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MHPE Curriculum

Learn about degree requirements and course options for the Master of Health Professions Education

Degree Requirements Heading link

The Master of Health Professions Education (MHPE) program requires students to complete 32 semester credit hours, which are organized into three components: five core courses, electives, and a thesis.

The core courses MHPE 501, 502, 503, and 504 each carry 4 credit hours and MHPE 505 carries 2 credit hours, for a total of 18 credit hours. Students accumulate 6-8 credits by completing three or four 2-credit electives, or via transfer of credits from a graduate program at another university (8 credit hours maximum). The remaining 6-8 credit hours are accumulated in thesis research, when students work with an advisor and committee to develop a mentored work of scholarship.

Core courses

The core courses, MHPE 501, 502, 503, and 504, are offered in on-campus and online formats in alternate years, and can be taken in any sequence. MHPE 505 must be taken first, and is conducted on-campus for students in both formats.

  • MHPE 501 Scholarship in Health Professions Education
  • MHPE 502 Instruction and Assessment in Health Professions Education
  • MHPE 503 Curriculum and Program Evaluation in Health Professions Education
  • MHPE 504 Leadership in Health Professions Education
  • MHPE 505 Introduction to Health Professions Education

Elective Courses

Elective courses may be selected from the following:

  • Courses offered by the Department of Medical Education. See Course Descriptions below for a listing of available elective courses.
  • Courses offered by other UIC schools, such as the School of Public Health or the College of Education.
  • Independent Study: selected problems or issues in health professions education arevinvestigated under the direction of a DME faculty member selected by the student.
  • Transfer of credits to UIC from a graduate program from another university: up to 8 semester hours of graduate level credit which has not been applied toward another degree may be transferred if the student received an A or B grade and has the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies.

Thesis

The thesis is the capstone of the MHPE program, in which students apply what they have learned to produce a rigorous work of HPE scholarship suitable for publication (although publication is not required). The thesis is closely supervised by a DME major advisor with input from at least two other committee members; one committee member may be a faculty
member at the student’s home institution (the other is another DME faculty member).

Typical thesis projects include educational research questions; the development, piloting and evaluation of instructional programs or learner assessments; and literature reviews. Theses often tackle actual problems in the student’s own institutional setting, while at the same time addressing a gap in the broader field of health professions education.

Core Course Descriptions Heading link

Elective Course Descriptions Heading link