Doctor of Health Sciences Online

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Program Description (Home) : Faculty : Admission Requirements : Curriculum Overview : Example of Three Year Study Plan : Course Descriptions : Student Testimonials : Applied Research Project Examples : Tuition and Expenses : Technology Requirements : Blackboard Demo Course : Accreditation

Course Descriptions

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 is a required introductory course for the program with the goal to assist students to develop and fine-tune their writing abilities. The course will address grammar, sentence structure, paragraph development, referencing, and writing requirements for scholarly papers. This course examines in practical terms the elements required for successful publication of a journal article or clinical case review. This course encourages good writing skills through choosing better words, writing better sentences, and preparing better tables, graphs and photographs. All students are required to develop and submit a quality paper that meets the requirements for publication in a peer-reviewed professional or biomedical journal.

Decision Analysis Foundation

DHS 601: Principles of Management and Decision Analysis
This course introduces the principles of management and leadership and utilizes the application of decision-making theories and models. The primary goal of this course is to acquaint students with a set of management and decision analysis tools, and to demonstrate how these principles and tools apply to managerial decision modeling in applied health care delivery and research. The course links the process of structuring decision problem alternatives using diagrams, frameworks, analysis and decision trees to reach a solution that meets the decision goals and objectives. The course focuses on developing a variety of problem solving and decision analysis skills which can be incorporated into business and personal decision-making.

DHS 602: Risk Management for Health Professionals
This course provides an introduction to quality of healthcare and risk management as it relates to and interacts with the broader picture of quality improvement. The course will explore many important issues pivotal to promoting quality health care. Topics that will be discussed in the course include: how are quality outcomes defined and measured; who is responsible for measuring health; and what are the prominent quality improvement theories used in healthcare. In addition the results of data from studies describing how the United States health system is performing; and what are quality initiatives that could be implemented to enhance healthcare are highlighted.

DHS 603: Healthcare Information Systems

This course will provide students with the opportunity to examine the application of technology to obtain and use data, knowledge, and information in the field of health care. Students will understand how application of technology in healthcare has become increasingly critical to patient care, quality, effectiveness, efficiency, and overall operations. With increased government support for healthcare information systems, health information technology will be the base of support for clinical and management decision-making. This course also explores the issues, benefits, and challenges of using health care information systems. Emphasis will be placed on applications that directly impact government initiatives, business operations, and patient safety.

Health Sciences Foundation

DHS 701: Health Care Delivery Systems
This course introduces the historical development, structure, operation, function, and current and future directions of health care delivery systems. The course will explore how national systems have evolved and how countries confront the emerging issues in healthcare. Specific topics discussed will include the historical evolution of health systems, the various models that are used around the world, the main components of a health system, and the criteria used to assess the functioning of a health system. Included will be discussions around how health systems can be reformed and what strategies may be used to accomplish this.

DHS 702: Health Administration Law & Ethics
This course provides non-legal health professionals with a concrete foundation in healthcare law and ethics. The goal is to assist students develop practical approaches to improving the excellence and delivery of healthcare. Healthcare decisions are especially apt to have some form of ethical consequence. This course is designed to provide a basic framework from which to consider these consequences, as well as give the healthcare professional tools that will assist in times of ethical dilemmas.

DHS 703: Population Health & Patient-Centered Care
This course examines many of the issues that are believed to influence the health of the global population. As the world is being challenged daily with forces of nature and manmade dilemmas, we are all tasked to influence and alter the trajectory and consequences of many of these negative stimuli. The course will explore many prominent themes and issues that are believed to influence the health of populations. Topics that will be discussed in the course include how population health is influenced by urbanization and migration, climate change, culture, the media, social and economic class, gender, employment status, and political and health systems.

Evidence-Based Practice Foundation

DHS 801: Health Care Outcomes
This course introduces the concept of continuous quality improvement as a means to evaluate and improve health care outcomes. Continuous quality improvement (CQI) has presented a great opportunity to the health community but it is not a panacea for all health system problems.  CQI represents a perspective and framework for on-going development processes leading to increased customization and co-configuration of health services and strategies for health care reform.  It is one of an array of approaches that health care leaders should be using to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of health services, along with patient-centered care, evidence-based medicine/management, clinical pathways, and process re-engineering.

DHS 802: Research Methods, Design and Analysis
This course provides an introduction and overview of research methodology. This course will explore qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches to examining a problem and finding answers through research methodology. Topics that will be discussed in the course include: how to select the best research method for the problem under study, the purpose of a literature review, ethical considerations for all research, and what types of data collection tools and analytic principles should be employed. The goal of the course is introduce the research process, and the methods and analytical tools required to critically evaluate research reports in preparation for initiating the Applied Research Project. The main focus of the course will be to gain skills in reviewing and critiquing research.

