KOREAN DrPh IN HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
The Department of Health Services Policy and Management (HSPM) offers the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree in Seoul, South Korea. This degree program is in partnership with Medical and Dental Educational Institute (MDEI) in Seoul, Korea. The program attracts health care professionals, who wish to further their knowledge in the areas of health services management, health policy, health care reimbursement, clinical outcomes and quality improvement. The program started its first cohort in Spring 2006, and a new cohort starts each Spring.
ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS:
- Applicants are expected to have a terminal degree (e.g., MD, DDS). Persons who have a relevant master's degree such as in Health Administration, Business Administration, Public Administration, Public Health, or Nursing can also apply for the program. Applicants are also expected to have worked in a healthcare facility or in a mid-level management/policy position for a minimum of three years.
- Applicants must meet basic competency for English language-based instruction as determined by the USC. Applicants must take an English Proficiency (EPI) test given by the USC staff. Those who have taken, or prefer to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) may do so in place of the EPI test. Students who have completed prior graduate education in the United States need not take the EPI or TOEFL.
- Applicants with a terminal degree (e.g., MD, DDS) may request that the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) be waived. However, for those without a terminal degree but with a relevant master's degree and working experiences, GRE test will be required.
- Applicants must submit an application with supporting documents, such as two letters of reference, a personal statement of their professional goals, academic transcripts from all previous higher education, a score for the GRE (if applicable).
PROGRAM OF STUDY:
This 61 credit hour program offers the convenience of earning a degree from the University of South Carolina (USC) while students continue to work and to reside in Korea. Students do, however, have an opportunity to spend about ten days on the USC campus each summer.
The curriculum for this program contains basic building blocks of health policy and health care management as well as 12 credits of quantitative/statistics/research methods courses. Courses are co-taught by two faculty members, one from the USC and one from faculty, who agreed to support this program, in Seoul, Korea. Courses are taught in both English and Korean. Some courses are now being offered via the Internet by video-streaming being given on the USC campus. For all courses, there will be face-to-face contact time with the professor(s) either in Korea or during the on-campus summer session at the USC.
After completion of 49 credit hours of required coursework, students will take 12 credit hours of dissertation. Students who wish to complete their dissertation projects on the USC campus may spend one to two years in Columbia, South Carolina, but will be required to take additional dissertation hours and incur additional costs in order to maintain their student visa status.
SAMPLE CURRICULUM:
(subject to change)
The following includes the courses that are usually given in the program. This schedule is based on the assumption that students complete program in Korea. If students stay on the Columbia campus to complete their project/dissertation, students are required to register at lease 9 credit hours each semester. HSPM reserves the right, however, to re-order the schedule or substitute a course as agreed upon by both MDEI and HSPM.
| Curriculum Requirements (61 hours) |
| 1st Year-
Spring Semester (10 credit hours) USC, Columbia and MDEI, Korea |
| HSPM 710 History of Public Health (3 credit hours) |
| HSPM 725 Human Resources Issues in Healthcare Sector (3 credit hours) |
| HSPM 845 Advanced Topics in Health Policy and Management I (3 credit hours) |
| HSPM 800 Doctoral Seminar (1 credit hour) |
| 1st Year -Fall semester (10 credit hours) MDEI, Korea |
| HSPM 713 Information Systems in Health Administration (3 credit hours) |
| HSPM 711 Health Politics (3 credit hours) |
| HSPM 846 Advanced Topics in Health Policy and Management II (3 credit hours) |
| HSPM 800 Doctoral Seminar (1 credit hour) |
| 2nd Year - Spring Semester (10credit hours) USC, Columbia |
| BIOS 757 Intermediate Biometrics (3 credit hours) |
| HSPM 718 Health Planning (3 credit hours) |
| HSPM 719 Health Services Research Methods (3 credit hours) |
| HSPM 800 Doctoral Seminar (1 credit hour) |
| Summer, MDEI, Korea |
| 2nd Year - Summer |
| QUALIFYING EXAMINATION |
| 2nd Year - Fall semester (13 credit hours) MDEI, Korea |
| HSPM 716 Quantitative Methods (3 credit hours) |
| HSPM 778 Healthcare Marketing (3 credit hours) |
| HSPM 791 Selected Topics: Practice Management (3 credit hours) |
| HSPM 791 Special Topics: Health Services Quality Management (3 credit hours) |
| HSPM 800 Doctoral Seminar (1 credit hour) |
| 3rd Year -
Spring semester (9 credit hours) USC, Columbia or MDEI, Korea |
| HSPM 770 Decision Making for Health Care Executives (3 credit hours, On-line course) |
| HSPM 791 Grant Writing (3 credit hours, On-line course) |
| HSPM 899 Dissertation/Project (3 credit hours) |
| 3rd Year - Fall semester (3 credit hours) USC, Columbia or MDEI, Korea |
| HSPM 899 Dissertation/Project (3 credit hours)** |
| Present dissertation proposal |
| 4th Year - Spring Semester (3 credit hours) USC, Columbia or MDEI, Korea |
| HSPM 899 Dissertation/Project (3 credit hours)** |
| 4th Year - Summer USC, Columbia |
| Optional summer for work with dissertation advisor |
| 4th Year - Fall Semester (3 credit hours) USC, Columbia or MDEI, Korea |
| HSPM 899 Dissertation/Project (3 credit hours)** |
| Dissertation/project Defense |
**Note: If students stay at the Columbia campus to complete their project/dissertation, students are required to register at lease 9 credit hours and extra tuition will be required.
PROGRAM CONTACTS:
Whiejong M. Han, Ph.D. |
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