Program Description
The Healthcare Management program is designed to produce graduates who are prepared to serve in a range of existing and emerging entry-level support, ancillary, and entry-level administrative positions across multiple health care settings. The mission of the Healthcare Management program is to prepare highly qualified and culturally competent graduates for professional positions in healthcare and health-related careers. Guided by the standards of the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA), the program prepares students in skills and knowledge in five key domains: (1) the healthcare environment; (2) ethical and legal leadership, (3) communication and relationships management, (4) professionalism, and (5) business skills.
Healthcare management is a growing, diverse field of study that offers flexibility, potential for advancement with additional experience and further education, and offers the chance for graduates to have a positive influence on the healthcare of individuals and communities. Graduates have opportunities to work at entry-level positions in these types of settings: assisted-living facilities, community and government agencies, health insurance companies, hospital departments, and long term care facilities.
The program emphasizes the development of effective communication through writing across the curriculum, presentation platforms, ethical behavior, and interpersonal skills generally expected in healthcare organizations. A strong health sciences core will familiarize students with the health care delivery system; major disease processes, including epidemiological methods; medical terminology; the causes and effects of disparities; community and rural health services, chronic and long-term illnesses, and global issues. The healthcare management core will provide students with applied leadership, and critical thinking skills required in today’s healthcare organizations. A solid health business core will inform students about healthcare economics, organizational behavior, finance and policy, and human resources.
Student Learning Outcomes
The graduates of this program should be prepared to
- communicate effectively in oral and written formats
- demonstrate professional and ethical behaviors
- demonstrate sensitivity to disparities, cultural and individual differences
- demonstrate effective critical thinking skills, including analytical reasoning and problem-solving abilities
- determine organizational, team, and leadership requirements for effective people and client management
- assess own strengths and areas needed to improve
- demonstrate knowledge in courses related to health sciences, healthcare and business management
- perform at entry-level in healthcare related activities bound by undergraduate courses in liberal arts, health sciences, healthcare and business management
Major Requirements
Majors must complete 52 semester hours of courses beyond general education drawn from business, clinical laboratory science, accounting, economics and healthcare management. A minimum grade of a “C” must be earned in the pre-requisites, electives and major courses.
Pre-requisite Courses (3 semester hours)
Any statistics course Example: MAT 2326 , Elementary Statistics
Major Courses (49 semester hours)
Foundation Courses
Course Number |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
CLS 2102 |
Medical Terminology |
1 |
HCM 2301 |
Health Law and Ethics |
3 |
HCM 2305 |
Introduction to Healthcare Management |
3 |
HCM 2306 |
Professional Growth & Leadership in the Healthcare Environment |
3 |
HCM 3301 |
Health Delivery Systems |
3 |
Total |
13 |
Breadth Courses
Course Number |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
ACC 2316 |
Priniciples of Financial Accounting |
3 |
HCM 3304 |
Health Information Management |
3 |
HCM 3306 |
Population Health |
3 |
HCM 3307 |
Global Understanding |
3 |
HCM 4302 |
Healthcare Policy, Org. and Finance |
3 |
MGT 4348 |
Human Resource Management & Employment Law |
3 |
Total |
18 |
Depth
*Students are required to participate in a semester-long internship. Students cannot be on academic or non-academic probationary status or suspension during the semester of the internship.
HCM 4600 Internship* (6 semester hours)
|
Students have a choice of taking any four (12 credit hours) of the following courses listed from the depth area. |
Course Number |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
ECO 2310 |
or |
ECO 2311 |
Healthcare Economics |
or |
Principles of Microeconomics |
3 |
FIN 3351 |
or |
ACC 2317 |
Priniciples of Financial Management |
or |
Managerial Accounting |
3 |
MKT 2331 |
Principles of Marketing |
3 |
MGT 3322 |
Organizational Behavior |
3 |
HCM 3303 |
Proposal Writing |
3 |
HCM 3310 |
Community-Based Health Intervention Planning |
3 |
HCM 3320 |
Community-Based Health Intervention Practicum |
3 |
HCM 4301 |
Chronic & Long-Term Care |
3 |
Total |
52 |
Note: All internships and some experiential activities require background checks, health and immunizations records, and initial and random drug testing. Some facilities may require a credit check. Background check may be required by affiliating agencies
Suggested Major Course Sequence
ECO 2310 Concepts of Health Economics or ECO 2311 Principles of Microeconomics
MKT 2331 Priniciples of Marketing
HCM 2301 Health Law and Ethics
HCM 2305 Introduction to Healthcare Management
HCM 2306 Professional Growth & Leadership in the Healthcare Environment
CLS 2102 Medical Terminology
MGT 3322 Organizational Behavior
ACC 2316 Principles of Financial Accounting
HCM 3301 Health Delivery System
HCM 3306 Population Health
HCM 3304 Introduction to Health Information Management
HCM 3307 Global Understanding
ACC 2317 Managerial Accounting or FIN 3351 Principles of Financial Management
HCM 4301 Chronic and Long Term Care (optional)
HCM 4302 Healthcare Policy, Organization, and Finance
MGT 4348 Human Resource Management & Employment Law
HCM 4600 Healthcare Management Internship
Suggested Electives*
BCO 2311 Business Communications
HCM 2304 Virtual Gaming to Address Health Disparities
HCM 3303 Proposal Writing
HCM 3310 Community-Based Health Intervention Planning
HCM 3320 Community-Based Health Intervention Practicum
HCM 4303 Environmental Health
HCM 4305 Spanish in the Healthcare Environment
*Electives outside the HCM major (non-HCM prefixes) should be approve by an advisor.