Courses & curriculum
The competency-based master’s programme Healthcare Policy, Innovation and Management (HPIM) consists of 7 Authentic Professional Tasks (APTs). APTs are complex, real-world tasks, which connect the knowledge, skills and attitudes students build during HPIM to their value in practice. APTs facilitate ‘learning by doing’: students develop relevant competencies by working on the tasks that HPIM graduates fulfil in the professional field. Teaching and learning activities within the HPIM curriculum are clustered into four longitudinal learning tracks. These tracks run across the full curriculum and provide students with the support they need to fulfil their authentic tasks.
Knowledge track ‘Organisation and Management of Health Services’
This track introduces students to relevant theories and topics for health innovation from the disciplines of (healthcare) management and organisation studies (including sociology of professions, operations management, strategy, change management, leadership, and organisational design), focusing on the meso-level of healthcare organisations. It covers three APTs:
- Innovate processes in a health service organisation (APT1)
- Strategically manage a health service organization (APT3)
- Design health service delivery of the future (APT5)
Knowledge track ‘Economics and Governance of Health and Care’
This track aims to introduce students to relevant theories and topics for health innovation from the disciplines of health(care) economics, financing, policy, and governance, focusing specifically on the macro-level of health systems. It also covers three APTs:
- Analyse the economic context of health(care) innovation (APT2)
- Develop policy to improve population health(care) (APT4)
- Co-design sustainable healthcare coverage (APT6)
Thesis and placement
The final authentic task in the HPIM curriculum is to ‘Lead a research project’ (APT7). To finish the master programme, all students complete a placement (i.e. internship, research project) and write a master thesis based on that placement.
Skills track
The Skills track supports students in developing the skills they need to achieve their APTs: from research and writing skills to leadership, presentation, negotiation, policy, (change) management, HTA, and other relevant skills. In addition, the track includes a set of elective skills trainings to enable students to personalise their learning experience within HPIM according to preferences for (one or more) of the competency roles, i.e. Expert, Investigator, Innovator, Collaborator and/or Professional.
Professional development track
Finally, the Personal Development track empowers students to recognize, reflect and leverage their strenghts and areas for growth as an HPIM professional. The PD track offers dedicated reflection weeks throughout the curriculum, where students receive individual coaching, work together with a peer group, and build a digital portfolio to self-direct their own professional development.
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