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Eller College Home > Eller MBA Programs > Full-Time MBA > Curriculum > MBA Curriculum > Health Care Focus
Full-Time MBA

Health Care Focus Area

The Business of Health Care Management and Policy

Market Relevance

The World’s population is growing, Baby Boomers are living longer, and universal health care is a significant focus of the Obama administration. While the trend of educating physicians with business fundamentals continues to grow, the business of health care is in need of new policies, practices, and leaders.

In addition to exploring the current state of the world's health care systems, the Eller MBA Program's focus in Health Care Management and Policy will expose students to a breadth of health care management and policy issues across a spectrum of industry perspectives.

Why Eller?

The University of Arizona has long been recognized as a leader in science, biotechnology, and other medical advances; Eller MBA students will engage in rigorous business training as well as learn from some of the world’s most renown thought leaders in the field of health care management. 

Crafting your education will include both curricular and experiential components:

Health Care Management and Policy Curriculum


Eller’s anchor course in Health Care Management and Policy focus area, MGMT/PPOL 532: Health Care Organization and Management, will be taught by Professor Keith Provan, the McCelland Professor of Public Administration and Policy.

This course will examine and evaluate policy issues in health care, including recent developments in health policy planning at the national level and how they impact administrative behavior. Moreover, it will serve as one of the bridges between public and private factions, which is crucial in this economic environment.

Combining this anchor course with a number of Eller MBA electives as well as a selection from the University’s related colleges and schools will allow you the flexibility to direct your studies into the business, policy, and scientific components of today’s health care Industry.

Students interested in this focus area must follow the course structure below:

Required course

  • MGMT/PA 532 Health Care Organization and Management

Choose two of the following options:

Experiential Learning

Business Intelligence Quotient (BIQ)
The BIQ is a large component of your Business Communication course held in your first semester. It allows you to investigate a real, public company and analyze real-world problems that the company faces today while receiving feedback and guidance along the way. Health Care Management and Policy students have the opportunity to concentrate their efforts on a company within the realm of health care or health systems.

Examples of former BIQ subject companies include Astrazeneca Pharmaceuticals, GlaxcoSmithKline, and Eli Lilly.  Upon completion of the BIQ, you will have the skills and confidence to undertake the same type of analysis for a local company in your Field Project engagements.

Field Projects/Advanced Field Projects
Students interested in this industry track will work with a health care-related company or organization and apply the skills acquired in their BIQ project. As part of a team, you will have regular interaction with the client, define the scope and objectives of the engagement, and become intricately immersed in the client’s industry, objectives, product or service, management styles, financial data, and marketing agenda. Clients approach our program with a specific objective in mind, and it is the team’s job to study and address this challenge or issue over the course of a 16-week semester in the spring of your first year.

Past clients and projects include:

  • Ventana Medical Systems, Inc.
    Development of Quality Division Cost Model vs. ROI.
  • UA College of Medicine
    Conducted research to determine the best practices which can help improve the outcomes of the philanthropic fundraising efforts in Phoenix and Tucson.
  • MRI Medical
    Identified key market drivers for four product lines, provided better understanding of product life cycle and market conditions.
  • Carondelet Health Network
    Projected potential cost savings, efficiencies, and improved health of patients with diabetes from implementation of a chronic care health care model delivering care through a collaboration with Mercy Care and Schaller Anderson Medicaid Healthcare. Students will continue working with Carondelet through an Advanced Field Project Fall 2009.

Internships and Experience-based Growth Opportunities

An integral component of any MBA program is the internship between the summer of their first and second years.  The experience gives you and the employer an opportunity to get to know each other, learn and later build upon the knowledge in your second year of the program.

Health care companies hiring Eller MBA interns include:

  • Genentech
  • Humana
  • Tucson Medical Center
  • Ventana Medical Systems

Company and University Program Partnerships:

AZ Center for Integrative Medicine
The Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine has focused its efforts on three domains: education, clinical care, and research - with the primary emphasis on education. Dr. Andrew Weil is the Founder and Director of the Center

AZ Telemedicine Program
The Arizona Telemedicine Program (ATP) network is primarily devoted to improving access to specialized medical care throughout the State of Arizona through the use of telemedicine technologies such as digital imaging and real-time video conferencing.

Arizona Center for Innovation
The Arizona Center for Innovation (AzCI) is a specialized business incubator designed to meet the dynamic needs of developing technology companies. The AzCI clients include community inventors, student teams and university researchers. AzCI current companies include:

Support and Expertise

Faculty Mentors
In addition to the readily available Eller MBA staff resources, each MBA student has a faculty mentor to assist with professional development and academic and personal growth.

Specialized Career Search Objectives
Our career development coaches work one-on-one to assist students in developing their career plans and reaching their goal.

UA Clubs
The University of Arizona recognizes hundreds of student clubs, including the American Medical Student Association, Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), Bio5 Ambassadors and Biotechnology Club, Global Health Alliance and BLogal Medical Brigade., and the Public Health Student Alliance.

Campus and College Seminars and Speakers

As part of an academic community of over 35,000 faculty, staff, and students, opportunities to learn from field experts are plentiful. 

Campus-wide speakers series include:

For additional information, please contact us.

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