Doctor of Health Administration (DHA)

Faculty

Program Faculty and Fellows >

Student & Academic Services

Steve Weston

Assistant Dean of Academic Administration

Courtney Culler

Associate Director for Graduate Student Services

Greg Marrero

Student Counselor, Graduate Student Services

Andrea Garrido

Career Management Specialist for Planning, Policy, and Informatics Masters Students

Cheryl Egan

Career Management Specialist for Health Administration Masters Students

Marie O’Brien
Program Coordinator
admissions@ejb.rutgers.edu
Phone: (848) 932-2722

Doctor of Health Administration (DHA) Curriculum & Courses

Curriculum

The DHA requires a minimum of 66 credit hours organized as follows:

• 45 credit hours of didactic coursework
• 21 credit hours of Doctoral Project credit hours (minimum requirement)

Courses

Approved Elective Courses for the DHA program

501:510 Human Resources Policy and Practice in Health Care Management (3)

501:515 Financial Accounting for Managers (3)

501:520 Community Assessment for Healthcare Administration (3)

501:533 Lean 6 Sigma Green Belt (3)

501:554 Marketing for Health Care Organizations (3)

501:556 Health Care Ethics and Law (3)

501:565 Information Systems for Health Care (3)

501:512 Health Care Economics (3)

501:525 Artificial Intelligence Challenges in Healthcare Management (3)

501:530 Data Analytics in Health Care (3)

501:534 Lean 6 Sigma Black Belt (3)

501:540 Intro to Pharma, Biotech, and the Medical Technology Industry (3)

501:542 Long Term Care Management (3)

501:570 Financing Long Term Care (3)

501:572 Managing People and Organizations (3)

501:575 Understanding Health Care Payer Systems (3)

501:587 Seminar in Health Administration (Health Consulting) (3)

501:588 Corporate Compliance in Healthcare (3)

DHA Comprehensive Examination and Doctoral Project Requirements

The Comprehensive Examination is a pivotal milestone in the DHA program and integrates the student’s DHA project proposal and his/her knowledge of the core/methods coursework.

DHA Comprehensive Examination and Doctoral Project Committee

Each student is required to form a comprehensive examination and doctoral project committee consisting of at least three members.

• A minimum of three faculty members from the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
• One faculty member will serve as the committee chair
• All committee members must hold a doctoral degree

This committee serves as the student’s advising group throughout the doctoral project. The committee is responsible for regularly reviewing research progress and approving the completed DHA project before the student is eligible for defense and program completion.

Purpose of the Comprehensive Examination

The Comprehensive Exam assesses the doctoral student’s:

• Competence in health services research and administration course work
• Readiness to undertake independent research
• Integration of the DHA project proposal with core and methods coursework

Components of the Doctoral Project

The DHA project serves as a culmination of the student’s academic and professional expertise, bridging research with real-world applications in health administration.

1. DHA Project Proposal

   The written proposal is a comprehensive document that clearly outlines the intended research project. It must include well-defined research questions, identifying the key issues the study aims to address. The objectives should clearly state the goals of the research, ensuring a focused and structured approach. The methodology section should provide a detailed description of the research design, including data collection methods and analytical techniques to be used. Additionally, the significance of the research must be articulated, explaining its potential contributions to and implications for the field of health administration. Once the proposal is complete, it must be submitted to all members of the doctoral project committee for thorough review and feedback, ensuring alignment with academic and research standards.

2. Comprehensive Examination

   The comprehensive exam assesses the candidate’s understanding of core concepts as they relate to their DHA project proposal. It evaluates the student’s ability to apply course knowledge, demonstrating how core and methods coursework inform and support the proposed research project. Candidates must integrate and incorporate relevant theories from their studies into the research design and analysis. Additionally, the exam ensures methodological rigor, requiring that the proposed research methods align with the best practices emphasized in the DHA program. This comprehensive evaluation ensures that students are well-prepared to conduct independent, high-quality research in health administration.

3. Oral Examination (Proposal Defense)

   The oral examination requires the candidate to present their DHA project proposal to the doctoral project committee, providing a clear outline of the research plan and addressing any questions posed by the committee members. During this presentation, the committee conducts a comprehensive evaluation, ensuring all members are present to assess the validity and originality of the research. They also evaluate the methodological soundness of the proposal, determining whether the research design and approach align with academic standards and best practices. Additionally, the committee examines how well the candidate has integrated coursework knowledge into the research plan, ensuring a strong foundation for the project. A successful presentation and evaluation confirm the candidate’s readiness to advance to the doctoral project phase.

Evaluation Criteria for the DHA Proposal

The DHA project should:

• Originality – Introduce new knowledge or innovative approaches in health administration.
• Quality – Demonstrate rigorous methodological planning and a strong theoretical foundation.
• Integration with Coursework – Effectively apply concepts and methods from core coursework.
• Feasibility – Ensure the research is achievable within the DHA students and program’s resources and timeframe.

Final DHA Project Defense

As students near completion of their DHA project, they must submit draft sections of their work to their doctoral project committee chair.

• Committee Review: Once approved by the committee chair, these sections should be submitted to other committee members.
• Feedback Process: Committee members will provide written comments on the drafts within a reasonable timeframe.
• Final Defense: After completing the DHA project, candidates must defend their work before the committee to demonstrate its validity, significance, and contribution to the field.

Final Approval & Graduation

Committee Approval – The doctoral project committee must approve the final DHA project before the candidate can be considered for graduation.

Program Completion – Successful defense of the DHA project marks the completion of the DHA program and qualifies the candidate for their Doctor of Health Administration degree.