Online champlain.edu/MSHCA
Master of Science
Health Care Administration
Ralph Peterson Healthcare Services Group
2013–2014 Academic calendar Applications are accepted year-round and students may begin in any of the five start terms: August, October, January, March or May. Fall Term 1: August 26, 2013–October 19, 2013 Fall Break: October 21, 2013–October 25, 2013 Fall Term 2: October 28, 2013–December 21, 2013 Spring Term 1: January 6, 2014–March 1, 2014 Spring Break: March 3, 2014–March 7, 2014 Spring Term 2: March 10, 2014–May 3, 2014 All-Graduate Commencement: Friday May 9, 2014 Summer Term: May 12, 2014–July 5, 2014
About Champlain College
Located in Burlington, VT, Champlain College is a private, not-for-profit college founded in 1878. Champlain has been a leader in online graduate degrees since 1993. Our deep commitment to academic excellence and student learning is reflected in our distinctive educational approach: We integrate the high academic standards and rigor that characterize all important learning with the development of relevant professional skills through hands-on application in realworld situations.
Contact Office of Graduate Admissions 163 South Willard Street Burlington, Vermont 05401
[email protected] 866.282.7259
13 grad 0166 10/13 400
champlain.edu/mshca
Online Master of Science in Health Care Administration
It would take me 10 years of working to gain the experience and knowledge I Gained in two years at Champlain.
The health care industry is booming. The Champlain master’s program has helped me tap into it. — Ralph Peterson
The Master of Science in Health Care Administration (MSHCA) provides education focused on industry needs, and delivered by industry experts, to give students their best potential for advancement and leadership in this rapidly changing field. Champlain College’s 36-credit program is one of few that encompasses health care issues, business and management principles and information technology. The program is designed for experienced health care professionals who want an edge in their current position, who seek other opportunities at their workplace, or who plan to transition to another area of health care. The program, which includes a two-day residency, accommodates your schedule and can be completed in 18 to 24 months. You will finish ready to take advantage of health care trends and opportunities and ready to take on the industry’s challenges as a leader.
Taught by Industry Experts
Champlain’s faculty members have distinguished themselves through their professional experience. The faculty members who deliver our program are practitioners in the health care sector with broad experience as consultants, lawyers, CEOs, chief operating officers, information officers and other professionals. The faculty works closely with the public and private sectors to ensure that Champlain’s master’s program meets the industry’s needs.
Become a Leader in Performance Improvement
The program’s framework of performance improvement procedures will train you to guide your organization using the highest quality-improvement standards. You will learn to strategize based on measurable results and clear accountability.
Develop More Effective Systems
Explain and compare the organizational elements and structure, delivery modalities, barriers to system and process improvement (including past, current and future information technology processes) for U.S. and global health care systems and, using existing and proposed system designs, conceptualize more effective systems.
Gain an Edge with Comprehensive Technological Knowledge You’ll master information technology systems involved with all aspects of health care to support cost-control strategies and best-practice initiatives.
Develop Proficiency in Driving Patient Outcomes
In the three-credit Capstone program, you will apply what you’ve learned through an independent project in a health care setting you choose. You’ll create a plan, collect and analyze information and deliver a product that supports patient success.
Understand Regulatory Compliance Create policy and processes, and execute decisions in compliance with the legal, regulatory and ethical considerations inherent in managing health care systems and organizations
MS in Health Care Administration
Online graduate degree program
designed for full-time working professionals Format
Online, instructor-led, asynchronous scheduling; no set class meeting time—
24/7 access to instruction and assignments
Program starts
new students can start classes: all five terms.
Annual cycle & Course duration
five 8-week terms per year Required credit hours
36 credit hours Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
Pursue Networking Opportunities in a Rich Residency Experience
In the two-day residency at Champlain College, you’ll integrate the concepts and skills acquired through your classes with real-time presentations and discussions. You will develop lasting connections with fellow students, faculty and other leaders in the field.
Contact a Graduate Admissions representative at:
[email protected].
Admissions
Our admission process is ongoing throughout the calendar year. Applications will be processed typically within two to three weeks after the Admissions Office has received all required materials. Applicants will be contacted by Champlain College for interviews in order to complete the process.
Admission Requirements
Entry Requirements To be considered for admission, you must hold a baccalaureate-level degree in any discipline, and have a GPA that demonstrates your ability to perform graduate-level academic work. Additionally, given the professional focus of the program, you must have a minimum of two years experience working in the health care industry.
Other Requirements Transcripts Resume Essay 2 Letters of Recommendation GRE (Graduate Record Exam) | optional TOEFL (for students whose undergraduate degree program was not conducted in English) Personal Interview For complete Admission requirements and applications, please visit champlain.edu/mshca-admissions.
Credit for Life Experience & Transfer Credit
At the graduate level, academic credit cannot be given for life experience or equivalency exams. On a case-by-case basis, you may transfer in graduate-level credits from another accredited institution. At the time of admission, up to six graduate-level credits may be transferred in. All transfer credit is accepted at the sole discretion of Champlain College.
Enrollment Schedules
Applications are accepted year-round, to begin in all five terms for the Master of Science in Health Care Administration. Most students are part-time, carrying three credits per term. As a part-time student, you may begin in any of the five start terms, selecting courses subject to prerequisites. Full-time students will have the most flexibility in course scheduling if they begin in the fall or spring term, due to course sequences. If you prefer to begin in the summer term you may do so, but you may need to extend your completion timeline slightly. When you enter the program, you and your Advisor will develop a personal plan that allows you to start and complete the program as soon as possible, given your own goals and the annual schedule of course offerings.
Tuition & Fees
For the 2013–2014 school year (August through July), tuition for the Master of Science in Health Care Administration program is $779 per credit.
This is a 36-credit program, and prerequisites may be required if you have not had certain courses in the field. Most students carry three to six credits per term and pay at the per-credit-hour rate as they go. Tuition is subject to change.
Health Care Information Systems Certificate
The Graduate Certificate in Health Care Information Systems (15 credits) provides students with the skills to harness the power of information systems to improve the delivery and cost of care.
Health Care Quality Improvement Certificate
The Graduate Certificate in Health Care Quality Improvement (18 credits) melds content in business, management, health care and information technology to focus on the quality and accountability aspects of managing health care.
For more information, contact a Graduate Admissions representative at
[email protected]. | 866.282.7259 | champlain.edu/mshca
The Champlain Difference Champlain College graduate programs train dedicated students to accomplish optimal results and make a difference at their workplace. With flexible instruction to fit busy schedules, and highly-regarded faculty practitioners and residencies that resonate with your career goals, you’ll have abundant opportunities for professional and personal growth. Champlain’s programs help students refine and achieve their ambitions. Experience the Champlain difference.
Education that goes to work This model integrates learning with the workplace through projects that are directly linked to your chosen field location. The curriculum integrates multiple areas of management with each course’s core content area. Assignments and projects are based on the real problems and opportunities that you, as a health care professional, face each day.
Take Advantage of Health Care Trends & Operate on a New Level The Master of Science in Health Care Administration program combines practical abilities and knowledge with healthcarespecific quality and process improvement, as well as talent management, finance and information systems expertise. With the input of our industry advisors and using national data regarding the skills that health care employers want, courses will address the multiple perspectives of the health care provider, administrator, patient and payer. We offer an experiential learning opportunity focused on producing graduates with the knowledge, skills and resources to revolutionize the health care system. No field has as much promise of growth and employment opportunities as health care. Champlain’s program prepares industry leaders for demographic changes, increased regulation, funding challenges, operational efficiencies and emerging needs of the aging population. Our graduates’ success reflects the program’s strength. Champlain’s students have advanced to clinical and administrative supervisory and management roles at hospitals, provider practices, pharmaceutical and insurance companies and in government.
