students will evaluate an organizations existing clinical workflows to include a variety of inpatient, outpatient and emergency healthcare environments. Material in the course covers the documentation, review, mapping and diagramming of clinical workflow information and processes. Students will also assess and make recommendations for improvement of patient care to workflow mapping and change management, as part of evidence based decision making in healthcare.
HIM 861 - Advanced Healthcare Analytics (4)
In this course, students will evaluate an organization’s existing process of retrieving, analyzing and reporting intelligence to make healthcare decisions. Student will assess and make recommendations for improvement on the techniques of extracting, transforming, and loading data from a myriad of operational databases into corporate data warehouses, as well a means to ensure that decision making is based on clean and reliable information. Students will also develop skills for reporting the healthcare intelligence gathered.
OR
At least 8 credits from the following courses:
Healthcare Management Focus
HCM 810 - Organizations, Community & Global Health (4)
This science of epidemiology is essential for projecting the population health needs, and appropriate allocation of public and private resources. This course focuses on the utilization of epidemiologic studies and techniques as a basis for organizational policy and administrative decision-making. Students will examine the connection between organizational leadership and social health. Students will create and recommend organizational strategies that enhance organizational, community, and global health.
HCM 820 - Healthcare Policy, Regulations & Reform (4)
This course will explore various aspects of corporate, state and federal policy making. Students will examine the impact of existing health policies on healthcare organizations, providers and patients. Students will develop skills to influence and change existing healthcare policies. Students will also create and propose a new healthcare policy.
HCM 830 - Healthcare Economics, Resources & Finance (4)
This course will examine the importance of resource and financial management in a healthcare organization. Students will determine the financial status of a healthcare organization and create strategic plans to sustain healthcare services. This course will also explore the various concepts driving healthcare economics. This course will also critique the use of organizational supplies, human resources, and technology.
HCM 840 - Healthcare Quality, Process & Improvement (4)
This course will examine various aspects of patient safety, quality improvement and risk management in healthcare. Students will compare and contrast several process improvement models with the goal of improving organizational efficiency, patient safety, and service quality. Students will also research governmental agencies driving quality improvement in healthcare organizations.
HCM 850 - Business of Healthcare (4)
Healthcare Leaders, more than ever, are facing challenging opportunities with the changing dynamics of the industry. During this course students will explore how executive-level leaders can manage complex health systems using strategic planning, risk management and innovative business practices.
HCM 860 - Social Determinants of Health (4)
The science of epidemiology and population health concepts are essential for addressing and projecting the health needs of communities and the allocation of public and private resources. This course focuses on the utilization of epidemiologic findings and population health data to support and aid health care policy development and administrative decision making. Students will be able to apply these concepts to analyze public health and population health data for epidemics, chronic health conditions, or diseases to develop data supported strategies as healthcare administrators.
OR
At least 8 credits from the following courses:
Instructional Design Leadership Focus
IDL 800 - Strategic Examination of Trends & Technology (4)
Leaders of instruction and learning must stay abreast of continual changes in trends and technology and leverage them to ensure the competitiveness and health of their organization. However, not all technologies and emerging processes are worth adopting. In this course, students will examine pedagogical trends and emerging technologies. Students will learn how to evaluate theories and incorporate designs, processes, and technologies in strategic and tactical decisions for instruction and learning in the organization.
IDL 810 - Innovative Learning Environment Design (4)
In this course, students will be exposed to new and innovative approaches for designing effective learning and instruction. This course will equip students with knowledge of applicable frameworks and strategies for implementation at the organizational level. Students will review learning environments such as e-learning, blended and hybrid learning, mobile learning, game-based learning, and informal and social learning, to determine the appropriate learning environment based on the learning and training needs of an organization.
IDL 820 - Strategic Assessment & Decision Making (4)
Today's researchers, leaders, and managers in the instructional design field must be able to use data to make decisions, as well as influence others in their organizations. In this course, students will learn how to apply relevant tools, techniques, theories, and principles of strategic assessment and decision-making to address the learning and performance needs for continuous improvement for learning problems or a learning organization.
