What is a Bachelor of Arts in Health Care Administration?

Take a leadership role in a growing industry with your online Bachelor of Arts in Health Care Administration from the University of Arizona Global Campus. With your health care administration degree, you will take the first step toward a fulfilling career in which your management skills and understanding of healthcare policies and procedures will make you a valuable asset to any organization.

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Degree Completion Journey

Your Bachelor of Arts in Health Care Administration explores health administration, regulation and financing, healthcare planning, and health policy. Your curriculum will examine topics such as managing healthcare workers, community and public health, health issues’ social implications, and the social, political, ethical, legal, and economic factors contributing to the complexity of the U.S. healthcare system.

1

Freshman Year

  • In this foundational course, students explore the principles necessary for achieving personal and career success. GEN 101 serves as a road map, guiding students as they begin their academic journey. Through self-discovery, surveying available resources, connecting with UAGC groups, and engaging with Career Services, students learn the essential skills of planning and goal setting. Students apply their personal strengths, skills, and lifelong learning strategies to develop essential career competencies. By making these meaningful connections students gain a deeper understanding of how their education relates to their desired career path.  Congratulations on embarking on this college journey filled with growth, exploration, and endless possibilities! This course is not available for non-degree seeking students and is not available as an elective.

  • This course offers an overview of digital fluency as it applies to personal, academic, financial, and professional success. Students will analyze the impact of digital technology on personal, social, and diversity issues and will develop digital skills that will assist in achieving academic, personal, and career goals. An overview of digital media is introduced with practical strategies for application in personal and professional life.

  • Learn and use key, practical skills that are applicable at home, at work, and in all UAGC courses! As UAGC students progress in their academic journey, strategies for personal, professional, and academic success continue to develop. This introductory course takes a two-pronged approach to setting students on a path to success. It merges fundamental informational literacy concepts with essential resources and skills that prepare students for college and career. Students learn how to identify, locate, evaluate, apply, and acknowledge information obtained through UAGC Library databases and internet search engines. By applying the research process, students sharpen critical thinking skills and learn to use information ethically. The final project is a practical and relevant opportunity for students to apply their learning in personally, professionally, and academically meaningful ways.

  • ENG 121 is designed to introduce students to the standards of writing in both academic and professional settings. The class will operate by first introducing, and then allowing students to practice, several written communication skills. Throughout, we will work to understand writing as a process, one that is strengthened through critical thinking, deepened by research, and built on a foundation of professional standards. Students will articulate a sense of their own skills and goals, and engage in collaborative conversations with peers and their instructor so as to be able to express their ideas more effectively. During the course, students will use the writing process to scrutinize their own perspectives while challenging them to embrace a wider conversation.

  • This course is designed to expand students’ appreciation of film and knowledge of how films are made. Through analysis of storytelling in a visual medium, students will examine the ways in which movies are shot, develop characters, evoke emotion, depict physical reality, reflect society, and have the power to influence it. Though the focus of the course is film itself, students will gain deeper intercultural fluency while growing their skills in critical thinking, written communication, and visual analysis.

  • This course is a study of correct and incorrect reasoning involved in everyday activities. The fundamentals of language and argument, deductive and inductive reasoning and other aspects of practical reasoning are examined. 

  • This course examines and evaluates theories and arguments concerning ethics and moral reasoning from a philosophical perspective. By engaging with historical and contemporary sources, students will analyze theories about the meaning, nature, and justification of ethical concepts; determine and assess how different forms of moral reasoning apply to contemporary moral issues; become more reflective and informed about their own moral beliefs; and develop their capacity for critical practical reasoning.

  • In this course, students will develop and hone academic and professional writing skills by employing those skills to communicate with range of audiences across a range of situations and contexts. To do that, students will receive instruction and practice in writing well-structured, logical, and effective academic essays while developing critical thinking skills and effective work habits. Prerequisite: Successful completion of ENG 121 or equivalent with a grade of “C-” or better.

  • This course is designed to aid students in understanding the dynamics of interpersonal relationships. Verbal and nonverbal communication patterns among people in personal, social, academic, and professional settings will be examined, within and between cultures, including both face-to-face and technologically mediated channels.  The nature of these interactions will be evaluated using contemporary communication theory. The course will enable students to identify their interpersonal communication skills and behaviors and to more critically evaluate their own oral communication and that of others. The primary goals of the course are to improve the quality of students’ communication in their personal and professional relationships, to enhance students’ experience and. confidence with oral communication, and increase awareness of the importance of interpersonal communication that is inclusive and equitable.