Courses Developed by Health Care Leaders & Practitioners Each course has been developed by, and receives ongoing review from, a diverse team of professionals and practitioner faculty who represent a range of industry perspectives. Navigating the U.S. Health Care Delivery System Students will learn about the components of the U.S. health care system, including the federal government’s role in health care, health industry management, cost and quality issues, managed care, reimbursement mechanisms, legal and regulatory issues, profit vs. nonprofit care, the role of technology and technology assessment, and will compare the U.S. system with international health care systems. Explore the themes of the role/value/barriers to process improvement and use of information technology across health care institutions. Relate aspects of development, implementation and management of information systems. Students will apply themes in a term-long project. Health Care Information Technology Infrastructure: Systems & Solutions Students will learn about the challenges of managing information as a strategic resource within health care organizations. Students will design information technology systems to capture, combine and transform information to measure processes/outcomes of care, support collaborative clinical decision-making, support management decisions, empower patients and improve health care operations. Health Finance and Economics Students gain a systematic overview of the financial operations of common health care organizations, both public and private sector, and gain an understanding of various financial components enabling health services to be delivered. Students will identify the key challenges surrounding the financial management of health care systems. Through comprehensive examination, they'll be able to provide effective management strategies. Topics explored will include traditional financial management techniques and tools applied to health care settings (financial statements, cash management, time value of money, capital management, etc.), as well as health care-unique financial management challenges (revenue stream/billing management, reimbursement, regulatory restrictions, third-party payer arrangements, etc.). Health Care Law & Regulation Students learn the impact of law and ethics on the management of health care in the provider setting. They
will also examine the legal barriers to IT-driven process improvements, exposure to malpractice and the limits on sharing information across institutions. Clinical Systems Management Students will learn about computerized clinical information systems and the computer-based patient. They will explore health information systems within the context of the work environment and associated business processes. The effective management of change as related to clinical systems will also be stressed to help build buy-in, engage individuals and ultimately change work flow. This course will also cover cost-benefit analysis, return on investment, requests for proposals and depreciation related to clinical systems management Health Care Performance & Process Improvement Students will learn about health care organization measurements, assessments and improvements related to the quality of health care services. Topics explored will begin with traditional quality, structure and process assessments including risk management, credentialing and the role of oversight agencies. The course will then explore outcomes-based process improvement methods focusing on rapid cycle tools such as PDSA, which use small tests of change. Instruction will include how to involve staff actively in quality improvement initiatives across multiple departments or across the enterprise, with emphasis on garnering buy-in, determining what measures should be used to evaluate quality in your organization and the process of analyzing quality data at the system level. Students will apply themes in a term-long project. Strategic Human Resource Management Students will gain a strategic perspective of Human Resource Management, including linkages between business strategy and the human resource deliverables needed for an organization to achieve its vision. We discuss responsibilities that HR staff and line supervisors share in selecting, motivating and developing people. We describe critical HR competencies and various HR roles: supervisor, administrator and strategic partner. Upon completion of this course, students will be proficient in translating business objectives into HR strategies to achieve competitive advantage and/or organizational effectiveness through people.
Register for a free Online Information Session: Hear directly from the program director and admissions representatives, and get your questions answered.
champlain.edu/msHCA
Managing Talent to Create Organizational Excellence Talent management is the process of attracting and retaining talented employees, cultivating critical knowledge and skills and recognizing that employees’ talents and skills drive organizational success. Using a manager’s strategic perspective, students study how to recognize and develop employees’ talents, evaluate performance and influence behavior within regulatory constraints. Additionally, students focus on the interrelationship between organizational culture and traditional human resources topics. Other themes include related ethical issues, the global workforce and links between social responsibility, culture and business success. Project Management This course is designed to introduce a systematic process for planning, organizing and controlling projects based on a practical methodology for completing projects more quickly with fewer problems. Students will develop and apply a framework within which to better manage projects, exercise both the “hard” and “soft” project management skills and move organizational culture toward acceptance of project management. The course integrates the concept of end-to-end thinking as it applies to the relationship between project managers and their clients. Reflective Leadership & Planned Change This course addresses the complexity and changing nature of business environments that challenge organizations and their members to become adaptive and innovative. It is also an introduction to a variety of leadership models and the emerging role of all managers as agents of change. Students will develop the knowledge and skills for harnessing, navigating and leading change in their respective organizations, and will reflect on their leadership experiences and apply the knowledge to their current leadership strategies based on the models presented and used in the course. Performance Measurement & Accounting Systems This course introduces the student to accounting concepts, analyses and practices within the broader context of performance measurement systems (such as the organizational scorecard) that facilitate business
decisions in the workplace. Students will develop the ability to use practical managerial accounting methodologies to make more effective business decisions with greater accuracy. They'll also learn how to apply an accounting framework as one of many tools for measuring organizational performance, and explore the relationship among costs, cost drivers and profits. Students will be encouraged to reflect on the techniques and apply them to existing business decisions, products, markets, customers, human resources and the improvement of both process and performance. Integrative Capstone Project Students will use this course to review professional and practical skills gained through formal coursework and action learning, and apply them in an independent project in a health care setting of their choice. Students will be expected to develop a project plan, establish goals and objectives, collect and analyze information and prepare and deliver a final product agreed upon by the student and faculty advisor. For more curriculum information and program competencies, please visit champlain.edu/mshca.
Residency Experience You’ll participate in an on-campus, two-day residency about midway through the program. The required residency is offered annually. The residency for 2013-14 will be May 7-8, 2014. This is the only non-online part of Champlain’s MSHCA program, and the residency gives students opportunities to spend time on campus, meet our top-notch faculty and build connections with other graduate students.
