Healthcare Systems Engineering Program
With the advancements in technology and data analytics, patient care continues to shift from practice to precision. Healthcare systems engineering is a new and future-focused field that combines engineering, computer science, data science and analysis, management and health sciences to solve complex problems in the healthcare system. It focuses on making healthcare systems available and better for everyone by analyzing and designing the systems to be more efficient, effective and patient-centered. It is not direct patient care but behind-the-scenes work to make patient care better.
This multidisciplinary engineering program takes a systems approach to prepare you for the largest and rapidly evolving healthcare industry. It is a futuristic-thinking engineering degree. With specialized tracks in artificial intelligence/data science, pre-med, devices and sensors, animal industry and general healthcare systems engineering, this degree offers the flexibility to tailor your education to your career goals.
Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ is the first university in the nation to offer a B.S. degree in healthcare systems engineering. It is a more futuristic-thinking, first-of-its-kind and multi-disciplinary engineering degree program offered in collaboration with the College of Nursing, College of Natural Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions, College of Education and Human Sciences and College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences.
Successful completion of the degree program will prepare students for employment in various fields within the healthcare industry or medical school. Graduates will have critical thinking and problem-solving skills and will be ready to not only meet the workforce needs of today’s industries but also shape the future of the healthcare sector.
What is the healthcare system?
The healthcare system is complex and is made up of many different but interconnecting parts, such as hospitals, clinics, health insurance companies, government and regulatory agencies, medical supply chain companies, medical devices and devices manufacturers, pharmacies and the people who provide care. These parts need to work together smoothly in order to ensure high-quality patient care, improved patient safety, lower healthcare costs, reduced waiting times and improved work environment for healthcare professionals.
Bottom line: Improve quality, efficiency and overall patient care while ensuring healthcare availability to everyone and sustainability of healthcare systems.
Why study healthcare systems engineering?
Healthcare systems engineering program prepares students to gain technical, analytical and management skills to address real-world challenges in healthcare systems. Graduates will be able to contribute to building more efficient and sustainable healthcare systems while making a meaningful societal impact. This is a rewarding choice for those interested in making a positive impact on public health and the healthcare industry or wanting to study medicine. The healthcare systems engineering program is for you if you want to:
- Improve quality, efficiency and overall patient care
- Design and develop medical technologies, devices and tools to improve patient care
- Improve healthcare system or its components
- Address healthcare disparities without direct patient care
- Shape the future of healthcare industry
- Study medicine or related field for direct patient care
Bottom line: If you care about patient care, this program is for you!
Our team is ready to help you join our program. Call or email us if you have any questions.
What is the difference between biomedical engineering and healthcare systems engineering?
Biomedical engineering primarily focuses on the design and development of medical technologies, devices, prosthetics, diagnostics tools, biomaterials, biomechanics, etc.
Healthcare systems engineering takes the systems engineering approach to comprehensively improve quality, precision, efficiency, safety, availability, affordability and management of overall healthcare. In other words, biomedical engineering may be considered a subset of healthcare systems engineering.
What type of work do healthcare systems engineers do?
Graduates of this program will have the critical thinking and problem-solving skills to not only meet the workforce needs of today’s industries, but to shape the future of the healthcare sector. Some of the key tasks of healthcare systems engineers may include:
- Invent new technologies to serve healthcare needs.
- Innovate, design, build and maintain equipment, medical devices and sensors used in healthcare.
- Integrate engineering and clinical perspectives for medical innovations like targeted drugs and virtual surgeries.
- Improve patient care through data-driven decisions.
- Conduct research to optimize healthcare system workflow.
- Manage and lead healthcare facilities.
- Make healthcare accessible to rural/remote communities.
- Influence policies to improve quality of healthcare.
- Be a part of government and regulatory agencies.
- Join public health organizations such as the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.
- Implement efficient systems to streamline healthcare management.
- Teach at higher education institutions after an advanced degree.
- Join any company that hires engineers demonstrating critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
- Start medical school or graduate school.
What are career paths for healthcare systems engineering graduates?
With skills that combine healthcare knowledge with engineering principles, healthcare systems engineering graduates will have multiple career paths to optimize healthcare systems, improve patient care and reduce costs. Opportunities in the healthcare industry will emerge as this sector grows. With background in engineering, computer science, data science, management and health sciences, you will be ready for what comes in the future. The many possible roles could be:
- Healthcare engineer or healthcare systems engineer
- Healthcare systems analyst or healthcare data analyst
- Interdisciplinary engineer/engineer-physiologist defining the future of medicine
- Healthcare supply chain manager
- Healthcare quality improvement specialist
- Healthcare operations manager/coordinator
- Healthcare consultant
- Medical equipment engineer/manager
- Health policy analyst
- Healthcare IT project manager
- Patient safety specialist
- Regulatory affairs specialist
- Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ scientist
- Rural healthcare specialist
- Telemedicine specialist
- Health technology integration specialist
- Hospital planner/healthcare facility designer
- Health informatics specialist
Which employers/companies are interested in healthcare systems engineering graduates?
Any company, organization or entity that is associated with healthcare industry:
- Hospitals, clinics, healthcare providers, healthcare systems
- Government health agencies, regulatory agencies
- Public health organizations
- Health insurance companies
- Policy research organizations such as the Kaiser Family Foundation, The Heritage Foundation, CDC, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation
- Healthcare consulting firms
- Think tanks and healthcare startups
- Academic and research institutions
- Nonprofit organizations
- Medical device/supplies manufacturers and distributors
- Biomedical engineering firms
- Healthcare IT companies such as Google, Amazon, IBM, Epic Systems
- Pharmaceutical companies
- Telemedicine companies
What does the healthcare systems engineering curriculum include?
Healthcare systems engineering is a field that combines engineering, computer science, data science, management and health sciences. Because the field is broad, it is difficult to include everything within a 130-credit-hour engineering degree. Therefore, the program is designed to give students flexibility in selecting a track that fits their interests, which is uncommon in other engineering fields. Below is an overview of the courses included in the curriculum.
- Communication, social science, arts and humanities (university core courses)
- Math, physics, chemistry
- Biology, anatomy, physiology, medical terminology
- Health informatics, healthcare management
- Data science, computer science, artificial intelligence
- Mechanics, dynamics, thermodynamics, electric circuits, engineering design, systems engineering
- Additional electives suitable for the following tracks:
- Artificial intelligence/data track
- Pre-med track
- Devices and sensors track
- Animal industry track
- General track
Will I be prepared to take MCAT if I choose this degree program?
Yes, if you choose the pre-med track. You will take all the courses required to prepare for the MCAT, with some selected from the list of electives. Because the program requires 130 credit hours to complete, the choice of additional technical electives may be limited. However, students interested in learning about additional topics may take additional courses.
Is the healthcare systems engineering program accredited?
Because this is a new Bachelor of Science program, it is not currently accredited. The program will seek accreditation from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Accreditation requires at least one graduate from the program. The program will seek accreditation after the first student graduates.
