Best Online Health Services Degrees

Overview

South Texas College is a public community college located in McAllen, TX. STC operates one of the largest dual enrollment/early college high school programs in United States, and has a highly diverse student body. They enroll around 31,000 students each year and have around 1,600 total staff members working at its six campuses.

Program Features

South Texas offers a Medical and Health Services Management major. This is a baccalaureate degree that requires 120 credit-hours. This is a Bachelor of Applied Technology degree. Upper-division courses within this major include:

• Decision Making
• Ethics for Health Care Professionals
• Health Care Management Practicum
• Legal Issues in Health Care

In addition to major requirements, students must complete general education requirements in subject such as art, history, and government. A total of 39 required course credit and elective course credit within the major are required.

Notables

To apply to the program, students must demonstrate proficiency in state mandated knowledge content through approved avenues, including the Texas Success Initiative. Eligible applicants will have an ACT Composite score of 19 or above, and a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.

Overview

St. Petersburg College is a state college located in St. Petersburg, FL. The school offers a large number of four-year bachelor’s degrees, in additions to its two-year association degree programs. It was originally founded in 1927 as the first private, two-year junior college in Florida, before becoming a public college in 1948.

Program Features

St. Petersburg College offers a Bachelor of Arts & Sciences degree in Health Services Administration. It is a 120 credit-hour program, which requires the completion of 60 general education credits and 60 major credits. Courses in major include:

• Interprofessional Team Based Health Care
• Evidence-Based Healthcare Practice
• Technical Writing
• Electronic Health/Medical Record Systems

Students also select a sub plan from the following list of options: Management, Public Relation and Marketing, Compliance and Security, Human Services, or Respiratory Care.

Notables

To apply to the program students need to submit high school transcripts or GED transcripts. Students must also demonstrate college level reading, writing, and math abilities through appropriate test scores or their completion and performance in requisite classes. Students must also have a minimum GPA of 2.0.

Overview

Weber State University is a public university located in Ogden, UT. Weber State was founded in 1889 by the Church of the Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as Weber Stake Academy, and operated as a normal school and a junior college before becoming a full university in 1991. They now have more than 26,000 total students and an endowment of more than $110 million.

Program Features

Webster State offers a Bachelor of Science in Health Services Administration, which can also be accompanied by a Health Services Administration emphasis. It is a four semester long program, which includes courses such as:

• Professionalism in Healthcare
• Health Care Economics & Policy
• Classification Systems Topics & Reimbursement
• Computer Applications in Health Care

Students complete their course of study with a practicum internship in their final semester. This internship allows them to formalize/professionalize the in-class knowledge they’ve build throughout the program.

Notables

In addition to the practicum internship, students will also complete a capstone course towards the end of their program. Normally students take the capstone in their third semester in the program, and then finish with their internship (and two electives) during the following spring.

Overview

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is a public university located in Lafayette, LA. Lafayette was founded in 1898 as the Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute. It is the largest university in the state university system of Louisiana, with a student population of approximately 17,500. They also have 750 academic staff members and an endowment of $178 million.

Program Features

Louisiana at Lafayette has a Bachelor of Science degree program in Health Services Administration. It is a standard four year, 16-week semester format. Students begin with a series of general education classes, before moving on to electives such as:

• Leadership in Health Services Administration
• Health Care Across Cultures
• Social Problems & Issues in Mental Health
• Grant Writing & Other Fundraising Strategies

Students complete their course of study with a capstone course taken during their final semester. Students who take summer courses are able to graduate in less than the normal four years.

Notables

Students in the program have been able to pursue careers such as assistant administrators, clinical managers, nursing home administrators, and health information managers. There are start dates available for the fall, spring, and summer.

Overview

Florida International University is a public university located in Greater Miami, FL. The school has two campuses in the Miami area, with its main campus in University Park, and another in Biscayne Bay. They offer more than 280 undergraduate majors, along with 81 master’s degrees and 34 doctoral degrees. There are more than 56,000 students who attend FIU and around 2,400 academic staff members.

Program Features

Florida International offers an online Bachelor’s degree in Health Services Administration. It is a 120 credit program, which is divided evenly between lower and upper division courses. Major courses are divided between:

• Foundation Courses: Introduction to Health Service Systems
• Core Courses: Health Care Financial Management
• Integrative Courses: Healthcare Quality Management
• Elective Courses: Managerial Communication

Online students receive support from Success Coaches, who help to make adapting to the online medium as easy as possible.

Notables

Students must complete a number of prerequisite courses in economics, including principles of microeconomics and statistics for health professions. Students applying to the program should also have at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA for all of their lower division courses, as well as complete the University Core Curriculum.

