Elite Scholar and Leader Program

Keith Thurgood and student
Keith Thurgood and Healthcare Leadership and Management students visit at the Fall Social Event.

Become a pacesetter on the business side of healthcare.

The Elite Scholar and Leader Program is designed for high-performing graduate healthcare leadership and management students who aspire to be dynamic leaders in healthcare. ESLP will prepare students to be pacesetters on the business side of healthcare, and is designed to recognize our student leaders and give them an edge academically and professionally.

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Application Timeline

Applications for ESLP are accepted each Fall/Spring semesters.

Fall Timeline

  • Online application process opens October 1
  • Applications due November 1
  • Interviews arranged directly with selected students during month of November
  • Acceptance for Spring ESLP cohort by end of November

Spring Timeline

  • Online application process opens March 1
  • Applications due April 1
  • Interviews arranged directly with selected students during month of April
  • Acceptance for Fall ESLP cohort by end of April
Apply Now

Student Benefits and Membership Requirements

Student Benefits

The principal program benefit is membership in a select group of highly motivated healthcare leadership and management students who will enhance their professional and academic experience and credentials as well as contribute to the continued growth and success of the UT Dallas MS in Healthcare Leadership Management program. Members will:

  • Have access to a dedicated area where ESLP members and our undergraduate Professional Program in Healthcare Management students can meet, network and help each other to grow professionally and academically.
  • Benefit from networking opportunities through special events and field trips.
  • Be a mentor and be mentored.
  • Have access to mentorships with academic and experienced industry professionals.
  • Have opportunities to volunteer and provide leadership to undergraduates and others at the University and in the greater DFW community.
  • Lead group projects focused on solving healthcare issues.
  • Conduct academic research that adds to the body of healthcare knowledge.
  • Participate in UT Dallas seminar series specifically designed to prepare you for success in the healthcare business environment.
  • Build your personal leadership brand by participating in specific leadership development activities.
  • Enhance their professional credentials in healthcare leadership and management and/or for clinical careers and professional school programs in such fields as medicine, dentistry and law.

Membership Requirements

  • Members will be assigned a mentee and be required to volunteer a certain number of hours to tutor fellow healthcare management students, those just entering the ELSP program or undergraduate students in the PPHM program.
  • Members will be required to attend a certain number of healthcare management-sponsored or endorsed events each semester.

ESLP Admission

Minimum Eligibility Requirements

For current graduate students:

For current undergraduate students (including Fast Track):

Areas of Evaluation

Applicants will be evaluated in the areas of Academics, Engagement and Leadership. Examples of these 3 areas are shown below.

Academics

  • Confirmed qualifying GPA (3.4 for undergraduate applicants and 3.5 for graduate applicants) and test scores

Engagement

  • Participation in the Professional Program in Healthcare Management as an undergraduate
  • Membership in student organizations such as the Healthcare Management Association
  • Membership in professional associations such as the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS).
  • Industry experience
  • Mentor or mentee experience

Leadership

  • Leadership experience within a university, industry, association or other setting

Application Components

  • Online form
  • 2 letters of recommendation from academic or professional sources

Application Timeline

Applications for ESLP are accepted each Fall/Spring semesters.

Fall Timeline

  • Online application process opens October 1
  • Applications due November 1
  • Virtual Interviews: will be arranged directly with selected students during month of November
  • Acceptance for Spring ESLP cohort by end of November

Spring Timeline

  • Online application process opens March 1
  • Applications due April 1
  • Virtual Interviews: will be arranged directly with selected students during month of April
  • Acceptance for Fall ESLP cohort by end of April

Notes on Admission

  • Applicants will be considered for the program if they were undergraduates in the PPHM program or are master’s degree students entering the program during their first semester as a graduate student. Graduate students who meet all other criteria, including an undergraduate GPA of 3.4, may apply. GPA criteria will be assessed following the first semester as a graduate student.
  • Admission is competitive, and the applicant pool will be narrowed to those applicants chosen to move forward for interviews. Interviews will determine final acceptance.
  • As noted, admission is based on BOTH quantitative (GPA, experience, and more) and qualitative (communication skills, attitude, drive and more) factors. For example, healthcare experience, membership in associations, leadership roles and publications will be considered.
Apply Here

