Doctor of Health Sciences Online
Request Information Contact a Representative Apply Now
Program Description (Home) : Admission Requirements : Curriculum Overview :
Example of Three Year Study Plan : Course Descriptions : Tuition and Expenses :
Technology Requirements : WebCT Demo Course : Financial Assistance : Accreditation :
Fact Sheet 
Course Descriptions
Preparation Courses
DHS 101: Orientation to Program
This course is a self-directed orientation to the policies of the program, the learning platform used, and the Learning Resource Center. You will review available resources to familiarize yourself with what will assist you in succeeding in your studies prior to, or at the commencement of, the program. This orientation has no credit associated with it and will be available throughout your program for ongoing assistance.
DHS 600: Writing for Health Professionals
This course provides a review of basic writing skills, grammar, and style in preparation for advancing writing proficiency. This required introductory course will help students develop and fine-tune their writing abilities. The course addresses grammar, sentence structure, paragraph development, referencing, and writing requirements for scholarly papers.
Decision Analysis Foundation
DHS 601: Principles of Management & Decision Analysis
This course introduces the principles of management and utilizes the application of decision making examples. The primary goal of this course is to acquaint students with a set of management and decision making principles and decision analysis tools, and demonstrate how these principles and tools apply to managerial decision modeling in applied healthcare delivery and research. The course links the process of structuring decision problem alternatives using diagrams and decision trees to reach a solution meeting the decision goals and objectives. Students explore decision making and decision analysis alternatives to understand how managers use models to help them solve and understand problems.
DHS 602: Risk Management for Health Practitioners
This course introduces risk analysis and assessment in management as a means of rational decision making in the face of uncertain, adverse events. Risk assessment and analysis are important processes in identifying a risk and recognizing it as a threat. Risk management involves a structured approach to managing uncertainty through risk assessment. This course evaluates the issue and potential solutions in a manner that is theoretically sound and practical. The course will use case studies to describe applications of risk management from a variety of sources based on health outcomes and choices and provide essential tools for making risk-based decisions.
DHS 603: Healthcare Information Systems
This course examines the development and use of information systems in healthcare organizations. Topics include the examination of clinical and administrative management information systems (MIS) and models; collecting, storing, and retrieving data to support management activities; and the use of MIS in the areas of strategic planning and quality management. Students will develop an understanding of health information regulations, laws, and standards. The course also examines the current and emerging use of technologies such as Electronic Medical Record and Computer Physician Order Entry software.
Health Sciences Foundation
DHS 701: Healthcare Delivery Systems
This course introduces the historical development, structure, operation, function, and current and future directions of the major components of healthcare delivery systems. The course explores how national systems have evolved and how countries confront emerging issues in healthcare. Specific topics include the historical evolution of health systems, the various models used around the world, the main components of a health system, and the criteria used to assess the functioning of a health system. Students will discuss how health systems can be reformed and what strategies may be used to accomplish this. The course explores and compares the evolution, administrative, structures, societal choices, financing, and provision of healthcare services around the world.
DHS 702: Health Administration Law & Ethics
This course provides non-legal professionals with a concrete foundation in healthcare law and ethics. The goal is to help students develop practical approaches to improving the excellence and delivery of healthcare. Critical thinking skills will be honed as learners review issues such as Sarbanes-Oxley, privacy of medical information, and other current case law issues.
DHS 703: Population Health & Patient-Centered Care
This course provides an analysis of ethnic, social, economic, and cultural factors and issues affecting optimal healthcare delivery. This course critically examines the relationship between cultural factors and health and the healthcare delivery system, as well as issues surrounding cultural sensitivity and competency. Students explore how ethnicity, gender, social class, and the organization of health disciplines and health systems influence opportunities for health and the delivery of healthcare to clients, particularly vulnerable or marginalized populations. The course identifies and develops potential solutions to barriers faced by healthcare providers and users.
Evidence-Based Practice Foundation
DHS 801: Healthcare Outcomes
This course introduces students to development, measurement, and evaluation issues associated with patient-centered outcomes and quality of care studies. Disablement models (Nagi, WHO, NCMRR) are presented as a foundation for assessment of clinical outcomes. Topics covered include development of outcomes framework, outcomes measures, risk adjustment of health outcomes, technical and practical issues with measurement and estimation, and empirical examples of healthcare outcomes research. Outcome and quality measures covered include generic and condition-specific health status measures, satisfaction, patient trust, and patient adherence.
DHS 802: Research Methods, Design and Analysis
This course assists in the development and application of knowledge and skills related to the use of research methods in health sciences, including identification of a health sciences problem, conducting a literature review to investigate the current extent of information and knowledge about that problem, developing a set of hypotheses that are testable using research designs and methods, designing the (experimental or observational) study, assessing differences between randomized and other studies, submitting an Institutional Review Board application, and collecting and analyzing data. The course also develops knowledge in statistics that is appropriate in both descriptive and experimental research. Statistical software programs such as SPSS, SYSTAT, and others will be used to develop a sound understanding of methods through practical applications.
