Healthcare Systems Engineering

A supplemental guide for graduate students in industrial engineering

Students admitted to the graduate program in industrial engineering (IE) can adhere to the requirements specific to the degree while simultaneously customizing a course of study in healthcare systems engineering. (Students should refer to the Graduate Student Handbook or the academic plans for complete details on degree requirements.) In most cases, students may elect to take at least three 500-level IE courses and two 500-level non-IE courses to specialize in healthcare systems engineering.

Key Coursework

I E 568: Healthcare Systems Engineering. This course develops a fundamental understanding of quantitative tools used to perform system analyses and make decisions in the healthcare context. The course objectives are to supply students with the knowledge to identify, evaluate, and mitigate healthcare delivery problems through the use of interactive lectures, case studies, and real-world application projects. After completing this course, students should be able to: identify the needs, requirements, and limitations of a healthcare system; evaluate healthcare system quality; and model and improve healthcare system performance. Key topics include: a systems view of healthcare delivery, patient flow, collecting and analyzing healthcare data, Six Sigma and lean thinking in healthcare operations, cost-effectiveness modeling, health logistics, incentives in healthcare, capacity management, and modeling of infection control in health operations.