Frequently Asked Questions

The Elite Scholar and Leader Program is designed for high-performing graduate healthcare leadership management students who aspire to be dynamic leaders in healthcare. ESLP will prepare students to be leaders in the business of healthcare, and is designed to recognize our student leaders and give them an edge academically and professionally. As a member of the ESLP, you will support your fellow graduate students as well as undergraduates in the healthcare management student body.

The ESLP is targeted to graduate students who are majoring (or part of a double major or healthcare concentration) in healthcare leadership and management and who are interested in becoming student leaders, tutoring other healthcare management students (undergraduate and graduate), preparing for top internship opportunities, learning from academic and professional mentoring, and participating in such planned events as field trips and seminars. ESLP members also will be involved in academic research related to the healthcare space. ESLP members will be held to a high standard as they will represent the UT Dallas healthcare leadership and management program both on and off campus, and after they leave UT Dallas and enter the business community. We expect ESLP members to “give back” to the University as active alumni.

In addition to requirements outlined in the above FAQs, ESLP members will be required to:

  • Attend a certain number of healthcare management-sponsored and/or endorsed events in order to represent the ESLP program and graduate programs of the University. The required number of events will be determined by the number of events planned each semester and the ESLP membership makeup.
  • Volunteer in the Professional Program in Healthcare Management Tutoring Lab to assist undergraduate fellow healthcare management students with coursework. The required number of volunteer hours will be determined by the specifics of each ESLP initiation class, but the number will be monitored to ensure that ESLP members’ own academic commitments are not compromised.
  • Members will have the option of attending weekly seminars specifically designed to prepare them for the transition to the full-time business environment. The seminars will be held at various locations, including UT Dallas, at DFW-area healthcare company offices and/or other private settings. Some seminars will involve group presentations, but there are no exams, and no academic credit will be given.

Please see the Eligibility Requirements tab on this page for all requirements.


Apply for ESLP

ESLP members must:

  • Maintain GPA requirements.
  • Adhere to and remain in good standing with the UT Dallas Student Code of Conduct.
  • Comply with ESLP requirements outlined in the above FAQs.

Applications for ESLP are accepted each Fall/Spring semesters.

Fall Timeline

  • Online application process opens October 1
  • Applications due November 1
  • Virtual Interviews: will be arranged directly with selected students during month of November
  • Acceptance for Spring ESLP cohort by end of November

Spring Timeline

  • Online application process opens March 1
  • Applications due April 1
  • Virtual Interviews: will be arranged directly with selected students during month of April
  • Acceptance for Fall ESLP cohort by end of April
  • Applicants can be considered for the program if they were undergraduates in the PPHM program or graduate students entering the program during their first semester as a graduate student. Graduate students who meet all other criteria, including an undergraduate GPA of 3.4, may apply. GPA criteria will be assessed following the first semester as a graduate student.
  • Qualifying for and participating in the undergraduate PPHM program is a gatekeeper to the ESLP program. Members will be allowed to apply as a senior. It is highly recommended that you get involved in the Healthcare Management Association (HMA), a student-run organization focused on healthcare management professional development and leadership.
  • Yes. Graduate students interested in ESLP should apply based on the application timing and dates. Applicants can be considered for the program if they were undergraduates in the PPHM program or graduate students entering the program during their first semester as a graduate student. Graduate students who meet all other criteria, including an undergraduate GPA of 3.4, may apply. GPA criteria will be assessed following the first semester as a graduate student.
  • Your application will be reviewed based on the membership requirements

Keith Thurgood

Keith Thurgood

Director, Master’s in Healthcare Leadership and Management

keith.thurgood@utdallas.edu | (972) 883-5853 | JSOM 2.413

If you are interested in joining the program or would like more information, please contact me.