  • A survey of government at the national level. Emphasis is placed on the constitutional basis of American government, federalism, the sources and forms of political behavior, the operation of the three branches of government, and the making of national policy.

2

Sophomore Year

  • Students explore culture in its role of guiding human behavior and providing social order, structure, and stability for individuals and groups of people. Culture is presented as a system of adaptation involving beliefs, behavior, language, customs, socio/political strategies, traditions, and technology that evolve over time. Recommended prerequisite: ENG 122.

  • This course focuses on sustainable development from a cross-disciplinary approach, including, economics, management, education, policy, and science. Students discuss sustainability conflicts at the national and international levels, and use online simulations to understand and evaluate sustainability practices.   Topics include zero waste, water management, smart growth, green technology, global change, renewable energy, agriculture, and land management.  

  • In this course students will explore a wider range of Algebra topics beyond the introductory level. Topics will include polynomials, functions, rational expressions, systems of equations and inequalities, operations with radicals, and quadratic equations. Emphasis will be placed on developing an awareness of the use of mathematics as it exists in the world today.

  • The capstone serves as an opportunity to reflect upon, integrate, and showcase learning achievement. Through discussions and course-embedded assessments, students will demonstrate a mastery of essential general education competencies as they relate to their personal and professional lives and provide evidence of growth through application of competency related skills to real-world situations. A minimum grade of “C-“ is required to meet course requirements. Prerequisite: 75 completed credits or permission of the student’s college or dean.

  • This is an introductory course that explores the historical evolution of health care in the United States, its financing sources, technology, delivery of care and the stakeholders who comprise the health care system. The structure of the health care system, including the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, will be discussed along with the various components that influence health care such as legal, ethical, regulatory, and fiscal forces. Students will also explore other health care systems and examine the potential future of health care in the United States. 

  • An introductory course that provides learners with a basic foundation of human biology applicable to human service and health and human services providers. The course explores basic human biology and its relationship to selected socio-cultural domains that are grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model of Human Development.

  • Managing in Health and Human Services is designed to provide students with an overview of health care institutions’ organizational structure and management theories. Students will explore the challenges that health care organizations face, such as human services, organizational design, managing finances, program evaluation, leadership theories, program planning and implementing supervisory relations. Students will research clinical and administrative positions that contribute to the delivery of quality health care services. Prerequisite: HCA 205, HCA 305 or HPR 231.

  • This course presents the ethical and legal implications for health care operations and the delivery of health care services. The unique legal aspects encountered in the provision of health services are analyzed. Legal and ethical issues challenging the provision of health care services will be explored. Students will analyze concepts regarding risk management, continuous quality improvement, guardianship designations, and institutional ethical structures. Additionally, students will learn how moral and ethical behaviors may conflict with medical law. Precedent-setting case studies of moral, ethical, and legal decisions are integrated into the course assignments to provide a foundational understanding of leadership decision-making in the health care setting. Prerequisites: GRO 325, HCA 305, HCA 205, HPR 201, HPR 231 or NUR 300.

     

  • An introduction to the field of human resource management. Topics to be discussed include 
    communication, motivation, and management of personnel. The course will include a review of current standards and practices as well as the legal environment as it pertains to the human resource field.

  • This foundational course details the history and factors driving the emergence of health informatics. In addition to emphasizing the concepts, terminologies and scope of health informatics, the course delves into health information exchanges, data standards, health informatics ethics, online resources and E-research. The course includes an overview of basic database architecture, design and file structure, and data warehousing and data mining in health care.

3

Junior Year

  • In this course, students will explore foundations and concepts of health care accreditation and continuous quality improvement. Students will discuss the concept of quality assurance based on standards set by selected accreditation, regulatory, licensing, and certification programs. In addition, they will explore the interface of accreditation and reimbursement. Students will use health information systems to analyze health care accreditation, government mandates, and regulatory activities that impact consumer outcomes. Students will also analyze the legal implications of quality improvement and explore the social, political, professional, and organizational influences on health services delivery. Prerequisite: HCA 205.

