This course reviews standard methods when designing and conducting qualitative and quantitative research projects in health and human services research. Topics include the research question, the literature review, information technology, components of a research study, and quantitative and qualitative research design, data collection, analysis, write-up, and publication. 

It is recommended that this course be taken in the student's first semester.

The focus of this course is on written and oral communications in professional and academic settings with an emphasis on academic writing. Theories of interpersonal and organizational communication, appropriate writing style based on audience, academic voice and style, literature searches, writing that incorporates sources materials, ethical use of source materials, APA style and effective presentations are examined.

This course examines economics and its effect on business and social environments. The course uses micro and macro economic theory and environmental scanning techniques to look at a variety of domestic and global social problems.

This course focuses on how diversity of all kinds influences both organizational behavior and client outcomes. The place of culture in society, the marketplace, and the workplace is examined. The importance of cultural competence is explored along with the knowledge and skills needed to work with, manage, and serve diverse groups of workers and clients.

This course examines core areas of staffing, training, motivation, compensation and benefits, and employee relations in both service and product-driven organizations. It emphasizes the understanding of and the application of effective human resource management principles to the issues faced by the human resource manager in today's world.

This course examines human behavior and social relationships in the workplace setting from a domestic and intercultural perspective. The theories, history and practice of promoting effective individual and group behavior in organizations across cultures are covered. Topics include groups and teams, multicultural teams, power and influence, trust, gender and equality, the impact of culture on work behavior, and creating cultural synergy in a multicultural work environment.

Prerequisite or concurrent courses: All other required coursework for the MA in Health and Human Services degree or MBA must be completed before this course can be taken.


In this course, theory with practice is integrated by formulating and completing a project that applies the program outcome to the field of health and human services administration and accompanying analysis.

• GM635 Social Economics
• GM643 Multicultural Perspectives
• MBA610 Organizations and Human Behavior
• GM620 Communication Skills
• GM655 Human Resource Management
• HS685 Research Methods

This course provides applied theories and skills of leadership and management in healthcare administration.  Governance, vision and mission, strategic planning, decision making, and promotion of organizational growth and sustainability are explored.

• MBA610 Organizations and Human Behavior

This course reviews the foundational theories and concepts of health informatics and covers what one meant by information, what constitutes a model, and what defines a system. Roles that information systems play in healthcare, types of computer-based health information systems, and issues related to data privacy, confidentiality, integrity, and availability are addressed.

This course examines how the health and social well being of general populations relates to specific client populations. It focuses on the contributions of the fields of demography and epidemiology in understanding how to research and use population-based data to carry out needs assessments, policy development, program development, and evaluation.

• HS685 Research Methods

This course examines the ethical and legal dimensions of healthcare administration.  Topics include ethical issues, public policy, and compliance standards impacting healthcare finance and delivery: frameworks for ethical decision making; socioeconomic impacts on public policy; and strategies for influencing the policy-making process.

This course examines the financial practices and procedures associated with leading a heathcare organization. Students have the opportunity to analyze and interpret financial statements, as well as create and evaluate capital budgets. Public policy and the economic forces that influence healthcare organizations are explored.

This course evaluates the fundamentals of current healthcare delivery systems in the U.S.  Topics include healthcare regulatory and financial systems, healthcare delivery operations, and organizational design theories.

This course provides skills and applied theories of management and leadership in human services administration.  Board governance, vision and mission, strategic planning, decision making, and promotion of organizational growth and sustainability are explored.

• MBA610 Organizations and Human Behavior

This course examines the legal and ethical dimensions of human services administration. Topics include ethical issues, laws, and public policy impacting human services finance and delivery: frameworks for ethical decision making: socioeconomic impacts on public policy: and strategies for influencing the policy-making process.

This course provides a historical overview of the foundation of human services. Topics include social, legislative, and economic forces influencing the past, current, and future existence of human services and how these systems have brought about change.  

This course examines techniques, tools, and strategies needed for the development of contributed revenue in nonprofit organizations. Topics include development and assessment of an organization’s fund development plan; preparation of grant proposals, other type of appeals, and special events; coordination of capital campaigns and planned giving; and examination of how different types of organizations manage fund development needs. Also discussed are the donor’s viewpoint and emerging trends in philanthropy, and the ethics and legalities of fundraising.

The course examines practical strategies and trends in marketing for small and mid-sized nonprofit organizations. Topics include the role of marketing in nonprofits, marketing research and planning, marketing’s impact on organizational revenue, relationship between marketing and fund development, types of marketing tools and strategies, audience identification and development, and role of staff and board of directors in nonprofit marketing.

This course presents generally accepted financial management principles and practices applicable to nonprofit organizations. Financial statements and reports are interpreted and analyzed, and financial analysis tools are applied to describe and evaluate the financial condition of nonprofit organizations. Related topics include budgeting, description of financial systems, and legal reporting requirements for nonprofit organizations.

This course gives students the opportunity to learn and practice higher level thinking skills such as curiosity and imagination, divergent thinking, idea generation, creative problem solving, evaluation, synthesis, critical thinking and analysis. Students develop strategies to search for challenges, identify problems, produce creative ideas, research solutions, design innovative applications, and build a case for the solution.

This course introduces selected models and practices in the exploration and understanding of what is effective leadership and decision-making.  Skills necessary for effective decision-making and problem solving within organizations are emphasized from the role of manager.

This course facilitates learning and applying the principles and tools of successful project management in organizations. It examines how a successful project manager controls company resources within the limits of time, cost, and performance.

This course emphasizes a practical and comprehensive application of key marketing concepts as they apply to businesses and organizations. Major marketing principles and strategies are explored from a managerial perspective as they apply to the marketplace domestically and around the world.

This course provides an overview of planning and managing technology and information flow in organizations. It addresses present and future issues regarding computer systems and their impact on management and operations.

This course examines both the theory and application of strategic management tasks. Among the tasks considered are: developing a mission/vision statement, setting objectives, developing and implementing a strategy, and evaluating performance.