MBA in Healthcare Administration

MBA in Healthcare Administration Overview

In today's highly complex healthcare industry, the strongest leaders are those who understand the many facets of this dynamic marketplace. Healthcare administrators must be able to handle economic, legal, regulatory, political, historical, and social demands in addition to their managerial duties.

The South University Master of Healthcare Administration online program is designed for those individuals who want to excel at every level of decision-making. This MBA program provides a sound foundation in business analysis and a rigorous specialization in healthcare administration. Thanks to the online format, students can enjoy flexibility as they pursue a degree, with the option to take classes any time of the day or night.

Students of this program will have the opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of the following:

• The systems and subsystems that comprise the healthcare industry
• The impact that various dynamics (e.g., regulatory, legal, and political issues) can have on health service organizations
• The manner in which public, private, and social forces can shape the healthcare system and affect healthcare providers
• The managerial skills needed to work in teams, build cross-functional teams, and facilitate collaborative decision-making

Graduates will have the business competencies and leadership skills necessary to pursue a managerial position in a variety of medical and health service locations, including hospitals, practitioners' offices, home health care agencies, and healthcare management companies.

Employment Opportunities

"Employment of medical and health services managers is expected to grow 16 percent from 2006 to 2016, faster than the average for all occupations. The health care industry will continue to expand and diversify, requiring managers to help ensure smooth business operations. Job opportunities should be good, especially for applicants with work experience in the health care field and strong business management skills."

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition, Medical and Health Services Managers, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos014.htm.

Academic Requirements

The online MBA in Healthcare Administration program is designed for prospective students who have:

• Completed an undergraduate degree with a GPA of 2.7 or better on a 4.0 scale, OR
• Completed an undergraduate degree with a minimum combined GMAT score within the 50th percentile.

Getting Started

Set a course for your own career growth by enrolling in our MBA online program. Click here to get started.

MBA in Healthcare Administration - 48 Total Hours

Students pursuing the MBA in Healthcare Administration are required to take a total of 12 courses as follows:

Foundation Curriculum - 16 Credits
Students are required to take 4 foundation courses as follows:

MBA5001 - Organization Behavior and Communication

This course addresses the issues of motivation, leadership, and communications. Included are negotiation, conflict resolution, and team building.

Prerequisite(s): Admission into the MBA program.

Credits: 4

MBA5004 - Managerial Economics

This course provides an overview of microeconomic concepts and their application to common business problems. Topics include supply and demand analysis, cost analysis, economies of scale, basic market types and their characteristics, pricing, risk analysis, and the government's role in economic affairs.

Prerequisite(s): Program Prerequisites

Credits: 4

MBA5005 - Law and Ethics for Managers

This course provides a framework for managers to understand and assess the fundamental legal and ethical issues confronting managers in the contemporary business environment. Emphasis is placed on legal issues managers might encounter when engaged in various business activities. The course covers legal principles that affect businesses, ranging from employment law issues, contract disputes, regulatory compliance, negligence claims, violations of fiduciary duties, securities fraud, development of cyber law, and more. Course activities integrate a variety of legal topics with management of businesses to demonstrate how the law influences management decisions and business strategies. Students will acquire practical knowledge that empowers them to spot legal issues, develop solutions, handle disputes, minimize risk, and make informed and effective business decisions.

Prerequisite(s): Program Prerequisites

Credits: 4

MBA5008 - Quantitative Analysis and Decision Making

Quantitative Analysis and Decision Making

Prerequisite(s):

Credits:

Core Curriculum - 12 Credits
Students are required to take 3 core courses as follows:

MBA6010 - Managerial Finance

Managerial Finance

Prerequisite(s):

Credits:

MBA6011 - Strategic Marketing

Strategic Marketing

Prerequisite(s):

Credits:

MBA6012 - Operations and Supply Chain Management

Operations and Supply Chain Management

Prerequisite(s):

Credits:

Major Curriculum - 16 Credits
Students choose 4 courses

MHC6301 - Healthcare Structure, Organization and Governance

This course examines the way health care organizations are structured, organized, and governed to achieve optimum performance. Explores the various sub-systems of healthcare delivery and the way in which these interrelate in the marketplace.

Prerequisite(s): MBA Business Core

Credits: 4

MHC6302 - Public Health Organization and Management

This course examines the assessment and understanding of the health status of populations, determinates of health and illness, and health risks and behaviors in diverse populations. It also reviews federal and state emergency management procedures and services with lessons learned from recent national and foreign disasters.

Prerequisite(s): MBA Core Courses

Credits: 4

MHC6303 - Quality Performance and Management

This course examines the quality assessment of both business practices and health care delivery focusing on outcome measurements, process/outcome relationships, and methods for process improvement. Quality management tools and techniques are reviewed with a focus on patient safety, clinical quality, care outcomes, and cost benefit analysis in patient care.

