Vanderbilt Business® Health Care Programs
Programs for health care leaders and those who wish to make a positive impact within this demanding, dynamic industry Health Care MBA A specialized two-year MBA that prepares you for the challenges of leadership in the health care industry The Vanderbilt Health Care MBA is a specialization within the full-time MBA program and is known for its hands-on immersion experiences and industry partnerships. You will learn in Nashville, the city with the largest concentration of health care services in the world, gathering insight into all facets of the U.S. health care system, and enabling you to make an immediate impact on the job.
MD/MBA and PhD/MBA Joint degrees that add depth and market value to your medical education The MD/MBA combines the best-of-class educations from Vanderbilt School of Medicine and the Owen Graduate School of Management. With well-orchestrated transitions between the two schools, students can earn both their MD and their MBA in five years. The PhD/MBA prepares scientists for managerial leadership roles in pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms, combining the MBA with PhD programs administered through the Biomedical Research Education and Training (BRET) office within the School of Medicine.
Master of Management in Health Care (MMHC) A one-year degree that helps health care practitioners and professionals succeed in business This program is designed to help health care practitioners and professionals effectively manage people, programs and processes within their organizations by marrying business fundamentals with the complex realities of the health care delivery industry. Students attend management core classes one night a week and intensive industry-specific courses one weekend per month for one year. A Capstone Project requires that students work in teams to demonstrate rigorous application of business concepts and disciplines to a timely challenge identified by their sponsoring organization.
Executive MBA A 21 month MBA designed for working professionals in or approaching senior leadership The Executive MBA offers the same degree as the traditional MBA program, but is designed to accommodate a working professional’s schedule. It is a highly ranked, 60-credit MBA program proven to help accomplished managers and executives develop the advanced management, strategic vision and leadership skills essential to achieving full executive potential. Executive MBA graduates realize immediate ROI, with the ability to apply the best-practice knowledge learned on Saturday to their jobs on Monday morning. (Note: This program is comprised of students from a wide variety of industries. Physicians and other health care professionals typically comprise 20-30 percent of a class.)
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Vanderbilt Business® Health Care Programs
Which program is right for you? MD/MBA (Joint degree with VU Med School)**
Master of Management in Health Care
Specialization within the fulltime MBA program that is the result of a partnership between a nationally ranked business school and a top academic medical center both located in Nashville, the capital city for established and entrepreneurial health care companies and experts. This program offers several unique immersion learning opportunities.
Allows Vanderbilt MD students to earn a joint degree in five years, a savings of one year compared to the length of time required to earn the two degrees separately.
A one-year program designed to help working health care practitioners and professionals effectively manage people, programs or processes within their organizations by marrying business fundamentals and leadership skills with the complex realities of the health care industry.
21 month, 60-credit-hour Vanderbilt MBA program designed for working professionals. The rigorous academic and classroom experiences are tailored specifically to the needs of those who are in, or aspire to, positions of senior leadership.
Vanderbilt MBA (Health Care Specialization)
Vanderbilt MD and a Vanderbilt MBA
Vanderbilt Master of Mgmt. in Health Care
Vanderbilt MBA
Full-time MBA students who want to apply their primary area of study—such as finance, consulting or marketing— within the health care industry.
Vanderbilt MD students who wish to become innovative physician-business leaders.
Working physicians, service line leaders, practice leaders, chiefs of staff, and other clinicians and health care professionals seeking career advancement within their health care delivery organization.
Working physicians, clinical professionals and other practitioners who are at, or aspire to, senior leadership positions and want the benefits of an MBA degree without disrupting their career momentum.
Features an academic calendar based on a modular system of intensive courses, each seven weeks in length. Two “mods” equal one semester. There are opportunities for immersion courses, industry trips between mods, and a paid internship between year one and year two. Year One: Core curriculum plus health care specialization and at least one concentration area. Year Two: Specialization and concentration focused courses.
Students spend their first three years in the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. They then enroll in the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management for year four and take courses in both schools in year five.
Curriculum includes a series of 12 two-day courses, grouped into six modules, with each module focusing on the application of a business discipline with an industry-specific context.
Year One: Curriculum emphasizes working in cross-functional teams, as well as skills and perspectives needed by those who aspire to senior leadership roles. Year Two: Curriculum rounds out the core management foundations with more advanced financial courses and special focus on entrepreneurship and strategy. It also includes a business strategy sequence and Capstone Project.
21 months. From August to May, classes offered Monday through Thursday; Fridays reserved for group study, career search or other events.
Students spend their first three years in the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. They then enroll in the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management for year four and take courses in both schools in year five.
One night per week (Thursday) and one weekend (Friday and Saturday) per month for one year (12 months).
21 months. Alternating Saturdays including three required oneweek residencies: one at the beginning of program; one at the start of the second year; and one international trip at the end of the second year.
Approximately 20-25 percent of a typical MBA class choose the Health Care specialization.
Approximately four to eight joint degree students are accepted per year.
Health Care MBA
Program Description
Degree Earned
Designed For
Program Format
Program Schedule
Class Profiles*
Executive MBA
Approximately 20-30 percent of a typical class is comprised of physicians, clinicians and others who work in the health care industry.
The numbers below are for typical classes in their entirety. Class Size: 166 Average Age: 28 Work Experience: 5 years GMAT: 688 Women: 31%
Class Size: 29 Average Age: 43 Work Experience: 16 years Women: 62% Sponsored by Employer: 96% (partial or full)
Class size: 55 Average Age: 36 Work experience: 12 years GMAT: 602 Women: 37.5%
* Numbers represent entire MBA class.
* Numbers represent multi-year averages.
* Numbers represent multi-year averages.
**Vanderbilt also offers a joint PhD/MBA in conjunction with the Vanderbilt School of Medicine through the Office of Biomedical Research Education and Training (BRET). The timing of the program varies by individual. ®