IDL 830 - Organizational Learning & Knowledge Management (4)
Learning and knowledge management is crucial to the success of organizations. In this course, students will go beyond the design of learning environments and acquire skills to lead and manage the learning organization at a strategic level. Students will be able to recognize and meet the evolving learning needs of an organization within the framework of the organization's strategic goals. Multicultural awareness and how to lead multi-functional and cross-cultural instructional design teams and projects will also be addressed in this course.
IDL 840 - Instructional Design Leadership Coaching and Consulting (4)
Instructional design leaders often work in a consulting role with both internal and external clients and stakeholders. In this course, students will gain consulting skills in instructional design. Major topics of the course include: applying doctoral-level research strategies to analyze and evaluate learning and performance problems; communicating effectively with stakeholders; applying consulting strategies and skills; and creating a consulting professional development plan.
OR
At least 8 credits from the following courses:
Management Focus
MGMT 840 - Development of Management Theory Practice (4)
The primary objective of this course is to provide a substantive overview of the development of management theory and its applications through the 20th century to date. Managerial concepts and constructs will be researched and applied in a scholar to practitioner modality. The course will focus on the evolution of management thought and the implications of its development for modern managers and leaders.
MGMT 845 - Organizational Behavior, Culture & Effectiveness (4)
This course is an advanced research seminar in the field of organizational culture and behavior. The seminar allows you to begin the process of substantive academic research and formal inquiry into these important theories and the implications of these for managers. The seminar will require the synthesis of critical thinking, analysis, research, writing, and evaluation. Students will develop a key deliverable that involves a research proposal in the fields of organizational culture and behavior and then conduct substantive research into the literature developed by others. The final project in the seminar is the development of a research-ready proposal utilizing, at minimum, one research methodology.
MGMT 850 - Organizational Leadership (4)
This course addresses historical and current leadership concepts, theories, and constructs. An emphasis will be on the application and assessment of transformational, servant, and authentic leadership theories for use by both leaders and followers in 21st century business and academic settings. The course will challenge you to assess your own leadership strengths and weaknesses and produce an in-depth plan of action to develop and refine leadership competencies. You will conduct substantive scholarly research to address and capture relevant and cutting-edge leadership theoretical work for application in course assignments.
MGMT 855 - Org Sys Perspect Theory & Application (4)
This course focuses on the theory and practice of organizations as open and adaptive systems. Students will address the implications of systems theory for organizational sense-making, learning, innovation and transformation. The complexity of organizations as integrated participants in while systems will be addressed through research and presentations.
MGMT 860 - Strategic Thinking, Dec. Making/Innov. (4)
Innovation enables organizational growth and sustainability. However, for companies to remain competitive, leaders must understand the theories, models, and strategies framing innovation applying relevant concepts and practice to business development, customer satisfaction, and market acquisition. Conceptually, innovation, defined and applied in organizations, has morphed over the last three decades. However, the 21st-century global business environment offers an opportunity to rethink, even reimage innovation and its application to the emerging digital defined markets and workplaces. While innovation is evolutionally, even revolutionary relative to an organization's purpose, product, and processes, leadership should explore contemporary knowledge and skills associated with innovation determining if cultivating cultures of innovation, is essential to achieving organizational goals.
MGMT 865 - Organizational Performance Analysis (4)
This course addresses a multi-prong approach to manage, lead, and assess overall organizational performance in achieving tactical and strategic goals. Metrics including: shareholder value, the balanced scorecard, risk management, system alignment, human resource management, and organizational learning are addressed in this course. Also the application of research on organizational performance theories are incorporated in the course.
MGMT 870 - Ethics & Social Responsibility (4)
This course focuses on the evaluation and analysis of key ethical decision-making theories and constructs, and their direct application and integration in 21st century organizational practices. The role of corporate social responsibility will be explored by assessing the role of organizational leaders and stakeholders with improving the quality of life for individuals and the community.