Overview

Norfolk State University is a public university located in Norfolk, VA. NSU is a historically-black university that has an affiliation with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Norfolk State is made up of eight schools and colleges, including the graduate college and an honors college. These schools are attended by around 7,000 students, most of which are undergraduates.

Program Features

Norfolk State has a Bachelor of Science degree program in Health Services Management. The program is available fully online and is a 120 credit-hour program. These credits are divided between General Education Core and Major Requirements, along with a small leftover portion for electives. Sample courses:

• Managerial Epidemiology
• Public Health Administration
• Comprehensive Health Planning
• Long Term Care Administration

The intermediate years in the program are focused on business management courses. Students generally engage in internships or on-the-job experiential learning during their final year of the program.

Notables

Norfolk State’s online program is listed as being highly competitive. Students interested in the Virginia Long Term Care Administrator license will get a strong academic background in the program, but need to arrange their own internship to fulfill the requirements for licensure.

Overview

Old Dominion University is a public research university located in Norfolk, VA. ODU was originally the Norfolk division of the College of William & Mary, but became an independent college in 1962 and now serves as one of the largest universities in Virginia, with around 25,000 students. They offer 168 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, offered through six different colleges and their online learning service.

Program Features

Old Dominion offers a Bachelor of Science in Health Science, which can come with a Health Services Administration concentration. Students must complete a total of 120 credit-hours, with a minimum of 30 credit-hours of study with ODU. Sample courses from the program include:

• Healthcare Marketing
• Finance and Budgeting in Health Care
• Environmental Health Science
• Health Informatics

The program is also designed for upper-division advanced educational experiences to Navy Hospital Corpsman. Students with health related training from other Armed Services are also eligible.

Notables

Students can meet their upper division general education requirement through health services administration courses in management. Graduates from the program have gone on to careers in public health policies and policy/program analysis.

Overview

The University of Maryland University College is a public not-for-profit university, located in Adelphi, MD. UMUC is one of the largest distance learning universities in the world, with over 90,000 students. The university offers around 120 undergraduate programs, and has a 100% percent admissions rate for its undergraduate programs.

Program Features

UMD offers a bachelor’s program in Health Services Management. The program is available fully online and requires the completion of 120 credits. Courses within the major include:

• Health Care Policies
• Managerial Epidemiology and Decision-Making in Health Care
• Health Care Economics
• Management in Health Care Organizations

Students are recommended to have experience with the healthcare system to have the best chance for success in the program. The program is intended for entry-level and mid-career professionals.

Notables

Select courses may be limited to a hybrid format, involving mostly online coursework, with limited, but mandatory, on-campus workshops or classes. Students may bring up to 90 transfer credits into the program. Maryland is also home to the Sigma Phi Omega honor society for studies in gerontology.

Overview

The University of Central Florida is a public university located in Orlando, FL. It is the largest university in the United States by enrollment, with more than 66,000 students. The school originally opened in 1968 as the Florida Technological University. The school has connections with NASA Space programs and has around 2,600 academic staff members.

Program Features

Central Florida offers a Bachelor of Science degree online in Health Services Administration through its College of Health and Public Affairs. The program focuses on the managerial side of health care, and involves 48 credits within the major, including courses such as:

• Health Services Administration
• Organization & Management for Health Agencies
• Medical Terminology
• Health Law and Ethics

Students complete their course of study with a Health Services Administration Capstone course. Students should also complete an internship during their program.

Notables

Graduates from the program have pursued careers in professions such as Health Information Manager, Health Services Administrator, and Social/Community Service Manager. Admission to the program is dependent upon having a minimum high school GPA of 2.0 and demonstrated foreign language proficiency.

Overview

Davenport University is a private university located across the state of Michigan, with its main campus located in Grand Rapids. Davenport was founded in 1866 by a Civil War veteran, and became fully accredited in 1976. The school now offers associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees in a wide range of subjects. They have 113 academic staff members and 7,200 students.

Program Features

Davenport offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Services Administration. Courses in the program vary based on the specialty, core major courses include:

• Health Care Research
• Regulatory Health Care
• Health Care Strategic Planning
• Organizational Behavior

The degree has three possible specialties that can go along with the degree program: Health Information Assurance, Human Resources Management, and Project Management.

Notables

Students can get credit for previous work with Allied Health course work or an associate’s degree with an Allied Health credential (Registered Nurse or Medical Assistant). Graduates from the program can work in integrated health care systems, retirement facilities, and community health organizations.