The Masters of Education in the Health Professions is a 33-credit degree program. Coursework for the degree is available below. For an example of the course sequence that will be valid for the 2013-14 academic year, click here.

The 18-credit Evidence-Based Teaching core (which can also be taken as a stand-alone post-master's certificate) is the foundation for the master’s degree.

The Evidence Based Teaching Core - 18 Credits

Educational Theory and Evidence Based Practice Block (6 credits)
1) Foundation to Innovation: Adult Learning
2) Evidence-Based Teaching
Curriculum Design Block (6 credits)
3) Ensuring Learning through Assessment and Feedback
4) Curriculum Development
Instructional Practice Block (6 credits)
5) Instructional Strategies I (1.5 credits) and Instructional Strategies II (1.5 credits)
6) Educational Scholarship: Design (1.5 credits) and Educational Scholarship: Implementation (1.5 credits)

Educational Leadership Option - 15 Credits

1) Development, Management, and Evaluation of Health Professions Education Programs
2) Leadership in Health Professions Education Programs
3) Mentoring in Health Professions Education Programs
4) One of two elective options:
     a. Faculty Development
     b. Writing Grant and Contract Proposals
5) Professional Development Projects in Health Professions Education (capstone)

Educational Research Option - 15 Credits

1) Development, Management, and Evaluation of Health Professions Programs
2) Understanding Educational Research
3) Two or more of seven elective options:
     a. Quantitative Research Methods
     b. Qualitative Research Methodology I
     c. Qualitative Research Methodology II
     d. Statistics I: Basic Statistics with SPSS
     e. Statistics II: Intermediate Statistics with SPSS
     f.  Statistics III
     g. Writing Grant and Contract Proposals
4) Research Projects in Health Professions Education

Course Descriptions

The courses in the Master of Education in Health Professions program integrate health professions scenarios, issues, and examples, while also building on expertise brought from all five participating JHU schools. Courses ensure that themes of evidence-based teaching, leadership, cultural competence, research design and methodology, technology integration and scholarship are addressed throughout the program.

Students will have options to select research courses from a defined set across the participating schools.

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Core Courses for the Post-Master's Certificate and MEHP Programs

Foundation to Innovation: Adult Learning (3 credits)
In this course, participants examine the history, philosophy, theories and breadth of the field of adult learning to inform construction of their personal philosophy of adult learning. Through analysis of seminal works in the field, participants will learn how to link empirical data to the theories of effective teaching and adult learning. Participants explore traditional and emerging views of the practices of adult learning, such as andragogy, transformative learning, social and cognitive constructivism, and critical reflection, and their application to education in the health professions. Investigation of topics will include the contextual elements of epistemology and cultural issues such as class, gender, and race. Participants will begin development of a professional portfolio in this course.

Evidence-Based Teaching (3 credits)
This course prepares participants for leadership in education through translation of the best available evidence and application of research into educational practice. Students will develop the skills and knowledge needed to review and synthesize the strength of evidence available, and recommend educational practice changes if indicated. Topics include: a review of the research process, research critique, rating and synthesizing the strength of evidence, decision-making for educational practice in the health professions, and research and research translation opportunities. Participants will add relevant content to their professional portfolio through this course.

Ensuring Learning through Assessment and Feedback (3 credits)
This course prepares participants to demonstrate their ability to build an educational experience from the perspective of assessing student learning achievement. They will review the literature on assessment and examine the processes to align learning goals and objectives with corresponding learning experiences, assessments and scoring guides. In addition they will examine the use of formative and summative feedback to monitor and evaluate learning. Moreover, they will explore approaches to providing feedback and will engage in scenarios to practice and evaluate its use. Finally, participants will critique and evaluate approaches to assessment and feedback in health profession settings. Artifacts from course activities will be posted in participants’ professional portfolios.

Curriculum Development (3 credits)
In this course, participants will propose a curricular project in health professions education, which will be documented in their professional portfolio. They will learn and apply 6 steps to curriculum development: problem identification and general needs assessment, targeted needs assessment, writing goals and specific measurable objectives, choosing educational strategies, implementation, and evaluation. Educational methods include readings, mini-lectures, interactive web modules, discussion groups, and application exercises. The course also addresses issues related to curriculum maintenance and enhancement, and dissemination of curriculum-related work.

