Master of Health Administration and Management
Examine how health organisations allocate resources, organise services and account for performance.
About the course
Examine how health organisations allocate resources, organise services and account for performance. The proposed masters outline connects management analysis with health-system research in Southern Africa. You will work with a defined institutional problem and consider the experiences of patients, staff and communities alongside financial and service information.
What you'll learn
Critically evaluate the organisation and financing of a health service.
Compare management options using service, workforce and financial evidence.
Develop an ethically sound research or improvement proposal.
Defend a research-informed recommendation with explicit limitations.
Requirements
Recommended preparation is a relevant recognised undergraduate qualification and readiness for academic reading, applied analysis and independent study. A masters route also requires adequate research preparation and an appropriate supervisor. BMIT must confirm admission equivalence, bridging requirements and its approved research and assessment regulations.
Course content
The subjects are grouped by learning stage, from foundations to specialist study and supervised application. Complete earlier foundations before the related advanced work. Clinical, laboratory, field and workplace subjects use approved facilities and supervision appropriate to the programme.
3 learning stages 11 subjects
1Stage 1: Postgraduate disciplinary study4 subjects
2Stage 2: Specialist analysis and application4 subjects
3Stage 3: Supervised research or applied integration3 subjects
Subjects in this programme
The subjects are grouped by learning stage, from foundations to specialist study and supervised application. Complete earlier foundations before the related advanced work. Clinical, laboratory, field and workplace subjects use approved facilities and supervision appropriate to the programme.
11 subjects are listed below with a short description of each. The Subject descriptions tab contains the learning outcomes, topics, practical tasks and assessments.
Stage 1: Postgraduate disciplinary study
- Health Systems and Policy. Examine service organisation, governance and their relationship within health systems and policy. The subject develops policy processes and access, then examines accountability and system performance. Map a health-service pathway and analyse a policy problem.
- Health Financing and Resource Allocation. Develop your understanding of health financing and resource allocation through funding mechanisms and budgets. The subject develops cost information and allocation, then examines financial controls and equity. Compare resource decisions using an authorised health-service teaching case.
- Leadership in Health Services. Study leadership approaches and team relationships as foundations for leadership in health services. The subject develops change and conflict, then examines professional accountability and organisational learning. Analyse a service-change case and design a stakeholder engagement approach.
- Health Workforce Management. Examine workforce planning, role design and their relationship within health workforce management. The subject develops staffing and development, then examines performance support and staff wellbeing. Develop a workforce response to a realistic service-capacity problem.
Stage 2: Specialist analysis and application
- Quality and Patient Safety. Develop your understanding of quality and patient safety through care quality and patient experience. The subject develops safety incidents and clinical governance, then examines improvement methods and measurement. Review a de-identified service-quality case using approved data.
- Health Service Operations and Supplies. Study patient flows and capacity as foundations for health service operations and supplies. The subject develops procurement and stock control, then examines equipment support and service continuity. Analyse a health-service flow or supply problem using teaching records.
- Programme Monitoring and Evaluation. Examine programme logic, indicators and their relationship within programme monitoring and evaluation. The subject develops routine information and process evaluation, then examines outcome evaluation and learning use. Build an evaluation framework for a public-health teaching programme.
- Qualitative Health Research. Develop your understanding of qualitative health research through research questions and sampling. The subject develops interviews and observation, then examines thematic analysis and reflexivity. Analyse approved anonymised qualitative material or conduct an ethics-cleared teaching study.
Stage 3: Supervised research or applied integration
- Advanced Research Design. Study research positioning and theoretical frameworks as foundations for advanced research design. The subject develops method comparison and validity, then examines research ethics and feasibility. Defend an advanced study design against plausible alternatives.
- Research Proposal and Protocol. Examine problem significance, literature synthesis and their relationship within research proposal and protocol. The subject develops research questions and protocol development, then examines ethics approval and work plan. Develop a supervised research protocol and defend its feasibility.
- Dissertation Research and Defence. Develop your understanding of dissertation research and defence through data stewardship and analysis. The subject develops interpretation and research contribution, then examines limitations and scholarly communication. Complete approved research under supervision and retain reproducible evidence.
Assessment and practical learning
- Proposed assessment: critical literature reviews, analytical assignments and seminars which defend the choice of methods and evidence.
- An applied project or research proposal addressing a defined Southern African institutional or community problem.
- An independently assessed report or dissertation with an oral presentation, according to an approved BMIT route and assessment policy.
Practical application
An organisational study should use approved access arrangements and permissioned records. Patient-identifiable information requires formal ethical and data-governance approval. A management qualification does not confer clinical practice rights. Supervisors should assess whether the project design is feasible and appropriate to the available evidence.
Subject descriptions
Select a subject to read its learning outcomes, main topics, practical task and assessment.
Stage 1: Postgraduate disciplinary study
Health Systems and Policy
Examine service organisation, governance and their relationship within health systems and policy. The subject develops policy processes and access, then examines accountability and system performance. Map a health-service pathway and analyse a policy problem.
Learning outcomes
- Explain service organisation and governance using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving policy processes and access.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing accountability and system performance.
Main topics
- Service organisation
- Governance
- Policy processes
- Access
- Accountability
- System performance
Practical task
Map a health-service pathway and analyse a policy problem.
Assessment
Submit a systems analysis and justified policy recommendation.
Health Financing and Resource Allocation
Develop your understanding of health financing and resource allocation through funding mechanisms and budgets. The subject develops cost information and allocation, then examines financial controls and equity. Compare resource decisions using an authorised health-service teaching case.
Learning outcomes
- Explain funding mechanisms and budgets using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving cost information and allocation.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing financial controls and equity.
