Curriculum - MHDS Cedars-Sinai Skip to content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog English English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Translation is unavailable for Internet Explorer Cedars-Sinai Home 1-800-CEDARS-1 1-800-CEDARS-1 Close Find a Doctor Locations Programs & Services Health Library Patient & Visitors Community My CS-Link Education clear Go Close Academics Academics Faculty Development Community Engagement Calendar Research Research Areas Research Labs Departments & Institutes Find Clinical Trials Research Cores Research Administration Basic Science Research Clinical & Translational Research Center (CTRC) Technology & Innovations News & Breakthroughs Education Graduate Medical Education Continuing Medical Education Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Professional Training Programs Medical Students Campus Life Office of the Dean Simulation Center Medical Library Program in the History of Medicine About Us All Education Programs Departments & Institutes Faculty Directory Master's Degree in Health Delivery Science Back to Master's Degree in Health Delivery Science Curriculum Capstone Project Data Analytics Core Healthcare Financing Core Health Informatics Core Performance Measurement and Improvement Core Application Information Program Statistics Faculty & Administration Current Students Student Research News & Related Resources Frequently Asked Questions MHDS Applicants Curriculum The Cedars-Sinai Master's Degree in Health Delivery Science (MHDS) 20-month program is organized around 4 academic cores and a capstone project: DATA ANALYTICS CORE HEALTHCARE FINANCING CORE HEALTH INFORMATICS CORE PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT CORE Program Overview The MHDS program consists of 13 required courses and one elective course over five consecutive trimesters. Students complete didactic coursework within the first 16 months of the program while also pursuing an independent capstone project under the guidance of an assigned faculty mentor. All required courses are taught in the evenings to accommodate students with daytime commitments. The MHDS program features a diverse combination of pedagogical approaches, including traditional classroom didactics, interactive didactics, hands-on laboratory sessions, journal clubs, project sessions work and immersed experiential learning within embedded research and operational teams. In this hybrid program, courses are primarily taught online through a remote-learning platform and interactive videoconferences in the evenings. Online learning is supplemented by one 2-day (Thursday-Friday) in-person session during each term. In this session, students are introduced to the program and coursework, meet with faculty mentors, attend networking events and learn how to use various software programs. In addition, during the final term, students give an in-person presentation to Cedars-Sinai leadership about the results of their capstone project. The MHDS faculty believes it is vital to expose students to a wide range of learning experiences. Success in health delivery science requires a strong theoretical basis and pragmatic experiential learning to solidify classroom theory. In addition, students learn specific software programs, including statistical, data visualization, decision analysis and spreadsheet software that is taught in laboratory sessions. We accept a limited number of students per year into this highly competitive program. Program Objectives After completing the MHDS program, students will be able to: Explain key operational functions of the U.S. health system. Identify healthcare delivery models and digital health innovations that can improve the quality, safety and value of care. Use quantitative and qualitative research methods to evaluate the effectiveness and economic impact of healthcare innovations. Demonstrate the leadership skills to successfully manage a project that involves people from diverse disciplines. Communicate effectively about healthcare delivery interventions to diverse stakeholders. Unique Qualities of the MHDS Program In contrast to a typical university-based curriculum, students in MHDS program are assigned project mentorship teams from the start and work closely with practitioners in the forefront of health delivery science. Students embed directly within teams operating at Cedars-Sinai, the largest nonprofit hospital in the Western United States and consistently ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. In contrast to a typical school of public health curriculum, the MHDS program: Combines biomedical sciences often taught separately, including health analytics, health informatics and healthcare financing, as well as performance measurement and improvement Is a shorter and more efficient program than typical master's degree programs, allowing our students to learn well, learn efficiently and then get out and work Is a highly applied degree that focuses on both academic training and pragmatic skill building Allows students to gain hands-on expertise in data visualization as well as decision-analytic and health-analytic software programs Provides exposure to digital health science, including use of wearable biosensors, social media analytics, electronic health record best practices, virtual and augmented reality in healthcare, mobile health applications and medical informatics Teaches how to perform health economic analyses—an essential skill in modern value-based healthcare delivery Exposes students to the Cedars-Sinai Accelerator, providing med-tech entrepreneurs with unparalleled knowledge about how to position biomedical innovations within the broader health delivery ecosystem Students' studies culminate with an applied capstone project that they present to hospital leadership. For more information about the program, see Frequently Asked Questions. Academic Calendar 2022-2023 Fall Trimester: Aug. 29–Dec. 16, 2022 Winter Trimester: Jan. 2–Apr. 21, 2023 Summer Trimester: May 1–Aug. 18, 2023 2023-2024 Fall Trimester: Aug. 28–Dec. 15, 2023 Winter Trimester: Jan. 2–Apr. 19, 2024 Summer Trimester: Apr. 29–Aug. 16, 2024 Holidays and Breaks Spring break: Apr. 24–28, 2023 Memorial Day: May 29, 2023 Independence Day: July 04, 2023 Labor Day: Sept. 04, 2023 Thanksgiving holiday: Nov. 23–24, 2023 Winter break: Dec. 18, 2022–Dec. 29, 2023 Spring break: Apr. 22–26, 2024 Memorial Day: May 27, 2024 Additional Learning Opportunities Health Services Lecture Series Department of Medicine Grand Rounds Grants Workshop Clinical Scholars Program Courses Research Design Research Ethics Grantsmanship Communication Skills Healthcare Leadership Seminar Series Important Statement & Notice of Accreditation Please read our Accreditation Statement from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and our Statement of Academic Freedom. WASC ACCREDITATION STATEMENT STATEMENT OF ACADEMIC FREEDOM Have Questions or Need Help If you have questions or wish to learn more about the MHDS program, please contact: Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences 8687 Melrose Ave. Suite G-532 West Hollywood, CA 90069 310-423-8294 Send a Message Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility