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    MHCI Policies and Resources

    Academic integrity, acceptable use of electronic resources, and privacy issues are particularly important  in online degree programs. The MHCI program follows University policies and compliance requirements. Students have access to these policies, as well as resources and special services, through the links below, their courses, and orientation materials.

    University-Level Policies

    The Penn Book

    The Penn Book is the comprehensive source for Penn's policies and procedures, including information on academics, resources, and student personal conduct and responsibility. As University of Pennsylvania students, Master of Health Care Innovation students are expected to adhere to these policies.

    READ THE PENN BOOK 

    Policies listed in the Penn Book include, among other policies:

    The University of Pennsylvania is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Information on accreditation and state authorization is available on the website for the Office of the Provost.

    DISABILITY STATEMENT

    The University of Pennsylvania provides reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities who have self-identified and been approved by the office of Student Disability Services. Please contact the TA as soon as possible in order to discuss your accommodations and your needs. If you would like to request accommodations or ask questions, make an appointment by contacting the office of Student Disability Services at 215-573-9235 or vpul-sdsmail@pobox.upenn.edu. The office of Student Disability Services is located in the Weingarten Learning Resources Center at Stouffer Commons, 3702 Spruce Street, Suite 300. All services are confidential.

    NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY

    The University of Pennsylvania values diversity and seeks talented students, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds. The University of Pennsylvania does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class status in the administration of its admissions, financial aid, educational or athletic programs, or other University-administered programs or in its employment practices. Questions or complaints regarding this policy should be directed to:

    Executive Director of the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Programs
    Franklin Building - 3451 Walnut Street, Suite 421
    Philadelphia, PA 19104
    or (215) 898-6993 (Voice) or (215) 898-7803 (TDD)
    or oaaeop@pobox.upenn.edu

    VACCINATION STATUS

    Students are strongly encouraged (but not required) to be fully up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccines. For on campus activities, masks are no longer required, but are welcome and encouraged.

    Program Specific Policies

    DEGREE COMPLETION

    To earn a Master of Health Care Innovation, you must:

    1. Complete 11 CU of coursework, as outlined in the Student Handbook;
    2. Maintain a GPA of 3.0;
    3. Attend the MHCI Seminar each year.

    COURSE GRADING

    Faculty assign a letter grade to each student for each course, measuring performance against learning objectives. Students must maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 to remain in good standing. If you are concerned about your performance in a course, please reach out to your TA right away. Any programmatic questions can be directed to the Program Manager at 215-573-9378.

    COURSE DROPS AND WITHDRAWALS

    Master of Health Care Innovation courses are typically 6 weeks long and do not follow typical semester start and end dates. The final lab course, Pitching Innovation, is 9 weeks long. Thus general University course drop deadlines do not apply. Students must drop the course before the end of Week 2 in order to receive a 100% refund. A dropped course is removed from the student’s transcript. Students must withdraw from a course before the end of Week 4 to receive a partial refund. A withdrawal is notated by a W on the student’s transcript. Students may not withdraw from a course after Week 4. Note that course weeks run Tuesday–Monday.

    For a 6-Week Course:

    DEADLINE (MONDAY OF WEEK #) REFUND %
    Weeks 1-2 Drop with a 100% refund
    Weeks 3-4 Withdrawal with a 50% refund
    Weeks 5-6 None

     

    For a 9-Week Lab:

    DEADLINE (MONDAY OF WEEK #) REFUND %
    Weeks 1-2 Drop with a 100% refund
    Weeks 3-4 Withdrawal with a 50% refund
    Weeks 5-9 None

     

    Please contact the Program Managers if you need to withdraw from the course.

    INCOMPLETES

    The final deadline for all work in a course is the last day of class. If you need more time to complete your work, you may arrange an extension of up to 1 week from the course TAs. For any additional time beyond 1 week, you must request an Incomplete from the Program Manager. If you have not requested an incomplete, your grade for the course will reflect all work that has been submitted before the final deadline. Incompletes are to be used in cases where a significant amount of coursework is incomplete, and are not a tool for bumping up a grade.

