Master's Degree in Healthcare Administration

Online Master's Degree Program

This course provides students with a framework for the analysis, use and design of internal accounting systems. This introduction to financial and managerial accounting prepares students to use accounting data for strategic and management purposes with an emphasis on profitability and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of an organization's accounting system. Students develop an understanding of the nature of costs, budgeting, cost allocation, standard costs and variances.

This course examines the relationship between law and ethics and the influence they have on healthcare professionals. Advancements in both technology and pharmaceuticals will continue to increase life expectancy, as such, it is expected that there will be an ensuing, peripheral increase in ethical dilemmas. This course will review such dilemmas and the role that both health professionals and ethics committees will likely play now and in the future.

This course analyses the financial management challenges and best practice solutions in the healthcare industry. Students investigate the most common tools, processes and techniques used by financial managers in a healthcare environment. Examples used come from a variety of healthcare providers including HMOs, hospitals, physician practices, home health agencies, nursing units, surgical centers and integrated healthcare systems.

This course explores the history, logic, structure and best practices of healthcare strategic management. Students investigate the organization's value chain, analyze the necessity for both the analytical and emergent models of strategic management, and review alternative processes related to developing and updating strategic plans. Best practices for implementing strategic plans fast and effectively are also investigated.

This course assists the student to develop a capstone project which demonstrates mastery of program objectives. The project is research-based, relevant to current practice and focused on making a strategic change in the healthcare environment. The topic will be an area of interest for the student that will integrate coursework in functional areas of healthcare involving the basic direction and goals of an organization including the social, political, technological, economic and global environment. This research-based course deepens student understanding of an important healthcare management issue by integrating professional experience with new knowledge. The course is the culminating experience for the student in healthcare administration.

This course introduces students to a broad spectrum of issues relative to change, including the dynamics of leadership, the failure of change, how to make planned change work and the implications of change for the 21st century. Topics include the importance of leadership, how successful leadership can result in a more effective organization, how to implement new changes to promote a healthy organization, change in action, e-commerce, radical change, and the implications of change for the twenty first century.

This advanced course applies microeconomic theory to the management of the firm by focusing on the use of microeconomics to enhance decision-making. The course explores the complex relationships between manager decisions and the impact of those decisions on product demand and profitability. Students delineate the economic environment in which the firm operates and learn to think strategically within this environment.

This course examines HR's evolving role as an important element of strategic management and as a source of competitive advantage. Course topics include diversity and effective management, change and performance management, teams and team effectiveness, and the roles and responsibilities of HR professionals, managers and employees.

This course exposes students to an in-depth discussion of both the theories and practical applications of healthcare management. In addition to the primary management functions of planning, organizing and controlling, specialized topics like communication, ethical responsibilities, process management and leadership are discussed. Students also investigate alternative management and leadership styles that can be utilized as effective models and approaches for managing change, resources, time and performance.

In this course, students gain valuable insight into the planning, organizing, and controlling of user services, as well as the management of the information systems development process. The course also examines organizational learning curves, dealing with vendors, budgeting, accounting, management reporting, and legal considerations of information systems.

This course reviews marketing management within the broader context of an organization's strategies and operations. Students explore how marketing adds value by working to support organizational strategy. Topics covered include the 4 Ps (product, price, place and promotion), different types of markets, marketing research, market segmentation and differentiation, global aspects of marketing and the implementation and control of marketing plans. Students discover the benefits of market research and analysis, and develop effective marketing strategies through segmentation, targeting and positioning.