Instructional Strategies I (1.5 credits)
In this course, participants will learn about various instructional strategies to enhance interdisciplinary learning experiences in health professions education. Instructional methods will include such collaborative educational models as small and large group teaching, team-based, interactive and experiential case-based learning. Techniques will include the use of simulations as well as teaching at the bedside with a focus on educator behaviors that stimulate achievement of learners. With an appreciation of the diversity of the student body, participants will effectively integrate and apply technology into instruction to develop and deliver health professions curricula including web-based teaching environments, content management systems, collaborative project development, and interactive media with an emphasis on instructional design advancements which affect the learning environment. Evidence of participants’ knowledge and application of course topics will be captured in a professional portfolio.

Instructional Strategies II (1.5 credits)
In this course, the principles underlying the assessment and teaching of adult learners will be applied to classroom and clinical settings in both academic and practice environments. Selected learning style models and technology integration strategies will be examined. Emphasis is placed on the selection and application of practical teaching strategies to diverse learners. Specific teaching skills will be analyzed for their applicability to specific methodologies, settings and learners. Course related reflections and products will be posted in participants’ professional portfolios.

Educational Scholarship I: Design (1.5 credits)

Participants will develop a proposal for a project in educational leadership or for a study in educational research. They will incorporate their learning from previous courses in the program to outline the study and to begin a preliminary literature review. Participants will create a case to support the need for their proposal and its potential contribution. The proposal will be further developed in Educational Scholarship 2: Implementation.

Educational Scholarship II: Implementation (1.5 credits)

Participants will continue the development of their proposals begun in Educational Scholarship 1: Design. With feedback from mentors and the instructor, participants will research appropriate methodologies as possible venues for the study. They will finalize the proposal to be reviewed by the instructor and faculty team. Proposals are to be approved in order for participants to proceed with the completion of the master’s degree. Participants in the certificate program will implement their proposals as an educational project.

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Educational Leadership Track Option (for the master’s degree)

Development, Management, and Evaluation of Health Professions Education Programs (3 credits)
In this course, participants will demonstrate their ability to implement a systemic approach to program development and evaluation. They will review the literature on program effectiveness and examine the components that contribute to success. They will also approach program development from the perspective of its critical components – population characteristics, needs assessment, content, logistics, instructional formats, implementation, assessment, and evaluation using quantitative and qualitative methods. In addition, participants will incorporate a continuous process of program improvement that includes closing the loop by analyzing information on student performance, stakeholders, trends, and funding to identify changes that will enhance the effectiveness of the program. Course products and reflections will be highlighted in a professional portfolio.

Leadership in Health Professions Education Programs (3 credits)
This course will address major leadership theories. Participants will develop an understanding of their preferred leadership style through a variety of assessment instruments and create an individually tailored leadership development plan that will be placed in a professional portfolio. Participants will review the literature on the task and people dimensions of leadership in health professions education. As current and future leaders of health professions educational programs, centers, and schools, they will learn how to write program proposals, create budgets, apply accounting and finance principles for educational programs, develop a plan to market and sell their program concepts to leadership, manage projects, use decision-making and risk taking paradigms, and delegate and manage execution through accountability structures. They will also learn how to hire and staff health professions educational organizations, apply cultural competence in building diverse organizations, and use interpersonal skills to manage and improve performance, enhance team building and group dynamics, recognize and reward contributions, and resolve conflicts through effective communication, mediation and dispute resolution strategies.

Mentoring in Health Professions Education Programs (3 credits)
In this course, participants will learn how to be mentors and advocates for health professions educators and agents of influence and change within and outside their institutions. They will review the literature on faculty development and learn how to develop and mentor faculty who plan to build careers as health professions educators. They will learn how to provide effective feedback, support the career development of educators, evaluate educators’ portfolios, and mentor faculty in teaching skills, educational scholarship and program building. Participants will develop an understanding of strategic planning processes, and will develop advocacy skills including building internal and external relationships and influencing and negotiating for change. They will learn how to structure and chair committees, build trust, and manage meetings effectively. They will develop and apply an understanding of the principles and techniques of fundraising and development. They will practice presentations for influence, change and crisis management to internal and external stakeholders including institutional leaders, legislative groups and the media. Participants will examine the concept of a moral compass as a foundation for responding effectively to the ethical challenges of leadership and professionalism within the context of the health professions education environment. Knowledge, skills and dispositions gained and applied in this course will be captured as artifacts in participants’ professional portfolios.

Faculty Development (3 credits – elective)
The focus of this course is on four components of faculty development: professional development, instructional development, leadership development, and organizational development. Participants will develop the knowledge and skills needed to address such specific areas of development as orientation of new faculty; presentation of educational sessions and programs to address teaching methods and educational technology; promotion of research and scholarship in education; and identification of resources needed to facilitate excellence in teaching.

