Healthcare Administration
Is a Healthcare Administration Major for Me?
The Healthcare Administration major is designed for individuals who have an allied health associate degree or individuals already working or preparing to work in the healthcare industry. The focus of the major is on managing resources and developing skills in financial management and healthcare policy administration to advance in healthcare organizations such as medical practice organizations, hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities, health insurance companies, managed care organizations, or community health providers.
Healthcare Administration is offered both in the classroom and online.
Program Outcomes
Success in the healthcare administration and management is leveraged not only by mastery of healthcare business disciplines, but also by demonstration of leadership in a complex healthcare environment. The focus of this degree is on gaining knowledge and developing skills in healthcare leadership; administrative, human resource, and financial management; healthcare economics; and healthcare policy, law, and regulations. The healthcare administration curriculum will provide learners with practical, marketable healthcare administration, management, and leadership skills grounded in industry accepted theories and practices to help them enter and/or progress in a competitive job market, while building a solid theoretical foundation for potential graduate studies.
Program Outcomes:
- Demonstrates a thorough knowledge of theories, concepts, practices, and terminology in healthcare leadership; administrative, human resource, and financial management; healthcare economics; and healthcare policy, law, and regulations.
- Reveals ethical reasoning through the assessment of healthcare administrative problems or concerns, consideration of different perspectives and/or alternative solutions, and determination of conclusions and/or viable solutions.
- Applies generally accepted methods and practices, technologies, and tools associated with healthcare leadership; administrative, human resource, and financial management; healthcare economics; and healthcare policy, law, and regulations.
- Utilizes critical thinking and analysis through the accurate framing of healthcare administrative problems or concerns, thorough consideration of different perspectives and/or alternative solutions gained from expert insights and scholarly research within the degree and related fields of study, and presentation of defensible conclusions and/or selected solutions.
- Employs effective broadly applicable and intellectual skills in professional oral and written communication, mathematical and quantitative literacy, information literacy, and creativity and innovation through the assessment and presentation of healthcare administrative problems or concerns, different perspectives and/or alternative solutions, and conclusions and/or viable solutions.
- Applies the aforementioned knowledge, skills, critical thinking, and ethical reasoning in the conduct of an independently constructed project focused on the resolution of a complex healthcare administrative problem or concern.
- Demonstrates the knowledge and skills to effectively lead people and healthcare administration processes.
- Exhibits the aforementioned knowledge, skills, critical thinking, and ethical reasoning necessary for preparation for his or her chosen career path related to the healthcare administration field of study.
Required and Core Courses
Recommended Prerequisites
MATH215 Intro to Statistics & Probability
HCA280 The Healthcare Industry
Required Major Courses
ACCT 285 Principles of Accounting
HRD 345 Human Resource Management
HCA 305 Healthcare Law and Regulations
HCA 315 Economics of Healthcare
HCA 325 Policy Issues in Healthcare
HCA 410 Healthcare Information Systems
HCA 420 Management in Healthcare Services
HCA 430 Fiscal Management in Healthcare Services
CAPS 491 Senior Capstone
Recommended Electives
BUS 394 Marketing
BUS 328 Org Behavior
BQM 444 Project Management
Required Core Courses
HRD 210 Building Academic Success
CLO 320 Critical Thinking
CLO 340 Ethics in Today’s Organization
CLO 410 Decision Sciences
CLO 415 Professional Communication
CLO 499 Responsibility for the Future
Basic Courses
Comp I, Comp II, Math *
Course Descriptions
MATH 215 Introduction to Statistics
Application of elementary statistical tools in the analysis of grouped or ungrouped data. Statistical decision and analysis of variance. Basic probability theory. Designed to meet the statistical needs of the science, business, education and social science student. Prerequisite: MATH105 or one year of high school algebra. 3 credit hours
HCA 280 The Healthcare Industry
This course addresses the organization, delivery, and financing of health services in the United States and provides an overview of the U.S. health services system and its key components including organization, management, resource development, economic foundations, and delivery. We will examine the political, behavioral, economic, contextual and historical influences that continue to shape the American health care system. 3 credit hours
ACCT 285 Principles of Accounting
An introduction to accounting theory and procedures. Topics include master budgets and planning, financial statements, accounts receivable, and analyzing and recording transactions. 3 credit hours
HRD 345 Managing Human Resources
A study of the development of the personnel management role, the organization of work, staffing the organization, developing human resources, creating favorable work environment, management labor relations, compensation, and benefit administration. 3 credit hours
HCA 305 Healthcare Law and Regulations
