Healthcare Certificate | MIT Sloan Health Systems Initiative

MIT Sloan students working on an Action Learning project at MGH.

Any student currently enrolled in an MIT degree program can register for the MIT Healthcare Certificate.

The Certificate provides the foundational insights and hands-on industry experience students need to pursue health industry careers. Our students have gone on to positions across the healthcare ecosystem, with startups, growing firms and major players in pharma, biotech, med tech, digital health, insurance, investing, care delivery, and healthcare consulting.

Curriculum

To earn the Healthcare Certificate, complete the two required classes and, for those graduating in spring 2026 or later, 21 units of electives. Classes may not be graded pass/fail.

Healthcare Lab combines lectures and guest speakers during the fall with an Action Learning project through the fall and IAP. Students will gain business insights into the healthcare ecosystem across pharma, med tech, insurance, and care delivery; be prepared for multiple roles with startups, growing firms, and major players; focus on the impacts of incentives, payment flows, and operational dynamics; and collaborate with other students to solve complex problems with host organizations in pharma, med tech, digital health, or care delivery. Read more on the Action Learning site and the MIT course Catalog.

15 units; TR 10-11:30; Optional Recitation F1-230; no in-person sessions during IAP.

Prerequisite*: Data, Models, and Decisions (15.060 or 15.730 or 15.079 or 15.0791 or 6.3700 or 6.3702 or 18.600)
Co-requisite*: Introduction to Operations Management (15.761 or 15.734 or 15.778 or 1.260J/15.770J/IDS.730J/SCM.260J).

*If you have taken an equivalent course elsewhere, request a waiver via this form.

10.595 Molecular Design and Bioprocess Development of Immunotherapies - 9 units; not offered 2024-2025
15.136 Principles and Practice of Drug Development - 9 units; W 3-6
15.371 Innovation Teams (project in healthcare) - 12 units; Lecture T1-3 Lab F9-12.30
15.390 Entrepreneurship 101: systematic approach to new venture creation (project in healthcare) - 12 units; MW2.30-4
15.39 9 Entrepreneurship Lab (project in healthcare) - 12 units; M 530-830 PM
15.482 Healthcare Finance - 9 units; Lecture T 4-7 Recitation F2
15.705 Organizations Lab (EMBA only, project in healthcare) - 12 units; TBA
20.201 Fundamentals of Drug Development - 12 units; Lecture: MW1.30-3 Recitation: F1.30-2.30
HST.953 Collaborative Data Science in Medicine - 12 units; LEcture F930-1230 Recitation TBA

7.548/10.53 Advances in Biomanufacturing - 3 units; TR 11-1230
15.137/7.549/20.486/HST.916 Case Studies and Strategies in Drug Discovery and Development - 6 units; not offered spring '25
15.232 Effective Business Models in Frontier Markets (project in healthcare) - 6 units; TR 1-230
15.363/HST.971 Strategic Decision Making in Life Science Ventures - 9 units; W 530-830
15.367/HST.978 Healthcare Ventures - 12 units; Lecture R 4-6; recitation T 3-4
15.390 New Enterprises (project in healthcare) - 12 units; MW 230-4 or MW 4-530
15.39 9 Entrepreneurship Lab (project in healthcare) - 12 units; M 5-8
15.480/7.546/20.586 Science and Business of Biotechnology - 9 units; R 3-6
15.704 IDEA Lab (EMBA only; project in healthcare) - 15 units; time TBA
15.784 Operations Lab (project in healthcare) - 9 units; T 530-7
20.201 Fundamentals of Drug Development - 12 units; Lecture MW 130-3; recitation F130
HST.552/2.75/6.4861 Medical Device Design - 12 units; MW 1-230
HST.936/7/8 Global Health Informatics to Improve Quality of Care - 3, 6, or 12 units; not offered spring '24
HST.956/6.7930 Machine Learning for Healthcare - 12 units; lecture TR 230-4; recitation F3
HST.962 Medical Product Development and Translational Biomedical Research - 4 units; T 1-230
HST.S98 Biomedical Entrepreneurship not offered spring '24

For classes NOT listed here:

if you are in the EMBA, MBA, MBAn, MFin, MSMS or Sloan Fellows program, use Stellic to request an elective substitution for a healthcare-related class, or for a healthcare-related project within a class,
If you are in another program, use the Elective Request Form to request an elective substitution for a healthcare-related class, or the Project Approval Request Form for a healthcare-related project within a class.