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Master of Science in Health Care Transformation

Attention: The MS in Health Care Transformation program is currently not accepting applications for Fall 2024.

  • One-Year Master's for Health Care Professionals

    The program is delivered in a hybrid format and designed to be completed while working full time. The curriculum teaches practical strategies and solutions, many of which you can use immediately in your work. You’ll progress through the degree program with a cohort of like-minded individuals and dedicated faculty, and your network will last well beyond the 12 months of the degree program.
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  • Learn with Like-Minded Professionals

    The program is designed for health care professionals who want to lead change in existing organizations, become transformational leaders, and create high-value services in the health sector. Applicants will be expected to have a minimum of 3 years work experience in the health sector. Exceptions may be made for medical students, residents, and applicants who work in health care delivery.
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  • Earn Your Master’s

    Applying to grad school can be intimidating, but we’re here to support you every step of the way. We offer in-depth guidance to our admissions process and a checklist to ensure you have a complete application.
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  • Learn About Financial Aid Options

    We understand that grad school is an investment in your future career, and there are many ways to fund it. We’ll help you explore your options.
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  • Transform Health Care with Us

    The program is run by the Value Institute for Health and Care, which is a joint venture between Dell Medical School and McCombs. The institute was founded with a vision of achieving better health for the people of Central Texas and training leaders to transform health care worldwide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Explore answers to our most commonly asked questions.

What are my options as a recent graduate or someone new to the workforce?

Recent graduates and professionals interested in beginning careers specifically in health care information technology are invited to explore the 9-week Healthcare Informatics and Information Technology Professional Certificate program offered by McCombs School of Business. If you are interested in learning more about beginning a career in health IT, email questions to hihit@austin.utexas.edu.

What will be the mix of in person vs. online classes?

Each course will begin and end in one of the 4 on-campus weeks in Austin (August, January, May, and the following August). In between, courses will continue online and will include a weekly 90-minute synchronous class time in addition to asynchronous activities, including assignments.

How many hours a week are required for the online classes?

On average, you should be prepared to spend about 15 hours a week during each online class week. Most of that time will be spent reading, viewing related content, and completing assignments. In addition, you will be working on your experiential learning projects. The 90-minute class is the only time you are required to be somewhere at a particular time. You will also be part of both a small study team and a project team that will regularly submit assignments, so you will need to work with these team members to find times to coordinate your work.

Will this be considered a full-time program for non-Dell students?

The program is considered a full-time program for all enrolled students, even though students will continue in their jobs during the program year.

Who will teach the classes?

The faculty for the MS in Health Care Transformation is made up of faculty members from across campus, including faculty from the McCombs School of Business, Dell Medical School, Moody College of Communications, and Hicks School of Social Work.

Are the courses all created from scratch?

Yes, these courses have been developed specifically for the MS in Health Care Transformation program.

Will we come up with projects or will we join pre-existing projects? How will the projects be structured? Is there an end/capstone thesis project?

Students submit project ideas and have opportunities during the August residential to meet people they would like to work with and decide on their projects and project teams. The projects will be broken up across the 3 semesters with the fall semester focused on project proposals, spring semester focused on implementation and summer focused on analysis. The projects will culminate in the final semester with a presentation.

An MPH is directed toward community health—is this more directed to institutional/ clinical change?

The MS in Health Care Transformation is for professionals who want to lead transformation in health care. Most existing graduate programs in health care, business, administration, and so on prepare students to succeed in the existing health care system. The purpose of the program is to equip students to think differently about health care delivery, to set higher aspirations for what is possible in health care, and to realize those aspirations by learning how to design, implement, and sustain value-based transformation of health care. To achieve this purpose, the program is oriented toward implementation and practice; it’s not a theoretical program.

Where would be degree be coming from? UT Austin? Dell Med, or the Value Institute?

All graduate degrees from The University of Texas at Austin are conferred by the UT Austin Graduate School Dean.

Roughly how many students are you looking to enroll?

Each cohort is comprised of about 50 students.

Will students have to live in Austin, or will they only have to be in Austin during the Residential Weeks?

Students are not required to live in Austin and the program is designed to allow for working professionals across the globe to be able to enroll in the program. Students are expected to be in Austin during the Residential Weeks and students will be given academic calendars ahead of the program to be able to plan.

If I only spend four weeks in Austin, will I get to know my classmates and the faculty?

The year of the degree program is just the beginning of what we expect will turn into lifetime relationships. We use every opportunity to build these networks, whether it is on campus during the Residential Weeks, during the 90-minute synchronous sessions, with asynchronous assignments (like discussion boards), or working with your study teams and project teams. Everyone admitted to this program is committed to changing health care, and you will learn as much from each other as from the faculty.

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