Frequently Asked Questions

Administrative roles in a meeting

Program Schedule 

How many courses do you take a semester and are they all online? 

The preferred plan of study requires two courses per semester over the course of eight semesters. All courses are online however there are frequent virtual meetings with faculty scheduled throughout courses and the curriculum. Two residency weekends are required as part of the seminar series (typically semester 6 and semester 8).  This is an opportunity for students to further develop their research projects with faculty guidance and peer feedback. 

What happens if you have to alter your plan of study. Is this feasible? 

It is possible to alter your plan of study. Your faculty advisor will help you navigate necessary changes. One must consider that courses are offered in designated semesters, so taking more or fewer than two classes per semester must be carefully planned. Taking fewer than two classes per semester may alter the length of time to complete the program

Career Outcomes: Leadership Tracks

What is the professional trajectory for students who enroll in the educational track? 

Students in this track are typically interested in applying for or enhancing their current faculty position and/or academic leadership positions. 

What is the professional trajectory for students who enroll in the clinical practice track? 

Students in this track are typically aiming for leadership roles in a variety of healthcare fields.

Research Skills 

What is the advantage of a DHSc compared to other academic degrees such as a PhD or post professional practice degree? 

There are no limitations to a DHSc degree as a terminal academic degree. The DHSc is designed to develop knowledge and apply research to a specific context; it has less emphasis on the broader scope of theoretical underpinnings and requirements typical of a PhD program. The advantage of the DHSc over any post-professional practice degree is that is it a qualifying degree for a regular academic appointment or clinical leadership position.  Its rigorous research expectations prepare you to become an independent researcher as well.  

What are the research projects like?  Do I have to complete a dissertation?  

The DHSc doctoral project typically addresses a narrow problem or question in professional practice and/or health profession education that requires investigation and solutions.  In the DHSc program, our graduation requirement is the submission of an approved article to a peer-reviewed journal in lieu of the submission and approval of a dissertation.  The process of completing your doctoral project is very similar to a dissertation, but we call the year long, three course series the “Seminar Series”.  

What are some examples of research projects conducted in the Seminar Series?

Recent successful examples of Seminar topics include a mixed-methods study on the implementation of a novel international cardio perfusion program, a survey-based study on the attitudes of physical therapists on clinical pain mechanisms assessment, and a database-oriented retrospective study on the effects of varying knee injections on delaying total knee arthroplasty.  Ongoing projects cover several other research methodologies including qualitative studies using semi-structured interviews or focus groups, and retrospective cohort studies using a chart review methodology, and educational interventions such as the implementation of Virtual Reality experiences into a neuroscience curriculum.

Will I be required to run a clinical trial as part of the Seminar Series research requirement? 

No. A clinical trial is NOT a program expectation.  A limited-scope, prospective clinical research design is feasible such as a case series or cohort study. However, the main limiting factor is time.  Most of your data must be collected over 4-5 months in order to allow you to stay on track for program completion and graduation.  Therefore, the feasibility of recruiting subjects and completing data collection in that window has to be considered. Recent successful examples of Seminar topics include a mixed-methods study on the implementation of a novel international cardioperfusion program, a survey-based study on the attitudes of physical therapists on clinical pain mechanisms assessment, and a database-oriented retrospective study on the effects of varying knee injections on delaying total knee arthroplasty.  Ongoing projects cover several other research methodologies including qualitative studies using semi-structured interviews or focus groups, and retrospective cohort studies using a chart review methodology, and educational interventions such as the implementation of Virtual Reality experiences into a neuroscience curriculum.

Interprofessional Collaboration 

What is the background of students enrolled in the program? What is their current work environment? 

Our students are health professionals from a range of backgrounds.  They may be practicing healthcare clinicians, or work in a healthcare environment or educational institution.  Clinicians include PT, OT, PA, MD, RN, SLP, Medical Laboratory Scientists and Dieticians among others. 

How many students are in a cohort?  Are there opportunities to interact with students and faculty even though it is an online program? 

There are generally 30 students per cohort.  There are multiple opportunities to interact and work with fellow students and faculty within the context of each course.  Engagement activities may include interaction on discussion boards, virtual meetings and in person residency weekends held in Seminar I and III.

Applicable Coursework to Your Career 

Do I need to be currently employed in a related health care or education setting during the program? 

Many courses have assignments or projects that require you to use what we call an “authentic learning environment”. This means that you can use your work environment to create and implement projects that help you apply concepts throughout the curriculum. We find this strategy makes the learning process more meaningful and benefits both the student and the work setting.  It is possible to consider other professional contexts or other employment as potential settings to apply your learning, however the majority of our students apply learning to projects in their health care and educational work settings. 

How many hours per week on average do you have to devote to a course?  Do student who work full time typically struggle with the workload? 

All of our courses are 3 graduate credit hours on a semester-based calendar.  Consistent with other graduate programs and typical accreditation standards, we expect students to spend an average of 7.5 hours per week (2.5 hours direct, 5.0 hours indirect) on the course material and requirements.  With a recommended course load of 2 courses per semester that equals approximately 15 hours per week of time devoted to your schoolwork and academic/career enhancement.  Most of our students are successful in managing the course load while working full-time; especially since course projects are often designed to integrate well into their work environment. 

What is the focus of the Health Practicum Coursework? 

The Health Practicum I and II courses give students the opportunity to create, implement and evaluate a project or program of their choice in their authentic learning environment.  Students  apply previous learning to identify a problem that needs to be solved, conduct a literature search, and develop and implement evidence-based solutions. This quality improvement  project includes project planning, project management, evaluation of processes and outcomes, and time management. 

Faculty Availability 

Are the faculty available in the evenings or weekends?  In my current job I am unable to schedule a meeting during regular work hours. 

Faculty will work with you to ensure a mutually convenient time to meet should your work schedule limit your availability during normal working hours.