Health Care Administration Degrees Online: Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration

The country’s need for well-prepared health care managers is expected to increase at a rate faster than the average for all other occupations.* Insurance companies, hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health agencies, outpatient facilities, doctors’ offices, and many other employment settings may need additional college-educated professionals to run their day-to-day operations.

Kaplan University’s Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration is designed to provide you with a solid foundation in the core disciplines of health care administration and management. As a graduate, you may be well equipped to further your studies and pursue a master's degree.^†

| Curriculum | Tuition and Fees

Program Highlights

The Kaplan University Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration could help prepare you to serve as a health care professional and to pursue supervisory roles industry wide. The program is designed to help you:

Understand the principles and practices of health care regarding administration, management, law, economics, and policy.
Study to attain skills and knowledge to handle health care-related research, critical thinking, and problem solving.
Apply management principles toward team building and collaborative decision making.
Consider the forces that are impacting today’s health delivery systems when making health care management decisions.
Analyze and uphold the professional, ethical, and legal standards of health care administration.

A Fast Track to a Master’s Degree

Students enrolled in a School of Health Sciences bachelor’s degree program can choose to complete an accelerated master’s degree option. Designed for high-potential undergraduate students interested in earning both a bachelor’s and master’s degree, the accelerated option allows you to work toward your bachelor’s degree while simultaneously completing up to five core courses in either the Master of Health Care Administration or the Master of Public Health. If you successfully complete these courses with a minimum course grade, and have applied and been accepted to the applicable Kaplan University master’s degree program, you will enter a shortened version of the master’s degree program.

The accelerated option allows you to earn your Kaplan University bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree at a faster pace and lower cost than completing each degree separately. Qualification for the accelerated master’s degree options are subject to eligibility requirements. Please contact an Admissions Advisor for more information.

What are the Career Opportunities?

With a Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration from Kaplan University, you may be prepared for a wide range of entry-level positions in the health care industry. You may also have a strong foundation to pursue entry-level supervisory roles. Some career opportunities may include: care coordinator, account manager, practice administrator, billing administrator, service coordinator, and case manager.^‡

Curriculum for the Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration

Course #	Course Title	Credits
100/200-level	100/200-LEVEL: COMMUNICATION COURSE	5 100/200-LEVEL: COMMUNICATION COURSE
	100/200-LEVEL: MATHEMATICS COURSE	5 100/200-LEVEL: MATHEMATICS COURSE
	200-LEVEL: COMMUNICATION COURSE	5 200-LEVEL: COMMUNICATION COURSE
300/400-level	300/400-LEVEL: ARTS AND HUMANITIES COURSE	6 300/400-LEVEL: ARTS AND HUMANITIES COURSE
300/400-level	300/400-LEVEL: PHYSICAL SCIENCE COURSE	6 300/400-LEVEL: PHYSICAL SCIENCE COURSE
300/400-level	300/400-LEVEL: SOCIAL SCIENCE COURSE	6 300/400-LEVEL: SOCIAL SCIENCE COURSE

Course #	Course Title	Credits
	OPEN ELECTIVES*	47 OPEN ELECTIVES*

*Eligible students who choose to complete the accelerated Master of Health Care Administration or Master of Public Health option will take up to five graduate-level courses in addition to selected undergraduate elective.

Total Program Requirements	180 Total Program Requirements

Core
Major
Open Elective
Total Program Requirements

You Could Save Time and Money on Your Kaplan University Degree

Credit for Prior Learning

Our undergraduate degree programs feature large pools of open electives designed to offer greater flexibility when applying transfer credits toward program requirements. In addition, you can enroll in our portfolio development course, which helps you document your work and life experience in a portfolio you can submit for consideration for college credits. Qualifying transfer credit may reduce your total costs for undergraduate programs. Refer to the University Catalog for our transfer of credit policy.

Continuing Students

Students who earn their bachelor’s degree at Kaplan University and enroll in a master’s degree program may be eligible for an alumni tuition reduction. For more information, contact your Admissions Advisor.

Students in the Military

Kaplan University is proud to support our military and veterans in their educational pursuits by offering significantly reduced tuition. Undergraduate program tuition is reduced up to 55 percent for active-duty servicemembers and up to 38 percent for veterans. In addition, Kaplan University participates in the Yellow Ribbon program for all of our graduate programs, and both active-duty servicemembers and veterans are eligible for special tuition rates for these programs. A 10 percent tuition reduction is also available to spouses of active-duty servicemembers. For more information, call 866.583.4412 (Toll Free) to speak to a military Admissions Advisor or visit the Kaplan University military site.

Tuition and Fees

Cost per credit hour	$371.00
Total program requirements Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration	180
Total cost of tuition	$66,780.00
This program requires a $100 technology fee per term (online students only). A nonrefundable application fee, depending on your program and as described in the Tuition and Fees Supplement, may be required at the time of enrollment. We encourage you to explore the availability of financial aid and scholarships. For more information, contact an Admissions Advisor.

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* Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-2013 Edition, Medical and Health Services Managers, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/Management/Medical-and-health-services-managers.htm. (Accessed April, 2012) National long-term projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions, and do not guarantee actual job growth.
^†While many of Kaplan University's degree programs are designed to prepare graduates to pursue continued bachelor-, graduate- or doctorate-level education, the University cannot guarantee that students will be granted admission to any programs.
^‡Kaplan University's programs are designed to prepare graduates to pursue employment in their field of study, or in related fields. However, the University does not guarantee that graduates will be placed in any particular job, eligible for job advancement opportunities, or employed at all. Additional training or certification may be required.

