Healthcare Systems Engineering, MS, Exclusively Online

Location(s): Exclusively Online Program

The Master of Science in Healthcare Systems Engineering (MS HSE) degree is offered in the exclusively online format through the School of Systems Science and Industrial Engineering (SSIE). The MS HSE degree provides a balance of theory and practical knowledge for the practice of the profession and/or for advancement to a doctoral program. In recognition of the high concentration of healthcare providers in the greater Binghamton area, this program has been structured to serve both full-time and part-time graduate students. This program prepares individuals for professional or leadership roles in various healthcare areas, including hospital operations management, health systems engineering, health information technology, and consulting. Students in this program will attain a wide variety of industrial and systems engineering tools and skill sets, such as modeling and simulation, statistical process control, Lean Six Sigma, data science and analytics, reliability modeling, scheduling, human factors engineering and ergonomics, and optimization, among others.

Important Information:

Many of the graduate courses in the School of SSIE are also offered through Watson Online (Watson College Distance Learning Program).
All of the School of SSIE graduate programs (including all available concentrations) are available fully online in addition to the traditional on-campus offerings.
Any graduate student who may have taken an undergraduate course that is cross-listed with a graduate course will already have earned the credit for the undergraduate course. Note that the student will not be eligible to earn graduate-level credit for the cross-listed graduate course at a later date and will not be eligible to take the course again at the graduate level.

Admission Requirements

Applicants who have already earned a BS degree in engineering or a related field are invited to apply for admission to this program.

(Students without a prior engineering background are also welcome to apply, but should anticipate additional requisite gap-courses.)

The Exclusively Online option must be selected at the time of application to the program.

All policies and procedures regarding Exclusively Online Programs, including information on international student eligibility,maybe found within the University’s Exclusively Online Programs webpage.

Applications are considered for both spring and fall semesters and are reviewed on a rolling basis.

Recommended submission dates for fall semester admission: Apply by April 1 for regular admission.
Recommended submission dates for spring semester admission: Apply by Nov. 15 for regular admission.

Applications to degree programs should include:

Official transcript(s), although unofficial transcripts are acceptable for initial application
Two letters of recommendation
A personal statement including mention of interests
Official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores (this requirement may be waived at the discretion of the graduate director)
International applicants should also include:
- Proof of English proficiency (such as the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), PTE academic scores, or Duolingo)
- Immigration and financial documentation (i.e., the International Student Financial Statement and statement of financial support/bank statement)

Program Requirements

In addition to the requirements listed below, a student whose undergraduate degree is not in engineering may be required to complete some preparatory study, to be defined by the director of graduate studies based on the candidate’s background. The preparatory study does not count toward the graduate degree.

To complete the MS in Healthcare Systems Engineering, Exclusively Online, students must maintain at least a B average in all graduate coursework.

Required Courses (18 credits)

The six required courses include nine credits of core industrial and systems engineering courses and nine credits of core health systems courses.

For students with adequate backgrounds, the required courses may be substituted with electives with consent from the director of graduate studies and/or the director of the school.

SSIE Z505 - Applied Probability & Statist.
SSIE Z520 - Modeling And Simulation
SSIE Z561 - Quality Assurance For Engineer
SSIE Z534 - Fundamentals of Health Systems
SSIE Z537 - Ind & Sys Eng in Healthcare
SSIE Z538 - Healthcare Financial Eng

Elective Courses and Degree Completion Options

Upon completing the core requirements, students will be able to complete their program with one of the following three options to attain eligibility for degree conferral:

Thesis Option

Two additional graduate-level courses from the school, at least one of which must be at the 600-level (6 credits)
SSIE Z599 - Thesis - Oral presentation and defense of the thesis is required (Minimum 6 credits)

Project Option

Three additional graduate-level courses from the school, at least one of which must be at the 600-level (9 credits)
SSIE Z598 - MS Termination Project - Oral presentation and defense of the termination project is required (Minimum 3 credits)

Coursework-only Option

Three additional graduate-level courses from the school (9 credits)
SSIE Z637 - Advanced Topics in Health Syst which includes significant project-based coursework to serve as a capstone for the termination requirement of the program. This course can also be replaced with another 600-level elective with approval of the graduate director or school director.

Additional Information about the Program

For more information on the Healthcare Systems Engineering, MS, Exclusively Online program, please refer to the Systems Science and Industrial Engineering Graduate Programs website. To apply to the Healthcare Systems Engineering, MS, Exclusively Online program, please visit the University Graduate Admissions website.