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M.S. in Health Administration

Program Overview

The Master of Science in Health Administration features an integrated program combining a core curriculum, an elective component, and a culminating experience in which health administration skills and competencies are synthesized through an internship and capstone course.

The Health Administration program has been designed for early and mid-level careerists in the health care industry. The program will be of particular interest to health care administrators, managers, nurses, other health care providers, and any health related professionals who wish to increase their knowledge and expertise in health management. Applicants who have not previously studied health administration are welcome.

Graduates of this program will find diverse job opportunities with a variety of health organizations, including hospitals, home health agencies, health insurance companies, life care facilities, managed care organizations, medical group practices, mental health agencies, and pharmaceutical and biomedical industries.

Stressing leadership, management, and analytic competencies, the program focuses on offering students opportunities to develop and expand the knowledge and skills required to excel both professionally and personally. Teamwork and peer collaboration are encouraged.

Unique Elements of This Program

  • Designed for professionals in the health care environment, and students with little to no professional health care experience
  • Accommodates working students by offering evening courses
  • Provides small classes, individual attention, and real-world applications of academic concepts
  • Uses highly credentialed and experienced faculty members
  • Accommodates students with diverse undergraduate backgrounds

How Graduates Will Benefit

The goals of the program are to prepare graduate students to:

  • Demonstrate competency in knowledge and skills of effective health care service delivery
  • Integrate behavioral, social, and cultural factors into health administration practices
  • Develop analytical strategies and techniques applicable to a changing health care environment
  • Develop leadership skills through the application of current health administration theory and ethical proactive decision-making
  • Provide administrative leadership by combining ethical considerations, critical thinking skills, and the humanistic application of current health administration theory

The Master in Health Administration reflects the mission of the college and seeks to apply the principles of management, leadership, service, and ethics through a high quality academic experience, recognizes the needs of health care managers/providers, and provides a flexible, multidisciplinary opportunity to obtain essential management skills and required expertise for success in today’s health care environment.

We are a learner-centered, industry-focused and competency-based program which is designed to add value to students and the organizations they work for.

We plan on training early careerists and making mid-level professionals more competent in their present responsibilities with enhanced potential for upward mobility and easy movement within the health care industry.

Vision

We envision a premiere learner-centered, flexible program which leads to graduates who will positively influence health systems nationally and globally.

Outcomes

. The program utilizes 15 of the 26 competencies of the National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL) Competency Model as the framework for learning and assessment method and program outcomes. The 15 competencies comprise of accountability, analytical thinking, collaboration, communication, financial skills, human resource management, information technology management, interpersonal understanding, process management and organizational design, professionalism, project management, strategic management, team leadership, and self-development. The 15 competencies fall into the three domains of transformation, execution, and people as follows:

Transformation

  • Analytical Thinking
  • Financial Skills
  • Strategic Orientation 

Execution

  • Accountability
  • Collaboration
  • Communication Skills
  • Information Technology Management
  • Performance Measurement
  • Process Management/Organizational Design
  • Project Management

People

  • Human Resources Management
  • Interpersonal Understanding
  • Professionalism
  • Self-Development
  • Team Leadership

Requirements (42 credits)

Foundation Courses (6 Credits)

  • Graduate Writing Seminar
  • Ethical Issues in Human Services Leadership

Core Courses (30 Credits)

  • Health Care Systems and Environments
  • Managerial Epidemiology and Population Health Management
  • Organizational Behavior and Strategic Human Resources Management in Health Care
  • Finance and Budgeting for Health Care Managers*
  • Health Policy and Law
  • Health Care Economics
  • Health Information Systems and Informatics
  • Marketing and Strategic Planning in Health Services Organizations
  • Health Services Quality Improvement and Project Management
  • Research Methods for Health Care Managers

Electives (Students select one 3-credit course)

  • Independent Study
  • Health Communication
  • Long Term Care Administration
  • Managed Care and Insurance
  • Leadership in Inter-professional Health Care Practice
  • Global Issues in Health Policy and Management

Internship and Capstone Experience (One 3-Credit Course)

  • Health Administration Internship and Capstone
  • Professional Portfolio
  • Continuous Enrollment

Pre-requisites

*Financial Accounting Tutorial is required before students can take Finance and Budgeting for Health Care Managers

Admission Criteria

Applicants must follow all of the admission criteria for graduate programs including but not limited to:

  • Baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution.
  • Generally, applicants must have achieved a cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of not less than 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Students who have background and potential for success but whose GPA is less than 3.0 may be admitted to the graduate program on a provisional basis.
  • Meet health requirements of the College.
  • Computer literacy is vital for successful completion of the program. Students who need to increase their computer competency should speak to the Program Chair about options for obtaining the necessary computer skill level.
  • An acceptable Background Check may be required as a condition for completing a Health Administration course and/or project. Applicants are responsible for completing and paying for all Background Check(s) if more than one is required under renewal time lines. (Applicants should contact the Health Administration program for full policy, requirements and procedures.)
  • Submit a personal statement, resume and two letters of professional recommendation.
  • Graduate students whose native language is not English must submit certification of English proficiency or take an English language proficiency exam as determined by the graduate course of study coordinator. An original copy of your test score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), taken within the past two years, must be submitted. Normally total TOEFL scores of under 550 for the paper-based test or 210 for the internet-based test (IBT) will not be accepted. This requirement is waived for students who have received a baccalaureate or master's degree from an accredited college or university in which English was the language of instruction as verified on the student transcript(s)  and/or transcription service(s). Programs and courses taken at colleges where English is not the primary language of instruction must be evaluated by WES (World Education Services) for a course-by-course evaluation.
  • Students whose native language is not English must submit certification of English proficiency or take an English language proficiency exam as determined by the graduate course of study coordinator. Applicants who must take the TOEFL must score 550 (paper-based) or 213 (computer-based) or higher on the Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL).
  • Programs and courses taken at colleges in countries outside the United States must be evaluated by WES (World Education Services) for a course-by-course evaluation.

Transfer Credit Policy

Transfer of credit into the graduate program will be subject to the evaluation and approval of the Program Director. A maximum of nine credits can be accepted in transfer into the M.S. in Health Administration Program. All transfer credits must carry a minimum 3.0 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale). All courses in the required Graduate Writing or Ethics Study must be taken at the College of Saint Elizabeth.

Program Completion Criteria

Completion of the program will be determined by successful completion of all course work with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or better. In addition, students must receive a "pass" grade for their Capstone Experience.

Continuous Enrollment Criteria

Students are expected to enroll continuously until the program is completed. With the exception of students who are on an approved Leave of Absence (see the Leave of Absence Policy), any student who has not registered for a course for two consecutive semesters (fall / spring) must pay one credit of graduate tuition in each subsequent semester until the student registers for a course. This continued enrollment fee is required in order to maintain standing in the program. Should the student not pay the continued enrollment fee, the student will have to reapply for admission to the program should the student want to continue in the program.

For the Capstone Experience, students who do not successfully complete the Thesis option in two semesters, or any of the other Capstone Experience options in one semester, are required to pay one credit of graduate tuition each semester until completion through course GST650.