Main topics
- Funding mechanisms
- Budgets
- Cost information
- Allocation
- Financial controls
- Equity
Practical task
Compare resource decisions using an authorised health-service teaching case.
Assessment
Submit a budget and resource-allocation appraisal.
Leadership in Health Services
Study leadership approaches and team relationships as foundations for leadership in health services. The subject develops change and conflict, then examines professional accountability and organisational learning. Analyse a service-change case and design a stakeholder engagement approach.
Learning outcomes
- Explain leadership approaches and team relationships using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving change and conflict.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing professional accountability and organisational learning.
Main topics
- Leadership approaches
- Team relationships
- Change
- Conflict
- Professional accountability
- Organisational learning
Practical task
Analyse a service-change case and design a stakeholder engagement approach.
Assessment
Submit a leadership and implementation plan.
Health Workforce Management
Examine workforce planning, role design and their relationship within health workforce management. The subject develops staffing and development, then examines performance support and staff wellbeing. Develop a workforce response to a realistic service-capacity problem.
Learning outcomes
- Explain workforce planning and role design using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving staffing and development.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing performance support and staff wellbeing.
Main topics
- Workforce planning
- Role design
- Staffing
- Development
- Performance support
- Staff wellbeing
Practical task
Develop a workforce response to a realistic service-capacity problem.
Assessment
Submit a staffing and development proposal.
Stage 2: Specialist analysis and application
Quality and Patient Safety
Develop your understanding of quality and patient safety through care quality and patient experience. The subject develops safety incidents and clinical governance, then examines improvement methods and measurement. Review a de-identified service-quality case using approved data.
Learning outcomes
- Explain care quality and patient experience using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving safety incidents and clinical governance.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing improvement methods and measurement.
Main topics
- Care quality
- Patient experience
- Safety incidents
- Clinical governance
- Improvement methods
- Measurement
Practical task
Review a de-identified service-quality case using approved data.
Assessment
Submit a measurable quality-improvement proposal.
Health Service Operations and Supplies
Study patient flows and capacity as foundations for health service operations and supplies. The subject develops procurement and stock control, then examines equipment support and service continuity. Analyse a health-service flow or supply problem using teaching records.
Learning outcomes
- Explain patient flows and capacity using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving procurement and stock control.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing equipment support and service continuity.
Main topics
- Patient flows
- Capacity
- Procurement
- Stock control
- Equipment support
- Service continuity
Practical task
Analyse a health-service flow or supply problem using teaching records.
Assessment
Submit an operational improvement and continuity plan.
Programme Monitoring and Evaluation
Examine programme logic, indicators and their relationship within programme monitoring and evaluation. The subject develops routine information and process evaluation, then examines outcome evaluation and learning use. Build an evaluation framework for a public-health teaching programme.
Learning outcomes
- Explain programme logic and indicators using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving routine information and process evaluation.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing outcome evaluation and learning use.
Main topics
- Programme logic
- Indicators
- Routine information
- Process evaluation
- Outcome evaluation
- Learning use
Practical task
Build an evaluation framework for a public-health teaching programme.
Assessment
Submit an indicator matrix and evaluation design.
Qualitative Health Research
Develop your understanding of qualitative health research through research questions and sampling. The subject develops interviews and observation, then examines thematic analysis and reflexivity. Analyse approved anonymised qualitative material or conduct an ethics-cleared teaching study.
Learning outcomes
- Explain research questions and sampling using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving interviews and observation.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing thematic analysis and reflexivity.
Main topics
- Research questions
- Sampling
- Interviews
- Observation
- Thematic analysis
- Reflexivity
Practical task
Analyse approved anonymised qualitative material or conduct an ethics-cleared teaching study.
Assessment
Submit an analysis with a reflexive methods account.
Stage 3: Supervised research or applied integration
Advanced Research Design
Study research positioning and theoretical frameworks as foundations for advanced research design. The subject develops method comparison and validity, then examines research ethics and feasibility. Defend an advanced study design against plausible alternatives.
Learning outcomes
- Explain research positioning and theoretical frameworks using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving method comparison and validity.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing research ethics and feasibility.
Main topics
- Research positioning
- Theoretical frameworks
- Method comparison
- Validity
- Research ethics
- Feasibility
Practical task
Defend an advanced study design against plausible alternatives.
Assessment
Submit a research protocol and critical methodological defence.
Research Proposal and Protocol
Examine problem significance, literature synthesis and their relationship within research proposal and protocol. The subject develops research questions and protocol development, then examines ethics approval and work plan. Develop a supervised research protocol and defend its feasibility.
Learning outcomes
- Explain problem significance and literature synthesis using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving research questions and protocol development.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing ethics approval and work plan.
Main topics
- Problem significance
- Literature synthesis
- Research questions
- Protocol development
- Ethics approval
- Work plan
Practical task
Develop a supervised research protocol and defend its feasibility.
Assessment
Submit the approved proposal and a research seminar presentation.
Dissertation Research and Defence
Develop your understanding of dissertation research and defence through data stewardship and analysis. The subject develops interpretation and research contribution, then examines limitations and scholarly communication. Complete approved research under supervision and retain reproducible evidence.
Learning outcomes
- Explain data stewardship and analysis using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving interpretation and research contribution.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing limitations and scholarly communication.
Main topics
- Data stewardship
- Analysis
- Interpretation
- Research contribution
- Limitations
- Scholarly communication
Practical task
Complete approved research under supervision and retain reproducible evidence.
Assessment
Submit a dissertation and defend methods, findings and limitations orally.
Instructors
