The Master of Health Leadership and Management (MHLM) program is the oldest and largest health management program in Australia. For 60 years it has provided students with the essential knowledge, skills and attributes required to undertake challenging senior leadership and managerial roles in health services in Australia and globally.

Program description

The Health Management program provides students with the essential knowledge, skills and attributes required to undertake challenging senior managerial roles in health services either in Australia or internationally. A key focus of the program is promoting both current and future leaders who are skilled in strategic planning, quality and safety improvement and monitoring, and policy making within a wide variety of contexts. These include the hospital and community healthcare services, aged care services, Ministries and Departments of Health, Government and Non-Government and voluntary organisations, primary care and general practice, in both public and private sectors.

Program objectives

The objective of the Health Leadership and Management program is to develop work-ready leaders and managers who can provide effective leadership of health service issues, teams and systems. It ensures that students have a strong grounding in the principles underpinning health systems and services including: strategic planning, change management, financial management, health economics, evidence informed decision-making, clinical governance, risk management, and quality improvement.

Career options

Our alumni currently have leadership roles in public and private healthcare sector services spanning hospital, community, aged, primary and allied healthcare. Many of our graduates take up health system-level positions in Ministries and Departments of Health, government departments, units and services relevant to population health, and non-government and voluntary organisations across Australia and around the world

Flexible options

The School provides a great deal of flexibility for students to tailor their study options according to their needs. The MHLM program can be undertaken either full-time or part-time.  Courses are offered internally on campus with face-to-face teaching, or externally by distance mode using online teaching technologies. All courses offered by the School are available fully online which means our degrees can be completed from anywhere in the world. For some elective courses, there are optional workshops which are held at a residential school on campus one week before each Term starts.

Students may enrol in a general Master of Health Leadership and Management degree or a specialisation, an extension degree (which includes a research component) or a dual degree. See Degrees for more information.

Professional recognition

Our health management program is accredited by the Australasian College of Health Service Management (ACHSM). It is also accredited by and recognised as providing the core competencies required for individuals wishing to apply for Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators (RACMA). Please note that RACMA has specific requirements for the courses taken by candidates to fulfil requirements, so potential Fellowship candidates should check with RACMA before selecting their electives in the MHLM program.

Articulation

The Masters’ program articulates with the Graduate Diploma and the Graduate Certificate. Credit for courses completed as part of the Graduate Diploma and the Graduate Certificate may be transferred to the Master’s program in accordance with the UNSW policy on credit transfer.