Course #	Course Title	Credits
HA 255	HUMAN RESOURCES FOR HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATIONS	5 HUMAN RESOURCES FOR HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATIONS This course explores human resource practices in health care settings. It addresses a wide range of topics including staffing, worker safety and security, general employment practices, performance management, organizational development, and employee relations. Upon completion of the course, students will be able to implement/integrate evidence-based human resource strategies into the day-to-day management of their departments.
HS 100	INTRODUCTION TO HEALTH SCIENCE	5 INTRODUCTION TO HEALTH SCIENCE In this required introductory course, students will identify current issues in health science and how they relate to chosen health science professions. Educational and credentialing requirements will be defined for health science occupations. Students will create a personal education plan, choosing appropriate electives and identifying specific career optionsbased on personal goals and research of the profession. Professional traits and skills for success in the field will be explored as well as discussion of roles and responsibilities of selected health professionals.
HS 230	HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATION	5 HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATION This course discusses the scope and practice of health care administration. Students learn various models of health care delivery systems and social, political, individual, and organizational forces that impact health care delivery. Studies will include marketing, operations, financial, and human resources management, as well as effective communication strategies involved in health care administration.
PU 120	INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC HEALTH	5 INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC HEALTH This course introduces the five core disciplines of public health: health policy and management, social and behavioral health, biostatistics, epidemiology, and environmental health. Public health is explored from its historical beginning to the current issues of today. Current topics ranging from local to global perspectives are a major focus of the course. Community health issues, communicable disease control, current research and informatics, and the roles of public health professionals are also included.
	MAJOR ELECTIVES	20 MAJOR ELECTIVES
HA 405	LEADERSHIP AND ETHICS IN HEALTH CARE	6 LEADERSHIP AND ETHICS IN HEALTH CARE This course provides students with the opportunity to examine and critically reflect on the nature and implications of leadership ethics in health care. Students examine key characteristics of ethical leadership, and the theoretical underpinnings of sound moral decision making and action of health care leaders. Processes for identifying and cultivating health care leaders, cultural competence, continued learning, and bioethics in health care are also explored.
HA 415	HEALTH CARE POLICY AND ECONOMICS	6 HEALTH CARE POLICY AND ECONOMICS This course provides students with information surrounding health care policy and economics. The focus is on defining public and private health care and the policy issues that surround them. Students also identify the roles of local, state, and national policymakers and describe the role and responsibility of the individual citizen with regard to health care policy and economics.
HA 425	OPERATIONAL ANALYSIS AND QUALITY IMPROVEMENT	6 OPERATIONAL ANALYSIS AND QUALITY IMPROVEMENT This course addresses health care strategies and the laws that affect operational decisions. Strategic and tactical planning issues, with particular attention to marketing and strategic planning, opportunity assessment, and external analysis, are covered. Students also analyze and evaluate Total Quality Management (TQM) principles and Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) processes in organizations. Students compare total quality tools and performance measures, and examine leadership and teamwork in the business environment.
HI 300	INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND SYSTEMS FOR HEALTH CARE	6 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND SYSTEMS FOR HEALTH CARE In this course, students implement and manage technology, gain knowledge of database architecture and design, and design and generate administrative reports. Enforcement of confidentiality, e-health security, and measures to protect health information are also stressed.
HS 305	RESEARCH METHODS FOR HEALTH SCIENCES	6 RESEARCH METHODS FOR HEALTH SCIENCES This course enables students to explore research methodologies, including statistical analyses and study designs used in health sciences, and critically appraise the research published in scientific literature and popular media. Students learn to identify and discuss current trends in research in health sciences, nutrition, health psychology, exercise science, and complementary and alternative medicine.
HS 310	EPIDEMIOLOGY AND BIOSTATISTICS	6 EPIDEMIOLOGY AND BIOSTATISTICS This course familiarizes students with principles of epidemiology and its role in prevention and control of communicable and noncommunicable diseases prevalent in a determined geographical area. Students further explore the biostatical methods used in epidemiological data gathering and analysis, and discuss the importance of epidemiological studies related to effective public health strategies.
HS 410	ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT FOR HEALTH CARE	6 ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT FOR HEALTH CARE This course centers on the foundations of health care organizations and systems, particularly the outside influences of licensing and accrediting agencies. The clinical classification systems, clinical vocabularies, and nomenclatures are detailed. The nontraditional role of the health information professional in management and administrative roles is also discussed.
HS 440	FINANCE FOR HEALTH CARE	6 FINANCE FOR HEALTH CARE Health information professionals play a key role in the reimbursement cycle of any health care organization. Reimbursement management, including compliance strategies, case management, auditing, payment systems, commercial and managed care, and federal insurance plans, are explored. This course also provides the student with an understanding of health care finance, basic accounting principles, the budget process, and cost/benefit analysis.
HS 450	STRATEGIC PLANNING AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR HEALTH CARE	6 STRATEGIC PLANNING AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR HEALTH CARE This course focuses on management of human resources. Topics include employment law, typical middle management functions of recruitment, supervision, and retention, disciplinary procedures, and performance standards. The student will gain knowledge of organizational behavior, entrepreneurialism, and change management. Assessment and benchmarking techniques are also explored.
HA 499	BACHELOR'S CAPSTONE IN HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATION	6 BACHELOR'S CAPSTONE IN HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATION This capstone course is the culminating experience for the Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration. This course builds on the concepts of all courses students have taken within the program of study. The capstone course provides students with the opportunity to integrate and synthesize the knowledge and skills acquired throughout their coursework in an original comprehensive project, and to assess their level of mastery of the stated outcomes of their degree program in health care administration.