Certificate in Quality Improvement and Outcomes Management

How Does It Work?

If this is the first time you are taking online courses, or even if you have taken online courses elsewhere but are not familiar with our approach, we encourage you to review this section. Examine the overview of the certificate program and components of each course in the certificate. After you have reviewed these sections, take a look at the individual course descriptions.

Overview of the Certificate Program

Students who meet the pre-requisites should earn 15 graduate level credits to be awarded the Certificate. These 15 credits are earned through the following five courses:

HAP 586 Quality management of health services - a course that focuses on process improvement in health care.
HAP 709 Medical informatics for health system managers - A course that focuses on use of technology in creating new delivery models.
HAP 730 Clinical and managerial optimization - An individualized study arranged between the faculty and the student. This course focuses on development and use of clinical pathways.
HAP 501 Introduction to biostatistics - Applies selected biostatistics techniques to public health and health system management issues. Includes univariate, bivariate statistics and regression analysis.
Elective (Varies) - HAP 547: Regulatory Issues in Health Care or a 3-credit graduate level elective that must be approved by your academic advisor. To be assigned one please contact Dr. Alemi. Requirement can be fulfilled through George Mason University online courses or through courses (see for example the course on health economics) from other universities. In addition, requirements can be fulfilled through on the job projects, internships and in some cases instruction.
MSW Social Work Students
Students who are completing a Master of Science in Social Work and who wish to complete the Certificate are encouraged to substitute SOCW 671 for HAP501 and SOCW 688 for the elective in the certificate.
- SOCW671
  Research Methods for Social Workers (3:3:0)
  Examines role of scientific inquiry in social work. Emphasizes construction and use of measurement instruments, data collection, analysis, and interpretation, and application of computer technologies relevant to social work practice.
- SOCW688
  Advanced Research in Social Work (3:3:0)
  Program evaluation research using appropriate computer technology. Addresses ethical, pragmatic, and political considerations; needs assessment, qualitative and quantitative approaches, quality control and assurance, client satisfaction, outcome measures and indicators.

Each course lasts 15 weeks (semester long). Courses are offered at least once a year. Students are recommended to take at least two courses per time period.

Students who do not meet certain requirements or who are not familiar with tools used are asked to take additional courses including the following:

HAP 678 Introduction to the US health system - This requirement is needed for students that do not have recent (within last two years) background in the US health care system. Individuals currently working in the US health care system are assumed to meet this requirement. Course Website.
Introduction to online courses (not for credit) - This course is recommended for individuals who do not have any previous experience in using computers or the Internet. There is no graduate-level credit associated with this course.

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Components of each course

The faculty in charge of the course decides the content and the method of presentation of the course. The program provides each faculty member with independence in creating an effective educational experience. At the same time, the program encourages the faculty to adopt consistent educational experiences across the courses by adopting common instructional methods. To this end, most courses will have the following features/components:

Lectures. Lectures are provided as web page reading material. If there are any audio or video involved, you will receive these material via mail and on disk. You may also receive supplemental reading materials through email list-serves.
Online exercises. As you read, you are expected to respond to a number of online exercises geared to make sure that the material is well understood. In addition, the exercises create an interactive environment that break the monotony of reading online. Some of your responses to the exercises are posted to the Web, where other students may respond to them.
Simultaneous lectures. Once a week, you can participate in live class broadcasts. You can listen to the instructor's lecture and see the slides presented by the instructor. You will be able to speak back and interact with students who are taking the class with you. You will hear their questions and the interaction between the instructor and the students.
Projects. There are no exams in the courses. You are expected to complete individual and group projects. For the group project, we provide you with access to collaborative environment over the Internet. For the individual project, the instructor will provide a number of milestones and timetable for when material is due.
Evaluations. Students are expected to evaluate the instruction at the end of each session through "Minute Evaluation Forms." Instructors provide feedback to students by responding and monitoring the online exercises and projects throughout the course. Instructors also provide a graded feedback at midpoint through the course and provide a final grade at end of class. Also at the end of the course, students conduct anonymous formal evaluation of the entire course. All student evaluations of the course and the instructor are publicly available on the Web. Anonymous evaluations are combined so as not to reveal the identity of individual students.
Other support. To assist the instruction, we include an online clearinghouse related to the topic of the course, library resources, software templates to assist in analysis of data, agents that assist students in literature review, collaboration software that assists the conduct of group projects, agents that automatically update the content of the course as new material is published, and a number of other related tools.
Person to talk to. All students will have an assigned academic advisor, with whom they can consult in person over the phone or through email. Students are also encouraged to exchange information with each other. In addition, students can appeal any course grade to the Schools Student Committee by writing first to the coordinator of the program.

Courses taken for graduate-level credit can be used towards degree programs at George Mason University or other universities (check the transfer rules at your institution and the degree granting program you are enrolled in).

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