MGMT 875 - Change Mgmt & Organizational Development (4)
This course focuses on research and evaluation of the key theoretical concepts and practices central to the leading of organizational change initiatives. Students will evaluate real-world situations, cases, and scenarios in order to recommend and justify theoretically based change management practices to ensure ongoing organizational acceptance and effectiveness of these programs. Students will conduct scholarly research to explore, evaluate, and interpret state-of-the-art change concepts for viability in today’s organizations. Students will assess the role of change agents as key players in the overall change process.
OR
At least 8 credits from the following courses:
Marketing Focus
MKTG 840 - Contemporary Issues in Marketing Management (4)
This course is an advanced research seminar in contemporary marketing management. The seminar relies on critical inquiry and analysis as the foundation for substantive academic research involving current marketing issues that shape and are shaped by society. Upon successful completion of this course, students will have completed a comprehensive research study proposal.
MKTG 850 - Consumer & Behavioral Research (4)
This course is an advanced seminar in consumer behavior and market-driven applied research. Readings and assignments will synthesize prior knowledge of consumer behavior, research methodologies, methods, and theories with critical analyses of how these are used to inform marketing decision-making. Upon successful completion of this course, students will have developed a plan to conduct and analyze a research study.
MKTG 860 - Marketing Quantitative & Qualitative Analysis (4)
This course is an advanced seminar in the use of quantitative and qualitative data in the marketing process. Upon successful completion of this seminar, students will have an understanding of how quantitative and qualitative analyses are used by marketing academicians and practitioners for academic and applied research, assessment, and decision making.
OR
At least 8 credits from the following courses:
Methodology Focus
MTHD 820 - Advanced Quantitative Research & Design (3)
This is an advanced course in statistics that covers analyses used in multivariate statistical techniques. The course is designed to broaden and deepen learners understanding of advanced statistics in multivariate techniques. As such, several multivariate techniques are covered, including their appropriateness to given situations, analysis, and interpretation. The emphasis of the course is on practical application of concepts learnt to given research problems and/or opportunities. The course is developed to balance theory and application and provides numerous opportunities for application to practical problems. Learners also complete a draft research proposal integrating sound research plans and procedures.
MTHD 822 - Advanced Qualitative Research & Design (3)
The advanced qualitative research course builds on the knowledge and skills students acquire in prior research courses. This course leads students to an in-depth treatment of qualitative research methodology, exploring its theoretical underpinnings and associated methods for design, data collection, interpretation, and reporting of results. Ethics are emphasized for each stage of research. This course will guide students to develop the methodology and data analysis for their dissertation proposal and research.
MTHD 824 - Advanced Mixed Methods Research & Design (3)
Through this course, students will familiarize with mixed-methods research and design. They will gain knowledge on the four different types of mixed-methods: triangulation design, embedded design, explanatory design, and exploratory design. Students will learn how to conceptualize their own study in terms of these different design types. They will gain hands-on experience on how to formulate a research question fitted for a mixed-methods design, collect some data, and analyze it. They will discuss and learn about challenges and advantages of mixed-methods designs. At the end of this course students will be able to work on their dissertation proposal.
OR
At least 8 credits from the following courses:
Public Administration Focus
PUAD 840 - Cross-Sector Collaboration (4)
This course focuses on theories and practices for leading cross-sector collaborations to accomplish public policy goals and objectives of mission-driven organizations. Students evaluate different collaborative approaches for delivering government and nonprofit services and assess the risks and benefits of engaging in cross-sector collaborations. Students learn analytical approaches, principled negotiation skills, and best practices for initiating and managing effective cross-sector collaborations.
PUAD 850 - Innovations in Service Delivery and Stakeholder Engagement (4)
The course examines the latest technologies that can be used to improve service delivery, engage stakeholders, and solve problems. Students learn the technologies and best practices for using web-based applications, e-commerce solutions, geographic information systems, crowd-sourcing, social media and other e-tools to make government and nonprofit organizations more efficient and effective. Ethical, legal, and implementation, aspects of these approaches are assessed.