Writing Grant and Contract Proposals (3 credits – elective)
Participants in this course gain practical experience in writing grant and contract proposals for submission to state and federal agencies and to private organizations. Course topics include: (1) the purposes of federal grant and contract programs, (2) private and public sources of financial assistance for research and development activities, and (3) methods and procedures for writing technically sound proposals. Each participant writes a complete grant or contract proposal during the course.

Professional Development Projects in Health Professions Education (3 credits) (Capstone for students in the Educational Leadership Track)
This year-long 3-credit course is a requirement for the Master of Education in the Health Professions with a concentration in Leadership of Educational Programs. Participants apply principles learned in courses in curriculum development, teaching, assessment, and adult learning by designing, implementing, evaluating, and writing up a professional development project in health professions education leadership. Degree candidates work with an advisor with experience in professional development and adult learning toward the end of the Graduate Certificate program or upon entering the master’s degree program. The advisor helps the candidate choose a meaningful and achievable project. Participants have the option of identifying an additional mentor at their home institution. Educational methods include regular meetings with advisors, periodic deadlines for achieving interval work, capturing reflections and artifacts in a professional portfolio, and end of program oral abstract presentation and paper. Participants may use their professional development projects in application exercises during courses in teaching, assessment, and curriculum development methodology.

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Educational Research Track (for the master’s degree)

Development, Management, and Evaluation of Health Professions Education Programs (3 credits)
See above for descriptor.

Understanding Educational Research (3 credits)
In this course, participants explore the processes and approaches to research in education. Participants critique published research studies and examine both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. Class members conduct a computerized literature search and prepare a research review in their respective areas of concentration. This review will be highlighted in participants’ professional portfolios.

Quantitative Research Methods (3 credits – elective)
In this course, participants prepare to conduct research in the behavioral sciences, particularly descriptive, correlational, experimental, and quasi-experimental research designs. Participants develop a research proposal in their respective areas of concentration.

Qualitative Research Methodology I (3 credits – elective)
In this course, participants are introduced to qualitative research methodology and designs in education. The theory and principles of observational research techniques and interpretative methodology are examined. Students are assisted in identifying components of qualitative research to look at patterns and relationships between subject and variables in a natural setting.

Qualitative Research Methodology II (3 credits – elective)
In this course, participants develop necessary skills to design and conduct qualitative research studies. This course covers key strategies of qualitative inquiry, common qualitative methods, and elements of effective qualitative research proposals. Through course readings, discussions, and assignments, students are encouraged to explore, critique, design, and conduct qualitative research for the examination of educational issues.

Statistics I: Basic Statistics with SPSS (3 credits – elective)
With the use of microcomputer statistical packages, this course introduces participants to basic descriptive and inferential statistics. Topics include the summary and analysis of data using graphs, measures of central tendency, regression, correlation, and one-way analysis of variance. Although mathematical analyses are utilized, the course emphasizes the understanding of statistical concepts.

Statistics II: Intermediate Statistics with SPSS (3 credits – elective)
This course extends the basic statistical methods covered in Statistics I (883.507) to include inferential statistical tests of significance and non-parametric tests. Instruction includes classroom lectures, computation, and interpretation of statistical tests combined with utilization of PC-based software statistical packages for Windows-based and Apple computers.
Prerequisite(s): ED.883.507

Statistics III (3 credits – elective)
This course extends materials covered in Statistics I (883.507) and Statistics II (883.714) to include multivariate statistical analyses. Tests of significance include Multiple Regression, Discrimination Function, ANCOVA , MANOVA , and Factor Analysis.
Prerequisite(s): ED.883.507 and ED.883.714

Writing Grant and Contract Proposals (3 credits – elective)
See above for descriptor.

Research Projects in Health Professions Education (3 credits) (Capstone for students in the Educational Research Track)
This year-long 3-credit course is a requirement for the Master of Education in the Health Professions with a concentration in Educational Research. Participants apply principles learned in courses in research methodology by designing, implementing, presenting, and writing up a research project in health professions education. Degree candidates are assigned a Johns Hopkins mentor with experience in educational research toward the end of the Graduate Certificate program or upon entering the master’s degree program. The mentor helps the candidate choose a meaningful and achievable project. Participants have the option of identifying an additional mentor at their home institution. Educational methods include regular meetings with mentors, periodic deadlines for achieving interval work, capturing reflections and artifacts in a professional portfolio, and end of program oral abstract presentation and paper. Participants may use their research projects in application exercises during courses in research methodology.

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