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Curriculum and delivery

EMHA curriculum

Our Executive MHA provides a comprehensive curriculum that integrates leadership, management, and analytical skills tailored to the evolving health care sector. It’s designed to help you cultivate health management fundamentals to succeed as a senior leader in the sector. The curriculum is organized into four areas of focus:

Areas of focus

Innovation and change in health care

Understand how to lead and manage change in the ever-shifting world of health care. Explore innovative tools and approaches, as well as current challenges and opportunities presented by the Canadian health care system.

Leadership and management

Develop a well-rounded skill set in health care management and organizational leadership. Build skills in financial management, program evaluation, project management and quality improvement implementation.

Information technology and data analytics

Examine the transformative power of new technologies and apply quantitative methods and data analysis to organizational decisions. Reflect on the role of digital transformation in health care and how you can use it to move your organization forward.

Health care systems and policy

Learn to navigate the Canadian health system from a policy, ethical, and quality standpoint. Consider strengths and opportunities for health-care design and delivery from a global perspective. Explore key economics concepts as they pertain to health care.

Program delivery

The Telfer Executive MHA offers a unique, flexible approach to learning for high-performing health care leaders. The program is designed to help you manage your studies and assignments alongside your professional and personal commitments. It is primarily delivered online through a virtual learning platform that includes access to course materials, lectures, and assignments. You can engage with the weekly course content at a time that best suits your schedule.

The program includes scheduled virtual touchpoints with your course instructor and classmates. On average, students spend 10 to 12 hours per week on course preparation, assignments and team meetings. It concludes with an integrated in-person capstone week, which includes a final project, along with networking events with active alumni, faculty, and industry partners.

Student support

Our team offers personalized support during your program from admission process through to graduation. The team ensures you are well-informed when making decisions about your academic and career choices. Our focus is to empower you, so you stay on track toward graduation, and to nurture a thriving community for everyone.

Our Academic Success and Student Experience Specialist enhances the EMHA program by ensuring your success and satisfaction. The specialist is your first point of support for questions related to your academic journey.

Our support includes advice on:

  • Academic path and program requirements
  • Course enrolment and withdrawal
  • Understanding academic regulations
  • Other administrative issues

Courses

Year 1

Term 1 — Fall

Overview of the Canadian health care system including its history and evolution with an emphasis on the relationship between the federal government and the provincial/territorial systems and the relationship between policy and health care delivery.

This foundational course introduces students to leadership styles and challenges and the ways in which strategic thinking drives the leader’s vision and goals. The use of innovation processes for both product and process innovation are considered within a context of change.

Term 2 — Winter

Overview of current developments, issues, and challenges in the emerging field of health informatics, with an emphasis on the role it plays in health care transformation initiatives.

Measuring needs and planning for the current and future supply of human resources. Recruitment, retention, and development strategies to meet changing workforce conditions. Unique regulatory environments, labour relations issues and approaches in a unionized environment. Accreditation bodies and their role in health human resources.

Term 3 — Spring/Summer

The course provides practical tools for the analysis of data plus the use of data modelling to enable students to use data effectively, including the ability to interpret large amounts of data and apply it to current health care problems.

Introduction to the foundations of financial accounting including theoretical aspects, the principles of financial reporting and preparation of financial statements and accounting for use by health care organizations. Students will learn how to create and interpret financial performance measurements.

Overview of financial concepts, including time-value of money analysis, risk and rate of return, bond and equity pricing, and financial planning. Financial decision-making and risk assessment tools will be considered as contributors to administrative decisions within the unique context of health care organizations.

Year 2

Term 4 — Fall

Introduction to key economics concepts (beginning with micro-economics). In an environment of limited resources, choices by leaders benefit from economic insight in relation to trade-offs, opportunity cost, efficiency and equity. Unique attributes of health care as a commodity (e.g., uncertainty of demand), discussing societal implications for choosing the public/private mix of health care are introduced. Introduction to the cost of illness, cost-effectiveness analysis, and cost-benefit analysis are included in the curriculum.

Provides the opportunity to explore organizational behavior and change in the health care context. The course explores topics such as motivation, stress and stress management, group dynamics, power, and negotiation. Techniques and practices to drive change at the regional, organizational, group and individual levels are introduced.

Term 5 — Winter

Students are introduced to the mathematical tools available to help optimally utilize resources including model formulation, linear programming optimization, queuing theory and simulations modelling.

Overview of planning, designing and conducting applied program evaluations, which are applicable in health care organizations and community settings.

Key concepts related to health care governance and the important ethical issues to be considered by leaders in the health care industry will be explored.

Term 6 — Spring/Summer

Overview of approaches and tools used for managing, evaluating and promoting quality in health care. Examination of important concepts related to quality, patient safety, performance management, evidence-based management and quality improvement strategies.

Program planning and management methods, including management of a project throughout its life cycle (identification, design, planning, realization, and close-out).

The capstone course summarizes and integrates all of the previous EMHA course material, allowing students to apply what they have learned in the classroom to a health care management case. Visits to health care organizations engaging in innovative practices and presentations by executive leaders in the health care field contribute to the week of in-person learning and development. Find out more about the capstone

Certified Health Executive (CHE) advanced standing

EMHA candidates receive advanced standing for two of the Canadian College of Health Leaders (CCHL) requirements for CHE designation. The EMHA curriculum meets the requirements for the following:  

  • LEADS Learning Series  
  • LEADS in Action Project  

EMHA candidates who enter the CHE program must still complete the following:  

  • LEADS 360 Assessment and 90-minute debriefing  
  • Leadership Development Plan  
  • CHE Evaluation Process  

You must meet the criteria for both CCHL membership and the CHE program as set forth in the most current college membership and CHE program policies. Once you’re accepted as a CCHL member, you must complete the CHE application process, including providing proof of enrolment in the EMHA program and other documents.  

Additional CHE benefits for EMHA candidates  

  • Reduced CHE program application fee of $950 (regular fee is $1,700). To receive this reduced fee, you must enrol in the CHE program within one year of completing your EMHA.  
  • College student rate of $75 per year (subject to change)  
  • Seven Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Category I credits when you complete the CHE program  
  • Exemption from the two years’ health-related leadership experience requirement to apply for the CHE program 

Speak with our admission team

Connect with our dedicated team for personalized advice and support. Ask questions about your qualifications for the program or the application process.

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