PUAD 860 - Program Evaluation and Policy Analysis (4)
This course examines concepts, tools, and techniques for evaluating government policies, philanthropic, and social programs to assess the performance of mission-driven organizations. The course focuses on evaluating different approaches to program evaluation and applying methods for performance evaluation, including needs assessments, logic models, evaluation designs, quantitative and qualitative evaluation techniques, ethics, and reporting.
OR
At least 8 credits from the following courses:
Human Resource Management Focus
HRM 840 - Foundations of Human Resource Management (4)
Organizations across the globe are composed of groups of people working together to achieve goals that include organizational success, employee growth and contribution, and contribution to the larger community. The defining factor that differentiates the most successful companies from those that struggle to survive is the people who make up the employee base. While the Human Resources function has the specific task of planning for and resolving many employee issues and needs, individual managers and employees have direct responsibility and accountably for achieving sustained organizational success. Organizations that invest in their employees and develop workplace environments that encourage full employee engagement are rewarded with a competitive advantage in the marketplace. This course provides students with an opportunity to learn the knowledge and skills needed to enhance the contributions of all employees in support of an organization's purpose. Student's research will analyze trends and issues influencing the development and application of these elements within contemporary organizations. Additionally, students will come to understand the benefits afforded to organizations that create, craft and maintain a rich, empowering culture.
HRM 850 - Strategic Human Resource Management (4)
In Strategic Human Resource Management, students will analyze workforce management processes in light of their strategic importance. This will include an examination of the relationships between traditional human resource functions and the various business functions so that efficiency and effectiveness are balanced and optimized. Students will also review these processes and relationships in both the domestic and global environments now and in the future. Further, students conduct research to explore trends within the discipline of Human Resource Management that have a positive impact upon employee engagement as well as the productivity and profitability of an organization.
HRM 860 - Leading Organizational Transformation (4)
In this course, students will evaluate the process of change as related to the principles and practices of various types of organizations. Students will conduct research into the area of total rewards to determine what influences are leading many organizations to implement progressive human resource practices. Students will apply this learning to examine change processes and techniques used to facilitate transformational change in order to enhance employee engagement and organizational success. Students will also understand the business case supporting why companies should invest in their employees and internal cultures, regardless of industry affiliation, company size and/or revenue generation and apply this research to examine the processes and techniques for facilitating transformational change.
OR
At least 8 credits from the following courses:
Information Technology Focus
ITEC 840 - IT Management and Strategy (4)
This course critically analyzes the current state of IT strategy practices and demonstrates how an IT strategy serves as a strong foundation for competitive IT management. Several tools and methods are synthesized to assess internal and external environments for formulating a strategy, execute a strategy based on environmental factors, and improve a strategy. The course brings the current academic and business literature to the class. It examines emerging IT strategy and management issues such as hyper-automation, AI, cybersecurity mesh, anywhere operations, and the internet of behaviors.
ITEC 850 - IT Policy and Governance (4)
This course aims to improve critical thinking and decision-making skills in the IT policy and governance field. The course brings forth today's complex and cutting-edge computing environment by taking threats, vulnerabilities, and cyber controls into account. This course provokes the questions of how the GRC (Governance, Risk Management, Compliance) practices should be applied in today's complex IT environments to make the most out of the cutting-edge technology and how critical assets should be protected from adversarial actions of advanced persistent threats. The course brings various essential processes and services to the table, including but not limited to supply-chain risks, innovation, and resilience. Research papers and discussion assignments help students obtain pertinent information and improve research and academic writing skills within the field.
ITEC 860 - IT Vision and Leadership (4)
Vision is necessary for an organization to adopt, implement, and use information technology effectively. Leadership makes vision work. In this course, students will study, research, and apply leadership concepts, theories, and constructs that have been shown to be successful in information technology organizations. Two broad topics, (1) Vision and leadership in IT, (2) How to choose and benefit from the technology to accomplish the vision, will be delivered in the first four weeks of the course. This course is heavily based on research, presentation, and writing on future trends combined with leading people and IT organizations. In the first four weeks, each student will pick a very recent technology and research and write a paper about it. In the last four weeks, they will present the technologies that they've researched.