DHS 803 Evidence-Based Practice
This course teaches health sciences professionals how to integrate best research with clinical expertise and patient values for optimum care. Systematic methods for critical appraisal of study quality, research design, strength of research recommendations, and quality of literature pertaining to a particular clinical problem will be presented. Evidence-based resources and databases for the practicing clinician will be identified. Methods to promote health professionals’ participation in learning and research activities will be explored.
Winter Institute
DHS 900 Winter Institute
The Winter Institute is a one-week educational event held at ATSU’s Arizona School of Health Sciences in Mesa, Ariz. Students participate in lectures, group work, presentations, debates, case studies, and other events addressing relevant healthcare issues impacting educators, administrators, researchers, and clinicians. Guest speakers representing leaders in healthcare will present their work to students. In addition to the week-long event, preparation is required prior to the institute as part of the course. Attendance at the Winter Institute is required once in the program for completion of the degree; however, students are welcome to enroll each year.
Applied Research Project
DHS 901: Proposal Development
DHS 902: Literature Review and Sampling Methodology
DHS 903: Data Collection
DHS 904: Data Analysis
DHS 905: Dissemination – Publishable Paper
This applied research project consists of five courses that develop a research project from the stages of proposal to dissemination. The research project is an applied research-based effort in an area chosen by the student with the approval of the D.H.Sc. program director. The goal of the applied research project is to advance practical knowledge in health sciences based on applied research and analysis.
The research project should be developed in the publication format of a major journal in the field relevant to the student’s career objectives. It is required as part of the dissemination of the project findings that the final paper be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication. Proof of submission is required. Students are assigned a faculty member to approve the project and provide mentorship and supervision throughout the process. Applied research project courses can be taken individually or concurrently based on progression of the project.
Concentrations
Global Health concentration
DHS 811: Global Health Issues
This course introduces important global health issues, including determinants of health, key areas of disease burden, and the role new health technologies can play in solving these problems. The course expands students’ understanding of the impact of infectious and chronic diseases on the world’s population, with particular attention paid to the health status of women, children, and the poor. Students examine case studies of successful global health interventions to understand features of successful programs.
DHS 812: Globalization & World Politics
This course introduces the theoretical and practical issues associated with radical global processes affecting human life locally and globally. The course emphasizes political-economic, cultural, institutional, technological, and ecological implications of globalization and allows students to evaluate whether these processes pose opportunities or challenges to individuals, societies, and the global community.
DHS 813: Global Health Ethics
This course introduces the principles and theory of ethics as applied to global health. The course examines primary theories and principles in healthcare ethics including virtue, deontology, utilitarian, autonomy, justice, beneficence, and nonmaleficence. The course explores many prominent global health issues and exemplifies how greater knowledge and understanding of global ethics is vital to effective and sound decision-making. Topics discussed include ethical issues related to pandemic preparedness, end of life, human organ transplantation, clinical research in developing countries, human rights, resource allocation, and the effects of globalization on world health.
Leadership and Organizational BEHAVIOR
DHS 821: Trends & Issues in Leadership
This course is an overview of the historical and current theoretical models of leadership and addresses contemporary thought on leadership and the leader's role, and explores applications of that role. Topics include the current context for leadership and personal leadership styles in the healthcare arena. Students examine moral frameworks for leadership and decision making as well as leadership domains and the synthesis of leadership development organizational theory. Case studies explore leadership in practice in both the public and private sectors as it relates to healthcare management.
DHS 822: Health Policy Development and Analysis
This course provides an in-depth discussion of key political and administrative decision-making processes of the American health system. Particular emphasis is placed on the health policy development process. The course expands knowledge on the definition of public policy, health policy development process, and funding solutions to complete policy issues. Students examine a variety of social, economic, and political influences on health policy making and will discover there are a variety of “policy instruments” available to decision makers to solve policy problems at the formulation stage.
DHS 823: Organizational Behavior
This course examines how personal characteristics of organizational members influence the effectiveness and productivity of organizations and the job satisfaction of its members. It is believed that organizations are comprised of three levels: the individual, the group or department, and the organization itself. This course focuses on the problems and challenges leaders face in dealing with individual and small groups in the organization. Special attention is given to the role of teams in organizations, stages of team development, and actions that can support the development of effective teams. The realities of interpersonal processes are considered through examination of the roles of power, politics, and conflict in organizations. The human side of organizational change is explored with a focus on understanding how and why people react to organizational change and identifying opportunities for enhancing the effective implementation of change.
Advanced PHYSICIAN Assistant Studies
The student participates in self-designing this concentration and has the opportunity to select three courses out of specific courses offered that they believe will best meet their knowledge acquisition and learning needs. Course offerings vary, but endeavor to offer skill and knowledge enhancement as an advanced physician assistant.
