Master of Science
in Patient Safety Leadership

With a learner-focused environment, the Patient Safety Leadership program equips students with opportunities to become leaders in the advancement of patient safety and quality health care.

The College of Medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago will offer this comprehensive Master of Science Degree in Patient Safety Leadership through The Global Campus, providing working professionals the opportunity to expand their experience and education in an online environment. The Patient Safety Leadership program will equip students with opportunities to become leaders in the advancement of patient safety and quality health care.

The most important advantage for professionals who enroll in the Patient Safety Leadership program is the opportunity to explore ways that they can become part of a patient safety culture and lead the development of quality health care practices. Patient Safety Leadership master's students will explore ways to develop a patient safety culture in their organizations and to design quality health care practices as they relate to patient safety. Students will benefit from the focus on inter-professional teamwork, simulation training, communication and collaboration, medical error science, organizational change, and health care leadership.

With hospital and health care agencies increasingly designing and implementing new patient safety practices, health care workers will benefit from the professional credentials earned in the Patient Safety Leadership program. In today's complex health care environment, expanding one's skills and knowledge will likely increase opportunities for career growth as well provide options for supporting patient safety in any health care system.

An additional benefit of the Patient Safety Leadership program is that learners with professional licenses may be able to use courses in program toward continuing education requirements. Students are encouraged to contact their licensing accrediting body for details.

Upon successful completion of all coursework, you will earn a Master of Science Degree in Patient Safety Leadership from the College of Medicine at the fully accredited University of Illinois at Chicago.

Curriculum

The curriculum of the Master of Science in Patient Safety Leadership will consist of nine 4-credit-hour courses for a total of 36 credit hours:

PSL 401 Patient Safety and Quality Care Improvement
PSL 402 Error Science, Risk and Disclosure
PSL 403 Communication and Collaboration
PSL 404 Organizational Leadership/Health Systems
PSL 501 Healthcare Simulation, Team and Applied Leadership Principles (includes on-site residency in Illinois)
PSL 502 Health Sciences Research and Information Technology
PSL 503 Economics, Policy and Environment
PSL 504 Creating Human and System Change
PSL 597 Capstone Course

Delivery Method

The Patient Safety Leadership program delivers courses using online instruction that emphasizes self-directed learning and team collaboration. An on-site residency in Chicago, Illinois, embedded within one of the courses, provides the opportunity for students to practice and apply the tools and principles introduced in online courses, and to participate in active learning with cohort members in a face-to-face format.

Admissions and Prerequisites

All applicants for the Master of Science in Patient Safety Leadership will be considered based on the following criteria.

Quality of undergraduate work: an earned bachelor's degree from an accredited institution with a minimum grade-point average of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale for the last 60 hours of undergraduate course work is required.
Quality of graduate work (if applicable), including grades.
Quality of recommendations contained in the two required letters of reference.
Relevance of work experience, career goals, and statement on why you are interested in the program.

Application Materials Required:

A complete application
All applicants will be required to submit official transcripts from all prior colleges and universities attended, including prior attendance at any campus of the University of Illinois.
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.
A current resume or curriculum vitae
A personal statement submitted separate from the application that describes applicant's goals related to patient safety leadership including interest in a particular area of study in this arena. Responses should be no more than 700 words in length and should include no fewer than three references/citations.

Records are considered official if they meet one of the following criteria:

The issuing institution sends them directly to the University of Illinois Global Campus, 510 Devonshire, Suite H, Champaign, IL, 61820.
They are certified as true copies by an official of the educational institution, an embassy official, or an appropriate government official.
They have been received in an envelope sealed by the issuing institution.

International Applicants:

We consider an international student to be any student who does not have American citizenship or permanent residency status. In addition to the materials requested above, International applicants must also submit:

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), for applicants from non-English speaking countries. The minimum acceptable score is 550 for the paper version and 213 for the computer version or a minimum total score of 80, with subscores of Writing (21), Speaking (20), Listening (17), and Reading (19) for the new TOEFL exam. The TOEFL examination is not required for students who have completed at least two academic years of full-time study in a country where English is the native language and in a school where English is the language of instruction within five years of the proposed date of enrollment in the University. In addition, the TOEFL examination is not required of non-native English speakers who have a minimum of one year full-time employment in the U.S. or other country where the only official language of the country is English. Applicants must submit a letter from their employer verifying at least 12 consecutive months of employment and describing their English language skills.
Applicants with international credentials must present official academic records for all post-secondary schooling by having the credentials evaluated by a professional credential evaluation service that holds membership in the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). Please visit the NACES web site for a list of participating organizations: www.naces.org/members.htm.

Records are considered official if they meet one of the following criteria:

The issuing institution sends them directly to the University of Illinois Global Campus, 510 Devonshire, Suite H, Champaign, IL, 61820.
They are certified as true copies by an official of the educational institution, an embassy official, or an appropriate government official.
They have been received in an envelope sealed by the issuing institution.

Tuition and Fees

Residency Status	Tuition and Fees
Illinois Residents and UI degree holders who are contributing members of the University of Illinois Alumni Association	$29,160 for the entire degree ($810 per credit hour for 36 credit hours) A one-time, non-refundable application fee of $40. Tuition and fees do not include books and course materials.
Non-Illinois Residents & International Students	$32,400 for the entire degree ($900 per credit hour for 36 credit hours) U.S. students residing outside Illinois will pay a one-time, non-refundable application fee of $50. International students will pay a one-time, non-refundable application fee of $75. Tuition and fees do not include books and course materials.

Course Starts and Estimated Completion Times

Pending full academic approval, The Global Campus will offer the following start dates for the Master of Science in Patient Safety Leadership:

September 3, 2008
January 7, 2009
May 6, 2009

Potential master's degree students should be aware that this program still requires formal approval from the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE). Registration for coursework will commence when IBHE approval is secured. We will explore additional start dates throughout the year based on demand. This approval is expected to be considered at their June 3, 2008, meeting.

Each course will be eight weeks in length. The typical course load is one course per eight-week term. You can complete your degree in 18 months if you take courses in back-to-back terms.