Program Director: S. Robert Hernandez, Dr. P.H.
Faculty: Composed of graduate faculty in the School of Health Professions.
The Executive Doctor of Science Program in Administration-Health Services is a degree program offered by the Department of Health Services Administration in the School of Health Professions.
The program is for those who wish to pursue the conceptual and applied aspects of administrative processes in the health services. It provides doctoral-level study and research with specific application to the practice of health services administration. Graduates find employment opportunities in health care or government organizations.
Accreditation: There is no accrediting body for doctoral programs in Health Administration. However, the master's program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education.
Credentials Conferred: Diploma - The Doctor of Science degree is awarded by the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Length of Study: Two years of coursework, offered in a blended instructional format, plus one year for an applied doctoral dissertation.
Program Entrance Date: Fall semester.
Application Deadline: Applications received by February 1 will receive priority consideration. Applications may be submitted after February 1 and will be considered on a space-available basis.
Application Procedure: The following materials must be submitted to the D.Sc. Program:
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Completed application supplement, which can be accessed on the “How Do I Apply?” section of our website: www.uab.edu/execdoc
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Your resume, indicating that you have the minimum 5 years of healthcare executive experience
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Non-refundable application fee of $60.00 ($85 for international applicants)
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Three reference letters from individuals who are familiar with your professional work.
The following materials must be submitted to the UAB Graduate School:
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Official transcripts from all colleges attended,
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If applicant's native language is not English, scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language(TOEFL) with the Test of Written English (TWE)
Requirements for Admission: An applicant should have a master's degree in a relevant discipline such as health administration, public health, health information management, medicine, business administration, nursing, public administration, etc. Applicants must also have at least five years mid- to senior-level healthcare executive experience to be considered for admission.
All applicants will be reviewed by the Admissions and Policy Committee of graduate faculty from the School of Health Professions. Applicants will be accepted to begin doctoral study only in the fall term of each academic year. Admission to the Executive D.Sc. program will be determined by a consensus of the committee after examining the applicant's qualifications, previous academic records, desire to pursue executive doctoral work, and potential contribution to health administration practice. While the program format is intended for executives to remain in their leadership roles during the course of study, only students who will devote appropriate amounts of time to the program of study will be admitted.
Students accepted by the program must complete the UAB medical history questionnaire and physical, and provide proof of required immunizations.
Essential Requirements: Fundamental tasks, behaviors, and abilities necessary to successfully complete the academic and clinical requirements of the program and to satisfy licensure/certification requirements, if any, have been outlined and are available upon request from the academic program office. Students requesting disability accommodations must do so by filing a disability accommodation request in writing with the Disability Support Services Office.
Program of Study: The program of study is divided into four major components. Course requirements are listed in semester credit hours.
Research Tools and Methodology Component: Areas of study will include quantitative methods, principles of applied research, research methods, regression, and multivariate statistics (15 hours).
Program Requirements Component: Areas of study will include the following: health economics and insurance, strategic marketing, leadership, organizational theory, comparative health systems, health care finance, health policy, macroenvironmental analysis, and strategic management (33 hours).
Comprehensive Examination: Students must successfully complete a comprehensive examination at the end of the first year of coursework.
Dissertation Component: The final stage of the program is the preparation, submission, and defense of a doctoral dissertation representing a significant contribution to strategic management or health services practice. The third and final year of the program is devoted to completing the applied dissertation (18 hours).
The period in which the doctor's degree can be earned is three full-time academic years beyond the baccalaureate degree. The doctoral dissertation must have been performed directly under the guidance and supervision of a member of the UAB graduate faculty.
Sample Course List*
(Course requirements are listed in semester credit hours)
First Semester
AHD 715 - Research in Organization Theory (3)
HA 632 - Quantitative Methods in Health Services Administration (3)
HA 605 - Health Policy and Politics in the United States (3)
Second Semester
AHD 706 - Strategic Management Theory and Research (3)
AHD 710 - Comparative Health Systems (3)
AHD 716 – Macro-environmental Analysis (3)
Third Semester
AHD 707 - Research Methods (3)
AHD 714 - Marketing Strategy & Research (3)
Fourth Semester
AHD 730 - Health Economics & Insurance (3)
AHD 722 - Regression Analysis (3)
AHD 711 - Leadership of Health Systems (3)
Fifth Semester
AHD 735 - Quality Improvement (3)
AHD 705 - Health Care Finance (3)
AHD 775 - Strategic Planning and Management in Health Care Organization (3)
Sixth Semester
AHD 727 - Applied Multivariate Statistics for Health Administration Research (3)
AHD 780 - Strategic Information Systems (3
Seventh Semester
AHD 798 - Non-dissertation Research (6)
Eighth Semester
AHD 799 - Dissertation Research (6)
Ninth Semester
AHD 799 - Dissertation Research (6)
*This information is subject to change. Due to the overlapping-cohorts format, the order of courses depends upon the year in which the student enters the Program.
For further information, contact:
S. Robert Hernandez, Dr. P.H.
Program Director, Executive D.Sc. in Administration-Health Services
School of Health Professions
Webb Building, Room 564
1675 University Boulevard
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama 35294-3361
(205) 934-3113
E-mail: hernande@uab.edu
For course descriptions, see the UAB School of Health Professions Catalog - Course Descriptions.