Prerequisite(s): MBA Business Core

Credits: 4

MHC6304 - Health Policy

This course examines the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of government health policy both at the state and federal level and the manner in which public, private, and social forces influence the politics of healthcare, shape the system, and impact healthcare providers.

Prerequisite(s): MBA Core Courses

Credits: 4

MHC6305 - Financial Management of Healthcare Organizations

This course examines budgeting, reimbursement, financial planning, capital planning, financial statement analysis, and financial decision making in health care organizations.

Prerequisite(s): MBA Business Core

Credits: 4

Capstone Course - 4 Credits

MHC6999 - Case Studies in Healthcare Administration

Through the application of cases in health care administration, students are provided an opportunity to draw upon and apply material covered throughout the program of study and to demonstrate skills in continuous learning through information access, synthesis and use in critical thinking.

Prerequisite(s): MBA Business Core

Credits: 4

Software Requirements:

• Adobe Acrobat Professional
• Microsoft Office Professional
• Norton Antivirus
• Microsoft Project

Minimum Technology Requirements:

• PC: As a general guideline, students should not have computer specifications less than a Pentium III CPU, Windows XP with Service Pack 2, and 512 MB of RAM.
• Mac: As a general guideline, students should not have computer specifications less than a G3, G4, or G5 processor, MAC OS, and 512 MB of RAM.

Internet Requirements:

56K or faster Internet connection is required for online courses, however broadband is strongly encouraged.

Web Browser Requirements:

PC: At least one of the following browsers with Java enabled:

• Internet Explorer 6.0 (supported)
• Internet Explorer 7.0 (recommended)
• Internet Explorer 5.5 (supported)
• Firefox 1.x (supported)
• Firefox 2.0 (recommended)
• Firefox 3.0 (supported)

Mac: At least one of the following browsers with Java enabled:

• Safari 3.0 (supported for OS X)
• Safari 2.0 (recommended for OS X)
• Safari 1.2 (supported for OS X)
• Firefox 1.x (supported)
• Firefox 2.0 (supported)
• Firefox 3.0 (supported)

 

Software may be purchased through JourneyEd.

Dr. Marta Urdaneta

Dr. Urdaneta holds a Ph.D. in Hospital and Health Administration, an MBA, an MA in Hospital and Health Administration, and a BBA, all from the University of Iowa. She has ten years of administrative experience in healthcare from a wide range of settings which include a nursing home, a family medicine clinic and The Department of Internal Medicine at The University of Iowa.

Before coming to South University in Savannah, Dr. Urdaneta was Program Director for the Health Science program and Program Coordinator for the Health Service Administration program at Keiser University in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. She has published and presented on various healthcare management issues such as physician utilization, cost trends in healthcare and HIV treatment patterns. Most recently, she co-authored a project on Radio Frequency Identification in Long-term Healthcare Facilities, which was presented at the Academy of Business Disciplines 2008 Conference in Ft. Myers, Fla.

Dr. Susan Davis

Dr. Susan E.M. Davis is the Program Chair for the College of Business at South University. Prior to joining the South University faculty in April, 2009, she served on faculties of Bethune Cookman University, Claflin University, Columbia College and the University of South Carolina.

Dr. Davis received a Ph.D. in Organization and Management with specializations in Leadership and Human Resource Management from Capella University, an MBA with a concentration in Finance and Economics from the University of Rochester, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Pennsylvania State University.

Dr. Davis is a Sam Walton Fellow for Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) and has published articles on innovation, leadership and change management from an entrepreneurial perspective. She is primarily interested in transformational leadership and teaches classes in organizational behavior, entrepreneurship, finance and strategic planning. In 1995, she designed the first of three centers focused on entrepreneurship in South Carolina. In addition to her university teaching experience, Dr. Davis has designed and delivered executive development programs for several corporations.

Prior to her career in higher education, Dr. Davis served as a senior financial executive for several Fortune 50 corporations including Whirlpool Corporation, Mellon National Bank and Eastman Kodak.

She is CEO and President of Strategic Business Solutions, a consulting firm established in 1998 that focuses on strategic planning and management of small to medium-sized businesses.

Mrs. Ruth Essler

Mrs. Essler received her MBA from Bryant College and her Bachelor of Arts degree from Wheaton College. Prior to her work in Education, Mrs. Essler worked for eighteen years in human resource management where she enjoyed several key managerial positions including responsibility for a Greenfield start up manufacturing operation for a division of the Sara Lee Corporation. Upon entering the Education field, Mrs. Essler continued enjoying her passion for working with organizations’ training/development efforts by conducting seminars as a part of the business consulting faculty at the Center for Management Development at Georgia Southern University. As such, she conducted public and private client training seminars in areas such as interpersonal communication skills, managing teams, conflict resolution, and time/stress management.

Mrs. Essler has enjoyed the last six years as a full-time educator for both South University Savannah campus and for South University Online. She enjoys reflecting on the growth of the College of Business and is most excited to be a part of its planned growth in the years to come. When she is not teaching, Mrs. Essler enjoys her work in developing a team of high performance adjunct instructors.