A certificate in Health Sector Management (HSM) requires the completion of all Fuqua Daytime MBA course requirements, as well as three required HSM courses and three additional electives.

Required Courses

Health Care in the 21st Century

This week-long course provides a detailed overview of the health care system's segments and stakeholders, analyzes the industry's evolution, and addresses likely changes within the sector during the next century. Daytime, Cross Continent, Weekend Executive and Global Executive MBA students may take this course together. Dan Mendelson

Economics and Strategy of Health Sector Management

This course applies the tools of economics and strategy to challenges and opportunities faced by product manufacturers, insurers, health care providers, and hospitals. David Ridley

Seminars in Health Care

These seminars allow students to explore health care applications of skills and knowledge derived from core MBA courses. In addition to Duke faculty, external industry experts highlight, address, and discuss the most current healthcare issues. Jeff Moe

Electives

The completion of three HSM electives counts as elective credit toward the MBA degree. Students may then enroll in additional electives in health or non-health courses. These electives may include:

Biotechnology: Management of Drug Discovery

An overview of the biotechnology industry from scientific, clinical, legal, financial, and ethical perspectives. Kevin Schulman

Economics and Management of the Pharmaceutical Industry

An examination of management and policy issues concerning innovation, product commercialization, competition, and regulation in the pharmaceutical industry -international in perspective with an emphasis on the current U.S. market and policy. Will Mitchell (with David Ridley) 

Health Care Marketing

This course leverages and deepens core marketing knowledge by addressing how standard marketing analysis, tactics, and strategy apply within the health sector. Janet Schwartz

Health Care Operations

A course that focuses exclusively on health care services while discussing tools that can be used to improve service and make decisions. Otis Jennings

Invention to Application: Health Care Research Commercialization

A hands-on learning experience in which students work with researchers at Duke as well as with experienced entrepreneurs to commercialize real-case Duke University research. Barry Myers

Management of Health Systems and Policy

Students travel to Washington, D.C. to visit federal institutions, advocacy groups, and non-governmental organizations that are critical to the development of health policy and technology and the delivery of health care services. Kevin Schulman

Medical Device Commercialization

An exploration of the market model for medical products, services and technologies, as well as an assessment of market need - the centerpiece of a company product plan and agenda to forge its place in device history. Gopal Chopra and  Ronnie Chatterji

Provider Strategy

This course focuses on organizational innovation, specifically strategies and tactics for provider networks to successfully manage resource constraints as well as insurance and reimbursement issues in order to deliver quality, ethical and cost-effective care. Marco Huesch

Health Care Law and Policy

This course is designed for both law students and MBA students  and aims to bridge the market and legal issues that combine to shape the industry. No preliminary knowledge in either law or business/economics is required or assumed, though the course will rely on students' comparative expertise in each. Barak Richman

Electives outside HSM

The HSM elective requirements can also be met by taking other courses offered at Duke (HSM administration would have to be notified to ensure the completion of course assignments which relate to health care). These electives may include: 

• Duke New Ventures Clinic
• Small Business Consulting
• Mentored Study in Entrepreneurship
• Independent Health Care Study
• Marketing Practicum
• Entrepreneurship Planning Practicum
• Global Health (offered at Sanford Institute of Public Policy)
• Topics in Health Policy (offered at Sanford Institute of Public Policy; instructor consent required)

The Duke MBA - Health Sector Management (HSM) offers students a variety of opportunities to engage with peers, leading health care professionals, and potential employers. We annually survey students and communicate closely with class representatives to design events that address students' interests and enhance their knowledge and networking opportunities.

Student, Peer and Industry Networking

Health Care Club

This student-run organization educates its members about career opportunities and industry trends. Through panel discussions and other activities, the Club also provides a forum to interact with industry professionals and alumni from prominent healthcare organizations. The Health Care Club regularly sponsors the Annual Healthcare Conference .  

• Learn more about the Health Care Club.

Diverse Networking Opportunities

• Duke's location close to Research Triangle Park offers numerous opportunities to engage with industry leaders. Duke-sponsored industry events provide additional opportunities to interact with health care experts.
• The weeklong Health Care in the 21st Century class brings together Daytime students with Cross Continent, Weekend Executive and Global Executive MBA students, as well as alumni who return to Duke to pursue the HSM Alumni Certificate (This course is required for Daytime but optional for Cross Continent, Weekend Executive and Global Executive students). 
• Enrolled HSM students are invited to HSM and Fuqua alumni activities in the United States and around the world.

HSM-Sponsored Conferences and Meetings

Health Sector Advisory Council

Formed to provide faculty, students, and staff with the latest outside perspective on health care, the Health Sector Advisory Council meets twice a year to review new trends, emerging technologies, and research-grounded insights. The Council is made up of senior health care executives as well as faculty and students across Duke. Students are provided the opportunity to attend these meetings through the Health Sector Management office.

• Learn more about the Health Sector Advisory Council

Additional Health Industry Events

HSM partners with numerous health care organizations to arrange seminars, meetings, and other events that bring together top minds in academia and industry. Many of these events involve and/or are open to HSM students. 

Industry-Sponsored Conferences and Meetings

HSM provides some sponsorships and stipends for students to attend local, national, and international health care conferences. These include meetings organized by the:

• American College of Healthcare Executives
• Council for Entrepreneurial Development
• Triangle Healthcare Executive's Forum 
• North Carolina Biotechnology Center 
• Healthcare Businesswomen's Association

Global Learning Opportunities

Worldwide Partnerships

Students have access to valuable resources and learning experiences through Duke's many global partnerships, including:

• Duke Clinical Research Institute , the world's largest and oldest academic clinical research institution, which has 5,000 investigators worldwide and currently conducts research in 63 countries.
• Duke Global Health Initiative , which brings together interdisciplinary teams and partners to reduce health disparities locally and worldwide, solve highly complex health problems, and train the next generation of global health leaders.
• Duke-National University of Singapore Graduate Medical School , Singapore's first medical school based on the American medical education model. 
• Global Business School Network , which is actively learning about and helping to develop health care management education in Africa.

Study Abroad

HSM students are able to explore first-hand the health care issues specific to individual countries. Among the organizations at Fuqua that support students interested in studying outside the United States are:

• Global Academic Travel Experience
• Fuqua International Center

Duke MBA graduates with a certificate in Health Sector Management (HSM) are trained to excel in a variety of positions across the health care industry. In coordination with The Duke MBA Career Management Center (CMC), HSM actively supports its students as they seek either summer internships or permanent positions upon graduation.

Each year, a broad range of health-related companies recruit at Fuqua, including:

• Amgen
• Biogen Idec
• Booz-Allen & Hamilton Inc.
• Boston Scientific
• Chiron
• Daiichi Sankyo
• Eli Lilly and Company
• Hospital Corporation of America, Inc.
• Johnson & Johnson
• Lab Corporation of America
• Medtronic
• Merck
• Pfizer
• PricewaterhouseCoopers
• Quintiles Transnational Corp.
• Stryker
• Tenet Healthcare Corporation