• Welcome
• Programs
• Academic Resources
  • Academic Planning Guide
  • Honors
  • Degree Completion Programs
  • Internship
  • Off Campus & Online
  • Research
  • Study Abroad
  • Information Technologies & Services
• Academic Services
  • Academic Success
  • Athlete Support
  • Disability Services
  • Learning Center
  • MLK Program
  • Placement Testing
  • Undeclared Students
• Accreditation
• Advising
• Catalogs
• Colleges
• Courses
• Provost
• Registrar
• Contact Us

Professional Studies, Health Care Administration Concentration (B.S.)

Shippensburg University’s degree completion program is designed to meet the needs of the working adult who has 60 or more college credits. The program is designed to build upon previous college experience and consists of core courses, professional electives, general electives, and an internship or research project.

The program’s core courses will provide the opportunity to explore how a liberal arts education can enhance career opportunities. These courses will help students understand the structure of organizations, the behavior of individuals within organizations, and how to resolve conflict in order for organizations to function efficiently. The professional courses will allow students to explore the legal, financial, resource, and strategic issues of health care management and administration. The electives will give students the opportunity to enhance their educational experience, and the internship or research project at the end of the program promotes the integration of theory practice.

Admissions Requirements

• Associate’s degree or a minimum of 60 transferable college credits authenticated by official transcripts.
• Current resume indicating at least five years of documented work or volunteer experience.
• Completion of application and goal statement.
• A 2.0 cumulative grade point average or above for transfer credits.

Degree Requirements

• Completion of the 45 credit Health Care Administration program with a minimum of a 2.00 cumulative GPA;
• Fulfillment of 48 credits of  general education requirements;
• Attainment of a minimum of 120 college/university credits.

Foundation and Core Courses

• 3 credits in the foundation course
- HCA400 Introduction to Health Care Systems
• 12 credits of core courses
- ENG438 Technical Professional Writing II
- ISM300 Information Technology and Business Operations
- MGT305 Organizational Behavior
- HCS385 Resolving Conflict Through Communications
• 12 credits in health care professional courses
- HCA451 Legal Aspects of Health Care
- HCA452 Health Care Financial Management
- HCA453 Human Resources Management for Health Care Administrators
- HCA454 Health Care Strategic Management
• 12 credits of health care professional electives selected with advisement from an approved list of courses
• 6 credits of internship or completion of a professional research project

Schedule of Courses

The B.S. in Health Care Administration is organized so students can take 6 credits of core courses, professional courses, or health care professional electives during the evening and/or online each academic semester. The program may be started at the beginning of each fall, spring, and summer semesters.

Students may complete theirremaining required general education or free elective courses at HACC or at Shippensburg University. Students may continue to take general education courses while they are matriculated in the Health Care Administration program or they may complete them after finishing major courses. There are no prerequisite courses required prior to enrollment in HCA400. It is recommended students take Algebra or Economics as part of the general education courses prior to enrollment in HCA courses. HCA400, the foundation course, is a prerequisite for all other HCA courses.

Brief Course Descriptions

Foundation and Core Courses

ENG438 Technical Professional Writing II (3 crs.) Prepares students to incorporate theories of technical and professional communication into their writing practice. Students use argumentative rhetorical strategies, analyze audience needs, and consider ethical implications as they prepare advanced projects in technical writing. The writing process emphasizes critical evaluation of information, project design and implementation, and organizational skills for collaborative projects. Students complete advanced assignments, such as writing a grant proposal, creating online user documentation, preparing a research report in a hyperlinked format, and making a persuasive presentation using computer-generated graphics. Course serves as preparation for an internship in technical or professional writing and will be a significant asset for students whose employment goals require strong writing skills and the ability to lead and to coordinate projects.

HCA400 Introduction to Health Care Systems (3 crs.) Introduces students to the major components of the health care system in the United States, including governmental, for profit, and not-for-profit organizations. Discusses the influence of social, political, and economic forces on the delivery of health care. Examines current problems facing the health care industry and evaluates alternative programs from other nations.

HCA451 Legal Aspects of Health Care – (3 crs.) Examines the federal and state regulation of health care providers, focusing primarily on hospitals, nursing homes, physicians, and insurers. Reviews general principles of liability and confidentiality for health care providers. Assesses issues associated with the introduction of medical evidence and testimony. Evaluates the role of the legal system in cases involving all aspects of the human life cycle, ranging from conception to the end of life.  Prerequisite: HCA400.

HCA452 Health Care Financial Management (3 crs.) Examines the most used tools and techniques of health care financial management, including: health care accounting and financial statements; managing cash, billings, and collections; making major capital investments; determining cost and using cost information in decision-making; budgeting and performance measurement; and pricing. Prerequisite: HCA400.

HCA453 Human Resources Management for Health Care Professionals (3 crs.) Examines the development and functions of human resources management in the context of public, private, and not-for-profit health care settings including hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, and continuing care retirement communities among others. Evaluates the roles of management and the functional specialist in the development and implementation of personnel policy and administration. Emphasizes the impact of American culture and public policy upon the human resources and industrial relations functions.Prerequisite: HCA400.

HCA454 Health Care Strategic Management (3 crs.) Explores the determinants of organizational survival and success. Assesses the need to achieve a fit between the internal and external environment. Analyzes cases to examine environmental and competitive issues. Prerequisite: HCA400.

ISM300 Information Technology & Business Operations (3 crs.) Designed to address the challenging role of information technology and management information systems in today’s global business organizations. Course will deal with different types of information systems, planning and developing databases, networking, and other organizational issues dealing with information technology.

MGT305 Organizational Behavior (3 crs.) Emphasizes the contributions of many disciplines to management practices considering the interrelationship among individual, group, and organization with an international focus added. Examines the analytical and behavioral skills necessary to enhance managerial potential and facilitate individual contributions to organizational effectiveness. Applies the concepts of learning, motivation, intra- and inter-group behavior, leadership, decision-making, power, conflict, and politics to an understanding of teamwork and the issues of quality within and among organizations.

HCS385 Resolving Conflict Through Communication (3 crs.) Develops communication skills that assist in the settlement of disputes. Communication techniques such as listening, interviewing, responding, and persuading are reviewed and applied to conflict situations. These skills are applied to non-adversarial methods of conflict resolution such as interest-based negotiation and third-party mediation.