Health Finance Specialization

The Health Finance specialization has two sub-specialization areas:

Health Financial Management

The Health Financial Management specialization prepares students to organize and interpret financial information as the basis of decision-making.

You’ll study financial and managerial accounting, financial statements, business plans, budgeting, capital planning, cost accounting, managerial control, working capital management, and payment systems.

Financial managers measure the flow of funds into and out of the organization, plan for investments in buildings and new technology, and forecast future surpluses and deficits for the organization as a whole and its departments. As a financial manager, you’ll work closely with other professionals—accountants, administrators, computer programmers, records managers, and planners—whose decisions have an impact on the organization’s financial status and who rely on your skills and advice.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Below is an overview of the required coursework for the two specializations. 

DEGREE CORE COURSES

CORE-GP.1011, Statistical Methods
CORE-GP.1018, Microeconomics
CORE-GP.1020, Management and Leadership
CORE-GP.1021, Financial Management
CORE-GP.1022, Introduction to Public Policy

Required Courses

HPAM-GP.1830, Introduction to Health Policy and Management OR HPAM-GP.2836, Topics in Health Policy: Policy, Politics, and Power

HPAM-GP.1833, Strategic Management for Healthcare Organizations
HPAM-GP.2845, Advanced Health Care Payment Systems
HPAM-GP.4130, Fundamentals of Accounting
HPAM-GP.4830, Health Economics: Principles
HPAM-GP.4840, Financial Management for Health Care Orgs - I: Financial Management and Budgeting
HPAM-GP.4841, Financial Management for Health Care Orgs - II: Capital Financing and Advanced Issues

Recommended Electives

Students may wish to organize their electives around the following areas:

 

Topics in Finance

PADM-GP.2142, Financial Management II
HPAM-GP.4840, Financial Management for Health Care Orgs - I: Financial Management and Budgeting
HPAM-GP.4841, Financial Management for Health Care Orgs - II: Capital Financing and Advanced Issues

Topics in Health Policy and Management

PADM-GP.2170, Performance Measurement and Management
PADM-GP.2173, Operations Management
HPAM-GP.2825, Continuous Quality Improvement
HPAM-GP.2836, Topics in Health Policy: Policy, Politics, and Power
HPAM-GP.2846, The Realities of Managing Complex Health Systems
PADM-GP.4111, Leading Service Delivery
URPL-GP.4634, Equitable Community Engagement
HPAM-GP.4822, Healthcare Information Technology: Public Policy and Management
HPAM-GP.4831, Health Economics: Topics in Domestic Health Policy
HPAM-GP.4851, Healthcare Emergency Management
HPAM-GP.4852, Ethical Issues in Healthcare Management

Health Public Finance

The Health Public Finance specialization gives students the concepts and skills needed for careers that focus on the financial aspects of healthcare policy and the healthcare delivery system. You’ll take courses in public expenditure analysis, social insurance programs, taxation, and debt financing, among others.

Health public finance positions are located in every sector, and many graduates move between positions during their careers. They might be budget officers and analysts, consultants, finance directors, grant managers, program auditors, financial analysts, bond raters, investment bankers, and bond insurance underwriters.

Required Courses

HPAM-GP.1830, Introduction to Health Policy and Management OR HPAM-GP.2836, Topics in Health Policy: Policy, Politics, and Power

PADM-GP.2140, Public Economics
PADM-GP.2902, Multiple Regression and Introduction to Econometrics
HPAM-GP.4130, Fundamentals of Accounting
HPAM-GP.4830, Health Economics: Principles
HPAM-GP.4831, Health Economics: Topics in Domestic Health Policy

Recommended Electives

HPAM-GP.2836, Topics in Health Policy: Policy, Politics, and Power