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Seton Hall University Health and Medical Sciences
learning outcomes and assessment

Learning Outcomes and Assessment

The mission of the Ph.D. in Health Sciences Program within the Department of Interprofessional Health Sciences and Health Administration is to graduate doctorally prepared health science professionals who will respond to critical needs in the areas of academia, healthcare organizational leadership, advanced clinical practice and healthcare research.

Program Goals:

Goal 1: To prepare graduates to exhibit advanced oral and written communication.

The student will:

  1. Demonstrate advanced writing skills in activities such as program competency exams, chapter development and final dissertation submission.
  2. Demonstrate advanced writing skills by publishing in peer reviewed journals and/or peer reviewed presentations.
  3. Demonstrate advanced oral skills in activities such as program research forum proposal hearing presentation, results presentation, and oral defense presentation.
  4. Demonstrate advanced oral skills in activities such as conference and/or scholarly presentations.

Goal 2: To prepare graduates to apply ethical principles fundamental to health science practice and research.

The student will:

  1. Demonstrate competency by securing CITI research certificate.
  2. Obtain IRB approval for human subject research activities.

Goal 3: To prepare graduates to apply theory in practice and research in the field of adult education in personal and professional endeavors.

The student will:

  1. Adopt lifelong learning practices as evidenced by preparation and completion program qualifying examination.
  2. Adopt lifelong learning practices as evidenced by preparation and completion for program candidacy examination.
  3. Adopt lifelong learning practices as evidenced by completion of practicum studies.
  4. Adopt lifelong learning practices as evidenced by completion of independent studies.
  5. Demonstrate competency in theory and research alignment through execution of successful proposal hearing.
  6. Apply theory and research alignment to practice through successfully defending their results presentation.
  7. Apply theory and research alignment to practice through successfully defending their open oral dissertation defense.

Goal 4: To prepare graduates to critically appraise literature and apply the appropriate principles and procedures to the recognition, evaluation, interpretation, and understanding of current issues.

The student will:

  1. Identify an appropriate research problem and delimit the scope of inquiry as evidenced through Chapter 1 development.
  2. Learn how to integrate technology as part of the process in conducting a broad yet critical review of the literature as part of scientific inquiry course.
  3. Apply conceptual frameworks to investigate issues in health through successful completion of Chapter 2.
  4. Join the interprofessional team of scholars by actively participating in research forum series throughout the program.
  5. Engage in peer review activities throughout the program, including core health science coursework, research coursework, and specialization coursework.

Goal 5: To prepare graduates to design, conduct and interpret findings in health science research using an appropriate research approach: qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods.

The student will:

  1. Identify appropriate methods to address the research problem posed for Chapter 3 development.
  2. Conduct the appropriate analysis to address the research questions posed for Chapter 4 development.
  3. Interpret findings through the development of Chapter 5.

Goal 6: To prepare graduates to understand and appreciate the role of social determinants of health in theory, practice, and research.

The student will:

  1. Engage in scholarly inquiry exploring social determinates of health within the core health science and research coursework in the program.
  2. Integrate the concepts of social determinates of health in the development of Chapters 1, 2 and 5.
  3. Engage in the use of technology systems supported by SHU Data Services (e.g., GIS, Atlas) to explore social determinates of health within the research coursework in the program.