Health Services Administration

The Department of Social Sciences and Public Administration offers an interdisciplinary major in Health Services Administration leading to the Bachelor of Science degree. The program recognizes that many agencies require personnel with health skills combined with a strong background in both the sciences and management for research, service, and administrative positions.

Because health care broadly impacts society, career opportunities exist in a wide variety of organizations. Possible settings include: hospitals, clinics or ambulatory care centers; mental health agencies; prepaid health maintenance organizations; health insurance companies; federal, state, and local governmental health agencies; and health specialty vendors.

The program promotes an interdisciplinary perspective in health services administration that encompasses sciences with a public health emphasis and an orientation in business principles. Students may use restricted electives to declare several minors or emphasis areas. With careful planning, a student may minor in one or more of the following: history and government, economics, business administration, political science, sociology, or human resources administration.

Distinctive features of the program in Health Services Administration include a wide assortment of classes in business, political science, economics, and other applied areas. Program courses include Introduction to Health Care Organizations, Health Services Planning, Health Services Law and Legislation, and Illness and Health Care. In addition, each student must complete a semester-long supervised capstone experience in which the student gains academic credit for administrative exposure in a cooperating health related organization.

For students holding an associate degree or a diploma from a three year nursing program, the program participates in articulation agreements providing credit for coursework taken at the community college level toward achievement of the B.S. degree.

Program Learning Outcomes
This program has the following specific outcomes:

• The student will demonstrate a broad based understanding of the dynamics of the health care industry, including familiarity 
  with a variety of care delivery organizations, types of care delivery methods, and fiscal responsibilities.
• The student will be able to apply critical thinking and higher level analytical skills to problems and issues in their career 
  fields.
• The student will be able to communicate effectively in oral and written form and have the specialized vocabulary utilized in 
  the health care industry.
• The student will become culturally competent and aware of diversity in the work environment.