Healthcare Leadership & Innovation (MS Degree)

The Iona University MS in Healthcare Leadership and Innovation teaches a broad spectrum of leadership competencies to prepare students to take their place in the future of healthcare. Required program courses focused on building the leadership skillset include:

• Foundations in Responsible Healthcare Leadership
• Equity-Minded Leadership in Healthcare
• Leading People and Culture in Healthcare
• Healthcare Informatics and Artificial Intelligence (AI)

By including courses that focus on AI, the program ensures that its students graduate with a strong grasp of the technologies and systems that are driving the future of healthcare and its leadership. MS students will still learn to apply the evidence-based leadership skills that predate AI while simultaneously preparing for a fast-moving and even unpredictable technological future.  

Students in the MS in Healthcare Leadership and Innovation program are expected to complete one two-day residency per semester on the Iona campus in New Rochelle, New York. In total, the five-semester program requires five of these in-person residencies. The required residency programs take place on weekends, allowing those with other professional and family obligations to attend. During the in-person program component, students will be able to connect with their fellow classmates and faculty in person while also learning from healthcare professionals and experts through lectures and workshops.  

Aside from the in-person residencies, all courses for the MS program are delivered online and can be completed from anywhere for optimal convenience.  

Yes, this program is suitable for students without prior clinical experience in the healthcare field. The program is designed for and largely attended by working healthcare professionals who intend to transition from the clinical sphere to managerial or administrative positions. However, students from a range of backgrounds can succeed and benefit from the MS program. Applicants with a business background are particularly well suited to the program, due to their foundational understanding of business and leadership principles. The coursework and collaboration with faculty and fellow students can help bolster the specialized healthcare knowledge that will help non-healthcare professionals enter the field upon graduation.  

Speaking to Forbes, Stephanie Simon from Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health drew the line between executive success and healthcare policy, noting that “CEOs have been forced to make tough decisions about employee health and safety—and community health and safety, for that matter, on their own.” Business professionals experienced in these conditions are therefore well suited to roles in healthcare, and perhaps even more experienced than their resumes would indicate.  

Students in the MS in Healthcare Leadership and Innovation program are required to complete a six-credit capstone project during their final semester. In the applied knowledge capstone project, students explore and analyze the current challenges facing healthcare and leverage the strategies they have learned to reframe and propose solutions. Students work closely with their advisors or supervisors and can choose an approved project that suits their interests and career goals, including improving clinical practice or enhancing workplace efficiencies.  

During the capstone project, students will be asked to do the following: 

• Evaluate the healthcare system as it relates to their identified challenge
• Assess current healthcare policies and procedures in place
• Conduct relevant research to understand the problem and existing solutions
• Propose a plan that leverages leadership, entrepreneurial skills, and innovation learned during the previous semesters in the MS program

Students present their proposal at the end of the course and provide potential outcomes. 

Some of the most common career outcomes for graduates of the MS in Healthcare Leadership and Innovation program include:

• Clinic Director
• Healthcare Administrator
• Health Information Manager
• CEO of a Healthcare System
• Nursing Home Administrator
• Clinical Practice Manager 

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the demand for Medical and Health Services Managers is expected to grow by an astounding 23% between 2024 and 2034, which is much faster than the average for all professions at just 3%. Although not all health management jobs require a master’s degree, many higher paying positions do. The median salary for all medical and health services manager jobs was $117,960 as of 2024. The New York City metropolitan area has some of the highest employment rates for these managers in the country, with 33,540 working in the region in 2024.