Program description

The program in health services management prepares students for leadership roles in the constantly changing and quickly growing health sector. The program builds on a practical and professional foundation which promotes flexibility and added insight into the emerging needs of the health services sector and its diverse customer base.

Students in the health services management program learn to lead and manage the operations of very specialized environments, as well as to evaluate, instigate, and facilitate change.

Students gain knowledge and skills in:
• Increasing the efficiency of the health system.
• Understanding varying emphases in the health services sectors of different countries.
• Promoting change in their working environment.
• Planning their own career advancement in a way consistent with developments in the health sector.

The program aims at adding to students' knowledge of fundamental issues in the health sector, and strengthening their ability to analyze and make decisions. Students gain skills in collecting, interpreting, and presenting data relevant to health services. Those students who complete their master's degree will have experience of working on primary research projects, of writing professional text and of writing business plans which will be of use to them in their work. We offer a creative environment for students, many of whom are professionals in various areas of the health services sector. Especially attractive is the flexibility of the program, which makes it possible for us to take students' individual needs into consideration, as well as our goal of training managers to react quickly in an environment where peoples' lives and health are at stake.

Program organization

The program is taught both on-site and by distance learning, and is thus especially suited to those who are in full-time employment but want to enhance their knowledge in this area. Students must complete 12 courses, as well as a final project. The final project can be either a research paper about a particular issue, or a comprehensive business plan for the creation of a health sector company or the provision of a new health care service to a particular market. Students complete their projects in consultation with their advisor. The instructors are specialists in health care matters and in business, and come both from Iceland and abroad. Close cooperation with foreign universities ensures that the program fully measures up to international standards.

Learning objectives

After completing the program, students should be able to:

• Organize and coordinate institutions and companies in the health sector in a way that

   achieves maximum operating performance.
• Manage health sector operations that are based on varying funding models.
• Lead and manage human resources in a diverse working environment.
• Handle information in a way that assists in efficient decision-making and management.
• Apply legal and ethical analysis to business and management decision-making in the

  health services sector.
• Articulate and carry out the mission of a given institution or company or of the

  government.
• Evaluate and understand peoples' health status and deciding factors related to health

  and illness.
• Keep track of risk factors that relate to the health and behavior of diverse groups.
• Assess the performance of institutions, companies, and systems in the health sector.
• Improve the operating performance of companies and institutions in the health sector.

Solid management and leadership abilities are decisive factors when striving for maximum performance in health services. The product needs to be quality service which is both robust and cost-effective. The knowledge provided by the program enables all who work in health services to take on challenging tasks and succeed at them.

For further information contact María Þorgeirsdóttir, program coordinator, maria@bifrost.is , tel. 433 3000.