Health Management and Policy Major (B.S.)

The Health Management and Policy (HMP) curriculum includes a variety of healthcare content areas, such as data, epidemiology, finance, management, marketing, policy, and public health courses. Students complete a core of introductory courses during their first and second years in the major. Junior and senior HMP major courses are designed in a two-year cohort model, (see course sequence), which includes a 400-hour summer internship.

Faculty play a large part in the student academic experience, by providing guidance on major and University required courses, as well as future academic and career plans. This bachelor of science degree prepares students to be healthcare leaders upon graduation, within such roles, (including, but not limited to), consultants, analysts, sales, practice managers, and researchers, Additionally, the HMP major positions students to pursue graduate degrees and careers within business, epidemiology, law, public health, nursing, and medical school.

It is important to note that internal or external transfer students may require an extra year due to the prescribed course sequence. 

Degree Requirements

All Major, Option and Elective Requirements as indicated.
*Major GPA requirements as indicated.

Major Requirements

¹

AP Statistics does not meet the statistics requirement.

²

HMP 798H is taken for two credits Fall of senior year, if selected for Honors in Major.

³

HMP 799H is taken for four credits Spring of senior year, if completing the Honors in Major thesis.

Field Practicum

HMP 622 Field Practicum in Organizational and Project Analysis, and Management Skills Development is the required 400 hour 10-week field practicum, (or administrative internship), which constitutes an essential part of the HMP academic program. The field practicum occurs during the summer between junior and senior year, typically beginning in late May and ending in late August, requiring a full-time commitment of the student. Students must be an HMP major, in good academic standing in the major, and must retain a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher to be granted permission to enroll in the course.

This experience allows students to explore an area of special interest in depth that integrates class work with a supervised field experience. Given sufficient timing of student requests, efforts will be made to arrange practica at distant sites based on special needs. Field practicum sites are selected with student involvement. Typical sites are often concentrated in central and Northern New England, but the experience could also be elsewhere, including abroad.

Academic Requirements

HMP majors must obtain a minimum of a B- in all HMP required courses and prerequisite courses. Majors must have an overall grade-point average of 3.00 to remain in the major. Students not continuing to make progress in the major, as evidenced by a low grades (below B-), incomplete courses, and/or administrative failures resulting in a cumulative GPA lower than 3.0 may, upon determination by the Health Management and Policy faculty, be excluded from the major and participation in the Field Practicum. An exclusion from the major may also be necessary to resolve questions concerning major departmental requirements or University academic standards.

The academic action of exclusion could be a temporary action. Consideration for a temporary action requires that a petition is completed by the student detailing the extenuating circumstances and providing supportive documentation to the Health Management and Policy Department for review by faculty with a determination of approval. Should a petition be granted approval to remain in the major due to extenuating circumstances, the student must demonstrate academic progress (B- in HMP courses and 3.0 GPA) the following semester or they will be excluded from the major without the option to return. If the petition is not determined approved by the faculty, students will be required to change their major.

Internal Applications for HMP Major

Students interested in additional information or in applying for admission to the health management and policy major should attend an HMP information session, and/or contact the academic department coordinator. Efforts should be made to complete this process during the freshman year or early in the sophomore year to ensure sufficient time to complete the required courses, HMP 401 , HMP 403 , HMP 501 , HMP 512 , ENGL 502, and Statistics. Admitted UNH students can apply to the major once the student meets the application requirements, a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 and at least one of the required courses completed with a B- or higher; however all HMP required courses must be completed with a B- or better to progress in the major.

Honors in Major

The department offers an honors-in-major program. Students must meet the department's requirement of having an overall 3.7 grade-point average at UNH and a 3.7 grade-point average for required HMP courses taken by the end of the spring semester sophomore year to be invited to Honors-in-Major. Honors-in-major students take a total of three honors designated  major courses during the junior year and senior year, as well as completing an honors thesis project during the senior year, HMP 798H and HMP 799H . Students work on the honors thesis with a faculty member within the HMP department who has knowledge in the specific topic. Students should contact the academic department coordinator for further information.

Suggested course sequence for major courses.

• The complexity of the health care delivery system, quality of care, and it relates to population health as well as the complexity of financing of the US healthcare delivery model.
• Analyze complex management situations, data and apply (appropriate) health management concepts, theories and models to develop recommendations, working within a team environment.
• Ability to describe and discuss the role of Human resource functions and the laws governing, the difference between management and leadership, organizational structures, mergers, acquisitions and affiliations and the role of governmental laws and regulations.
• Identify and prioritize organizational needs and market imperatives in design and development of business plans for health Programs and services in a variety of management settings to compile, present and discuss data and its limitations related to specific managerial problems and ethics for organizational decision making based on regulations and principles that govern the domains and the role of management and leadership.
• Use pf computer analysis tools for calculating, aggregating, presenting and discussing data and its analysis.
• Understand the importance of a Mission and Vision statements and Identification and involvement of stakeholders, recognizing political and legal implications of actions and decisions.
• Describe and generally assess key concepts and elements of health information systems selection and implementation of health care systems and regulatory requirements related to clinical and financial systems, and the role in HIT/HIM as it relates to cost, quality and access.
• Application of economic theory and current mechanisms for advanced financial knowledge to decision making and strategic thinking skills, ability to identify and target market segment and defined appropriate intervals to measure. the time value of money, long-term debt, stocks and equity, and evaluation of capital projects.
• Communicate information, ideas and information effectively in a written and oral format using appropriate professional conventions.