Healthcare Certificate | MIT Sloan Health Systems Initiative

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

Want to lead in the future of healthcare? If you are an MIT student, the Healthcare Certificate gives you the edge! Register

The Healthcare Certificate equips you with essential business insights across Pharma, MedTech, Insurance, and Healthcare Delivery. You’ll learn how to ask the right questions, understand key drivers like incentives and payment flows, and navigate the challenges facing startups, established firms, and investors.

Through classes and hands-on Action Learning projects, you’ll gain real-world experience and explore specialized electives in entrepreneurship, finance, analytics, and more. Whether you're aiming to innovate, lead, or invest in healthcare—this is your launchpad.

Requirements: 2 classes + 21 elective units

15.777 Healthcare Lab: Introduction to Healthcare Delivery in the US (Fall/IAP, 15 units)
In 15.777, explore how the healthcare industry really works—and how you can shape its future. You’ll tackle financial flows, insurance design, data privacy, consumer behavior, and innovation through real-world Action Learning projects, cases, and guest lectures with startups and major players. Whether you're launching a venture or leading change in MedTech, digital health, pharma, or care delivery, this course gives you the tools to ask the right business questions and make an impact. Read more on the Action Learning site and the MIT course Catalog.
15 units; T/Th 10-11:30; Optional Recitation F1-230; no IAP in-person sessions.
Prerequisite*: Data, Models, and Decisions (15.060 or 15.730 or 18.600)
Co-requisite*: Introduction to Ops Mgmt (15.761 or 15.734 or 15.770 or 15.778).
*If you have taken equivalent courses elsewhere, request a waiver here
15.141 Economics of the Healthcare Industries (Spring, 9 units)
This course explores US and global health institutions, unpacking how pricing, incentives, and policy impact healthcare sectors from pharma and MedTech to social health strategies and innovation in underserved markets. With real-world cases and expert guest speakers, you’ll gain sharp, practical insight into how value is created—and contested—across the healthcare ecosystem. (Catalog) (Spring, 9 units)

10.595 Molecular Design and Bioprocess Development of Immunotherapies - 9 units; not offered 2025-2026
15.136 Principles and Practice of Drug Development - 9 units; W 3-6
2.907/10.807J 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; not offered 2025-2026
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 Clinical Data Learning, Visualization, and Deployments - 12 units; not offered 2025-2026

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 electives 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.