Specific Coursework
The College of Medicine will accept a maximum of 12 credit hours, taken in the Bauer College of Business (graduate level), towards the 201 credit hours needed for the MD degree, with prior approval from the MD/MBA program coordinator. The C.T. Bauer College of Business will accept a maximum of 15 credit hours, taken in the College of Medicine, towards the 48 credit hours needed for the MBA degree, with prior approval from the MD/MBA program coordinator. The UH College of Medicine and C.T. Bauer College of Business offer a 5-year option and schedule for dual degree completion.
Should the student fail to complete the MBA degree, he/she would be allowed to apply a maximum of 6 credit hours of business courses toward the MD degree. Bauer College of Business will accept a maximum of 9 credit hours of College of Medicine courses for MBA elective credit, should the student fail to complete the MD degree. This acceptance is contingent on the courses satisfying MBA guidelines; the courses would need to be petitioned. The MBA coursework required for the MD/MBA Dual-Degree Program consists of 18 credit hours of core courses and 15 credit hours of electives.
In the advanced phase of the medical education, elective courses will be chosen to reflect the career interest of the student and the dual nature of the program, with guidance from academic advisors. With the right sequence of elective courses, students will be able to earn certificates in specialized areas of business such as Human Resource Management or Entrepreneurship.
MD students pursuing the MD/MBA degree will be advised to take business-related electives at the College of Medicine, as an example, the following are some of those courses with planned development:
- Clinical Informatics
- Medical Ethics
- Leadership in Medical Education
- Collaboration with Internal and External Constituents
- Communication with Internal and External Constituents
- Business of Medicine
Detailed academic plans and recommended curricula for the Dual-Degree Program are determined in collaboration with selected faculty and MD/MBA program coordinators at both colleges. The recommended curricula will be reviewed and approved by each college during annual program reviews or when needed.
Grading
Progress and academic standing in one program do not affect progress in the other program. Although up to 12 credit hours taken in the Bauer College of Business may be counted towards the student’s MD degree, the grades earned for those courses will be considered a Pass/Fail grading and will not be considered in computing the College of Medicine grade point average. The effect shall be as if the courses were taken on a pass/fail basis. Likewise, grades for College of Medicine coursework, used towards the MBA, will not be used in computing the C.T. Bauer College of Business grade point average, or in determining whether the student is maintaining the 3.0 minimum graduate GPA required by the Bauer College of Business for graduation.
Graduation
To graduate, the student must meet all graduation requirements of both colleges. No courses taken from either college will be officially counted towards the degree from the other college until the student has completed all requirements and is eligible to receive both degrees. The student must file for graduation from the University of Houston with both degrees in the same term through his/her myUH portal. MD/MBA students will receive two diplomas.