DHS 803: Evidence-Based Practice
This course teaches health professionals how to integrate best research with clinical expertise, critical thinking, 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 health professionals will be identified. Methods to promote health professionals participation in learning and research activities to the extent feasible will be explored.

Winter Institute

DHS 900: Winter Institute - Health Professionals Role in Health Promotion
The Winter Institute is a course delivered through blended distance and residential learning comprising of predominately an online format with a one-week residential educational event held in Arizona. This course will reflect on the national goals for health promotion through reviewing current public health documents. This course will assist in the development of a health promotion plan that could be incorporated at an individual, group, or community level. To fully understand the processes necessary to implement health promotion initiatives as a health professional, studying and discussing the development of health promotion programs is necessary. The course will explore the common issues threatening the health status of society. The steps and processes required to develop or evaluate a health promotion initiative will be discussed. The residential component of the course will consist of lectures, group work, presentations, debates, case studies, and various other events which address relevant health care issues that impact educators, administrators, researchers, and clinicians. The course will culminate in the presentation of an applicable health promotion initiative at the Winter Institute.

Applied Research Project

DHS 901: Literature Review for Applied Research Project
DHS 902: Proposal Development for Applied Research Project
DHS 903: Data Collection for Applied Research Project
DHS 904: Data Analysis for Applied Research Project
DHS 905: Dissemination-Publishable Paper for Applied Research Project

The 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. The goal of the applied research project is to advance practical knowledge in the health sciences based on applied research and analysis. Each student will be assigned a faculty member to approve the project and provide mentorship and supervision throughout the process.

Concentrations

Global Health

DHS 811: Global Health Issues
This course provides an introduction to important global health issues, including determinants of health, key areas of disease burden, and the role that new health technologies can play in solving these problems. The goal of the course is to expand 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 will examine case studies of successful global health interventions to understand features of successful programs.

DHS 812: Globalization and World Politics
This course introduces the theoretical and practical issues associated with the radical global processes that are now affecting human life locally and globally. The course emphasizes the 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 provides an introduction to the principles and theory of ethics as applied to global health. The course will examine some of the primary theories and principles in healthcare ethics including virtue, deontology, utilitarian, autonomy, justice, beneficence, and nonmaleficence. The course will explore many prominent global health issues and exemplify how greater knowledge and understanding of global ethics is vital to effective and sound decision-making. Topics that will be discussed in the course 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 and Issues in Leadership
This course examines the historical and current theoretical models of leadership and will address contemporary thoughts on leadership, the leader's role, and explore applications of that role. The course will explore topics that include the current context for leadership and personal leadership styles in the health care arena. Students will examine moral frameworks for leadership and decision making as well as leadership domains and the synthesis of leadership development. Case studies will explore leadership in practice in both the public and private sectors as it relates to health care management.

DHS 822: Health Policy Development and Analysis
This course provides an in-depth discussion of the key political and administrative decision-making processes of the American health system. Particular emphasis is placed on the health policy development process. The goal of the course is to expand knowledge on the definition of public policy; health policy development process; and funding solutions to complete policy issues. Students will examine the variety of social, economic, and political influences on health policy making and will discover that there are a variety of “policy instruments” available to decision makers to solve policy problems at the policy formulation stage.

DHS 823: Organizational Behavior
This course examines how the 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 will focus on the problems and challenges leaders face in dealing with the individual and the small groups in the organization. Special attention will be given to the role of teams in organizations, the 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 then explored with a focus on understanding how and why people react to organizational change and identifying opportunities for enhancing the effective implementation of change.

Fundamentals of Education

DHS 841: Theoretical Foundations of Learning

The purpose of this course is to review the research on learning theory to provide the foundation for understanding learning styles and their applicability to adult learners. The course is designed to examine evidence related to adult learning and will explore the neuroscience, behavioral, cognitive, psychological, and social factors inherent in adult learning. The student will engage in a critical analysis and examination of numerous scientific theories and processes that are thought to influence learning. Some of the main theories that will be explored include: behaviorism, social cognition, information processing, constructivism, cognitive learning, and motivation.

DHS 842: Contemporary Teaching and Learning Concepts

This course is an overview of some of the current models and theories that are becoming popular in higher education. Much research has focused on academia over the past few years to determine how best to educate students in a cost effective, productive manner. Some of the more prominent theories include: learner-centered teaching, student-centered learning, inter-professional learning, and distance education. The purpose of this course is to explore the research and practical application of contemporary models of education. Students will examine various models and philosophies of delivering and managing course content, promoting knowledge transfer, and determining best practices for effective teaching.

DHS 843: Curriculum and Course Design

The purpose of this course is to expand knowledge and understanding of curriculum and course development. The course is designed to engage students in developing course syllabus, assignments and grading rubrics, lesson plans, and a course outline. Students will explore strategies that promote student learning based on best teaching practices.