Program Overview

MS in Patient Safety Leadership

Admission Requirements

In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements:

• Baccalaureate Degrees: A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
• Minimum Grade Point Average: 2.75/4.00 for the last 60 hours or the equivalent of the baccalaureate degree. A separate grade point average will be computed for all graduate work, and then a combined grade point average is tabulated. Applicants are required to submit one set of official transcripts from each postsecondary institution attended. The transcripts should document all courses taken, grades received, and (if applicable) degree earned.
• English Proficiency: Additional information on the English proficiency test requirement for international students can be found on the UIC Admissions website. Minimum test scores for this program are:
  • Minimum English Competency Test Scores Exam | Score | Reading | Listening | Speaking | Writing
    ---|---|---|---|---|---
    TOEFL iBT | 80 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 21
    IELTS Academic | 6.5 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0
    PTE Academic | 54 | 51 | 47 | 53 | 56
• Curriculum Vitae: Required.
• Letters of Recommendation: Required. Two letters of recommendation from a faculty member or employer who can address the applicant's interest in healthcare quality and patient safety, and the applicant's ability to do graduate-level work.
• Personal Statement: Required. The statement should address the applicant's goals related to patient safety leadership, including interest in a particular area of study. Statements should be no more than 700 words in length and include at least three references.

Degree Requirements

In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, students must meet the following program requirements prior to graduation:

• Minimum Semester Hours Required: 36
• Coursework
  • Course List Code | Title | Hours
    ---|---|---
    Required Courses|
    PSL 401| Patient Safety and Quality Care Improvement|
    PSL 402| Error Science, Risk and Communication|
    PSL 413| Quality and Performance Improvement|
    PSL 404| Organizational Leadership in Health Systems|
    PSL 501| Healthcare Simulation, Team, Applied Leadership Principles|
    PSL 502| Health Sciences Research and Information Technology|
    PSL 503| Economics, Policy and Environment|
    PSL 504| Creating Human and System Change|
    PSL 597| Capstone Project|
• Comprehensive Examination: None.
• Other Requirements: Each student must meet all online and onsite attendance requirements and complete all demonstration of learning requirements for all courses. The onsite requirement for this program is a three-day onsite experience at the UIC campus. This residency is embedded in one of the required eight-week courses.
  • Onsite Residency: A residency requirement will provide the opportunity for students to practice and apply the tools and principles introduced in the online courses. An interprofessional team of UIC faculty will teach these residency courses. Students will refine their capstone topic during the residency.
  • Capstone Course: The capstone provides the opportunity for the patient safety leadership master's student to demonstrate his/her ability to integrate and apply the knowledge and skills acquired from the master's program, as evidenced by defining a problem, applying appropriate methodologies, reporting conclusions, and presenting recommendations in a professional and persuasive manner.