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.
Requirements (42 credits)
Institutional Requirements (6 Credits)
| GST605 | Graduate Research Writing Seminar | 3 |
| MC626 | Ethical Issues | 3 |
Core Courses (30 Credits)
| HA603 | Health Care Systems & Environment | 3 |
| HA604 | Managerial Epidemiology & Population in Healthcare Management | 3 |
| HA605 | Organizational Behavior & Strategies of Human Resource Management in Health Care Systems | 3 |
| HA609 | Health Policy & Law | 3 |
| HA611 | Finance & Budgeting for Health Care Managers | 3 |
| HA618 | Health Information Systems & Informatics | 3 |
| HA628 | Health Services Quality Improvement & Project Management | 3 |
| HA630 | Research Methods for Health Care Managers | 3 |
| HA673 | Health Care Economics | 3 |
| HA675 | Marketing & Strategic Planning in Heatlh Sevices Organizations | 3 |
Electives
Students select one 3-credit course from any of the following 3-credit courses.
| HA640 | Managed Care & Insurance | 3 |
| HA643 | Leadership in International Professional Health Care Practice | 3 |
| HA646 | Global Issues in Health Policy & Management | 3 |
| HA650 | Health Communication | 3 |
| HA653 | Long Term Care Administration | 3 |
Prerequisite
| HA602 | Financial Accounting | 3 |
Other Course Options
At discretion of program chair.
Internship and Capstone Experience
| HA694 | Health Administration Internship & Report | 3 |
| HA695 | Professional Portfolio | 3 |
Course Sequence for MS in Health Administration
First Year
Fall Semester (6 Credits)
| HA603 | Health Care Systems & Environment | 3 |
| HA605 | Organizational Behavior & Strategies of Human Resource Management in Health Care Systems | 3 |
Spring Semester (6 Credits)
| HA604 | Managerial Epidemiology & Population in Healthcare Management | 3 |
| HA630 | Research Methods for Health Care Managers | 3 |
Summer Semester (3 Credits)
| HA609 | Health Policy & Law | 3 |
Second Year
Fall Semester (6 Credits)
| HA618 | Health Information Systems & Informatics | 3 |
| HA673 | Health Care Economics | 3 |
Spring Semester (6 Credits)
| HA628 | Health Services Quality Improvement & Project Management | 3 |
| and | |
| HA640 | Managed Care & Insurance | 3 |
| or | |
| HA643 | Leadership in International Professional Health Care Practice | 3 |
| or | |
| HA646 | Global Issues in Health Policy & Management | 3 |
| or | |
| HA650 | Health Communication | 3 |
| or | |
| HA653 | Long Term Care Administration | 3 |
Summer Semester (3 Credits)
| HA611 | Finance & Budgeting for Health Care Managers | 3 |
Third Year
Fall Semester (6 Credits)
| HA675 | Marketing & Strategic Planning in Heatlh Sevices Organizations | 3 |
| MC626 | Ethical Issues | 3 |
Summer Semester (3 Credits)
| HA694 | Health Administration Internship & Report | 3 |
| or | |
| HA695 | Professional Portfolio | 3 |
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.
- Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions. International transcripts must be evaluated by NACES (i.e. WES) on a course by course basis.
- TOEFL/IELTS (if necessary).
- 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 Chair. 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.
Students who do not successfully complete their Capstone Experience in one semester are required to pay one credit of graduate tuition, through course GST650, each semester until completion.