Public and private healthcare regulatory agencies and their governance are examined for their impact on healthcare services. Legal requirements for healthcare professionals, medical records, patient rights, and corporate responsibilities are studied. Standards and ethical dilemmas are explored. 3 credit hours
HCA 315 Economics of Healthcare
This course examines the nature of health economics and the related public and private sector influences on healthcare systems. The healthcare markets and how healthcare services operate within the healthcare markets are examined. 3 credit hours
HCA 325 Policy Issues in Healthcare
This course examines the challenges of health policy strategies, formulation, implementation, and evaluation of health care services as well as regulatory policies that impact the healthcare industry. The impact of policy makers’ objectives, constraints, and conduct on patients, providers, and payers are studied. The various policy makers that influence healthcare in society are explored. 3 credit hours
HCA 410 Healthcare Information Systems
The application and use of technology in healthcare settings is the primary focus of this course. Integration of technology into decision making as well as examining the processes for selecting and implementing the use of technology and software in a variety of healthcare applications will be studied. 3 credit hours
HCA420 Management in Healthcare Services
This course discusses health service organizational structures, management theories and principles necessary for effective management in a complex health system environment. 3 credit hours
HCA 430 Fiscal Management in Healthcare Services
An in-depth study of financial management of healthcare organizations. The financial management of health service organizations within free market economies. Topics also include reimbursement mechanisms and their effect on healthcare provider organizations, managed care, capitation, and per case or per diagnosis payment, as well as how these financial strategies are utilized by third-party payers. Focus is on financial challenges associated with provision of indigent care, competition and market cost increases. Ratio analysis, cost analysis, working capital, capital budgeting and investment in relation to net present value and value added to the organization, and other financial management techniques are also discussed. 3 credit hours
HRD210 Building Academic Success
Introduces academic success topics and tools that are intended to establish and strengthen understanding of the learner and academic success coach relationship, critical thinking and reading, institutional policies and procedures, and the basics of online research and academic writing while experiencing the Southwestern College Professional Studies course format on the way to becoming a Southwestern College Moundbuilder.
CLO 320 Critical Thinking
This course prepares learners to critically interpret, synthesize, analyze and evaluate information. It is designed to introduce learners to complex problems and help them come to well reasoned conclusions and solutions.
CLO 340 Ethics in Today’s Organizations
This course will utilize the expertise of professionals working in the various disciplines as well as the moral reasoning of ethicists. An approach to the ethical challenges of a modern society is developed.
CLO 410 Decision Sciences
This course introduces the learner to utilizing and applying both quantitative and qualitative methods for individual, organizational, and societal decision making. A variety of tools and techniques will be examined as the foundation for the development and interpretation of attributes and variables in addition to the use of data sources for the purpose of improving processes and organizational environments.
CLO 415 Professional Communication
A study of the communication processes in situations encountered in organizations and professional environments. Analysis of simulated and real life situations will include the creation of professional documents and various functions of written, oral, and interpersonal communications.
CLO 499 Responsibility for the Future
Seniors with various majors will share learning and approaches from their different disciplines toward dealing holistically with issues that shape the future, seeking to integrate disciplines and to synthesize knowing, caring, and doing.
CAPS491 Senior Capstone
Learners will be required to develop a portfolio project that demonstrates their knowledge, skills, and abilities in their major discipline. Particular attention will be given to the presentation of evidence and artifacts from their major courses as well as recent research relevant to their specific program outcomes. The purpose of the final portfolio project is to document learner achievement and to ensure learning outcomes are met. 3 credit hours.
All classes are 3 credit hours unless otherwise indicated.
Admission Requirements
Entering students must have earned at least 30 college credits from previous college coursework or ACE evaluated military training, a GPA of 2.0, and have three years of work experience. Transfer hours accepted for Professional Studies admittance should include English Composition I and II, and mathematics (college algebra preferred). These courses may be considered in transfer or completed at Southwestern College.
Contact a program representative to evaluate your options.
Graduation Requirements
A total of 124 credit hours must be earned to graduate. You must have at least 60 credit hours from a four-year university or college and at least 30 hours from Southwestern College (does not include prior learning experience credits). Of the 30 hours required from Southwestern, 15 of the last 30 hours earned toward your degree must be at Southwestern College. Contact your Academic Success Coach for more information.