    An Incomplete indicates a commitment by the student to complete the course within a specified timeline; the student and program manager will together create a plan for completion, including an agreed-upon deadline. An Incomplete is noted by a temporary grade of “I” on the student transcript. When the work is completed, you must notify the Program Manager to change the Incomplete to a letter grade. A TA with experience in that course will grade the work. Regardless of the agreed-upon deadline, a course must be completed within one year; after one year the Incomplete becomes a permanent Incomplete, notated by I* on the transcript, and the grade will no longer be changed. A course with a grade of permanent Incomplete cannot be counted toward the Master of Health Care Innovation and you will not receive credit for it. You will need to retake the course or an equivalent course approved by the program in order to satisfy graduation requirements and you will be billed for the new registration.

    Master of Health Care Innovation students may carry no more than 2 Incompletes at a time. If a student has 3 Incompletes courses, at least 1 must be resolved before the student can register for more courses or attend Seminar.

    TIME TO DEGREE COMPLETION

    The Master of Health Care Innovation is designed to be completed with a cohort in a period of 20 months on the standard track, or 3 years on the extended track. Extenuating circumstances, such as a leave of absence, may cause a student to take longer than expected to complete the degree. Students on the standard 20-month track must complete all degree requirements within 3 years maximum in order to graduate. Students on the extended 3-year track must complete all degree requirements within a maximum of 4 years.

    OFFICE HOURS AND STUDENT SUPPORT

    Students receive support from Penn staff and faculty, primarily via email or course discussion boards. Faculty office hours and information about teaching assistant availability is posted within each course. For academic matters, the teaching assistants and faculty will respond. An in-house help email and various online resources are available for technology support.

    STUDENT AFFAIRS

    Students in the Master of Health Care Innovation program are considered to be University of Pennsylvania students—enrolled at least half-time in most semesters—within the Perelman School of Medicine. They are enrolled in at least 1.0­­–3.5 CU per semester and are part of a global Penn community. Upon graduation, students are considered alumni of the University of Pennsylvania.

    ACADEMIC GRIEVANCES

    Students who have a concern about a matter related to the MHCI program, whether it is about a course, instructor, or student, are encouraged to contact the Assistant Faculty Director.

    TRANSFER CREDIT

    Requests to transfer credits from another academic program must be reviewed by the Assistant Faculty Director, who approves transfer credits on a course-by-course basis.

    NON-SOLICITATION

    In order to maintain an open and honest learning environment, students may not solicit business for themselves or their employers from faculty, speakers or other students in the program. Students are expected to refrain from sharing advertising, promotional, or solicitation content. A student who is interested in professional services offered by someone else affiliated with the program may individually approach that person regarding their desired services.

    LEAVE OF ABSENCE

    The MHCI is designed as a cohort experience. Continuous study is recommended. A student who wishes to take a leave of absence must submit a written request to the Faculty Director for approval. A leave of absence may de-activate the student's PennKey and PennCard. Contact the Program Manager at 215-573-9378 for more information.

    Additional policies are provided to students in the MHCI Student Handbook, distributed at the beginning of each academic year. Additional policies may also vary by course. Students are instructed to consult the Policies page of courses in which they are enrolled.

    Course Specific Policies

    For detailed policies for credit-bearing courses in Health Care Innovation regarding academic honesty, grading, use of student data, and civility and respect, please visit the Health Care Innovation Course Policies page.

    These policies were last modified on June 1, 2022 and are valid as of August 2022. Course policies are subject to change, as required.

    Student Resources

    An array of Penn’s student resources are available to Master of Health Care Innovation students. Though many of the offices that offer student resources traditionally serve on-campus students, reasonable effort is made to provide comparable services to students who do not study on campus. Among the offices that you might find helpful are:

    Technology Requirements

    The MHCI program is designed for participation from either a desktop or laptop computer (PC or Mac). Content is also accessible on a mobile device. A headset with microphone is provided to students, upon request, for use during synchronous classes over video conferencing.

    Computer requirements and supported browser information for Canvas, the learning management system for the Master of Health Care Innovation, may be found at the Canvas Help Center. Lecture videos are delivered over Panopto, which lists viewing requirements on its website.

    If you have any questions about technology requirements, please contact the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy’s Online Education help desk at psom-MEHPhelp@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.

    MHCI Program COVID-19 Response

    During the pandemic, the MHCI team remained responsive to anticipated needs and changing realities, making course adjustments and accommodations for students' needs. Read on for more about the COVID-19 response.

    Certificate and Course Options

    If you would like to sharpen some skills but are not able to commit to a degree program, consider curating a selection of 4 MHCI courses for a Graduate Certificate in Health Care Innovation tailored to your needs. (Graduate Certificate credit courses can fold into the MHCI degree at a later date.)