COURSE CURRICULUM

The Elliot Master of Healthcare Design program requires students to complete a comprehensive curriculum that integrates design, healthcare knowledge, research, and practical experience. Core courses begin with the Healthcare Design Studio, which provides six credit hours of immersive, project-based learning, and the Healthcare Systems Workshop, offering three credit hours focused on the structure and function of healthcare environments. Complementing these are the Healthcare Design Workshop: Culture and Ethics, Evidence-Based Design in Healthcare, Healthcare Facilities, Environmental Systems and Materials in Healthcare, Environments of Care and Patient Populations, and Patient Safety and Systems Thinking, each ranging from two to three credit hours, ensuring students develop expertise in both technical and human-centered aspects of healthcare design.Students select one major elective from courses spanning architecture, environmental health, public health administration, nursing, and social and behavioral sciences. These electives allow students to customize their learning based on professional interests, including topics such as older adult environments, laboratory and occupational safety, healthcare systems, public health policy, and leadership in nursing management. Directed electives further allow students to tailor their studies under faculty guidance, integrating cross-disciplinary perspectives into their design practice.The culminating experience is a two-part master’s project, beginning with Master’s Project Research and continuing with the Master’s Project Studio, together totaling nine credit hours. This project enables students to synthesize their acquired knowledge, skills, and research to design an innovative healthcare environment informed by evidence-based practices. Practical experience requirements, including the Healthcare Design Practicum, provide opportunities to apply classroom learning in real-world settings, bridging theory and practice.Overall, the program totals 35 credit hours, emphasizing both academic rigor and experiential learning. Graduates of the program emerge as highly skilled professionals capable of creating healthcare facilities that prioritize patient safety, staff efficiency, and human-centered design. The curriculum prepares students for leadership roles in healthcare design, interdisciplinary collaboration, and advanced research, equipping them to shape the future of healthcare environments in innovative and impactful ways.