  • This course is designed as an applied managerial and financial accounting course. It provides health care decision-makers with fundamental concepts of health care accounting practices and procedures. Prerequisites: Successful completion of Quantitative Reasoning Core competency and Digital Literacy competency.

  • This course provides an introduction to health care finance. Students will develop skills for the role of a health care manager to plan, control, direct and coordinate financial activities related to the organization’s day-to-day operation. Learning will consist of understanding financial reports, revenue sources, contractual allowances, budgeting, cost classifications, annualizing staffing, inventory and depreciation methods. Students will calculate financial ratios and analyze the results to determine the efficiency of the organization’s financial operations. Additionally, the functions of the health care financial manager will be addressed through understanding financial practices, governmental policies and regulations, cash management strategies and consistent methodologies involved in the financial decision-making process in the health care setting. Prerequisites: HCA 205 and ACC 281. 

  • Community and public health is an introductory course exploring community and public health services in the well-being of a population. Regulatory mandates promoting public and community health are explored. The interface among community and public health services and the overall health care industry is explored. Legal and ethical imperatives emergent in public health services are discussed. Financing options are explored recognizing the role of categorical fiscal resources. Health care promotion and prevention strategies are explored in concert with the role of health care institutions and the public sector. Health information data is utilized in the planning of a community and/or public health project. Prerequisite: Successful completion of the majority of major coursework.

  • This course explores the processes of operational and strategic planning, including the roles of organizational mission, vision, and values, regulatory legislation, demand for services, clinical staff needs, needs of a diverse population, competitive market analysis, and decision making in a competitive health care industry. Historical perspectives are covered along with current and future health care industry challenges. Prerequisite: Successful completion of the majority of program course work.

  • The Health Care Administration Capstone is designed to provide a comprehensive experience that enables students to apply their understanding of the concepts explored throughout the program. Students will integrate leadership skills, policies and procedures, rules, and regulations in the development of their work throughout the course. For the summative assessment in this course, students will need to demonstrate administrative competencies with managerial, legal, ethical, and financial concepts related to health care systems. Prerequisite: Successful completion of the General Education Capstone course and majority of major coursework.

4

Senior Year

Program Requirements
Credit Breakdowns
General Education
43
Credits
Major Credit Requirements
36
Credits
Electives
41
Credits
Total Credits
120
Credits

To earn your Bachelor of Arts in Health Care Administration at the University of Arizona Global Campus, you must complete 120 credits. You will need to complete 30 upper-division credits, of which 18 credits must be from the major program. A total of 30 credits must be completed at the University of Arizona Global Campus to meet the residency requirement. You may be able to transfer approved credits from community colleges, other previous college coursework, or other life experiences such as military service or job training toward your degree.

Special Terms and Conditions

Successful completion of the Bachelor of Arts in Health Care Administration by itself does not lead to licensure or certification in any state, regardless of concentration or specialization. Further, the University of Arizona Global Campus does not guarantee that any professional organization will accept a graduate's application to sit for any exam for the purpose of professional certification. Students seeking licensure or certification in a particular profession are strongly encouraged to research the requirements prior to enrollment carefully. Requirements may vary by state. Further, a criminal record may prevent an applicant from obtaining licensure, certification, or employment in this field of study.

Certain degree programs may not be available in all states.

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The Online Learner Support Certification recognizes programs that provide all the critical student and academic services needed for learner success and use learner feedback to continuously improve those services.

Customize Your Bachelor of Arts in Health Care Administration with UAGC Emphases

An emphasis provides you with additional opportunities to broaden and enrich your education that is distinct from and enhances your major. It may be taken as a way to expand career options, to prepare for graduate study, or simply to explore in greater depth an area different from your major. An emphasis consists of 9 to 12 credits.
  • Do you have an interest in studying important questions like how a country builds wealth and what policies help economies grow? If so, the Business Economics emphasis may be for you! This emphasis provides the critical knowledge you need to understand the impact of the economy on businesses, individuals, and the global community. Learning economic concepts will assist you in understanding how to analyze scarce resources, how to structure effective consumer incentives, and how public policies may impact an economy. Finally, the Business Economics emphasis includes topics such as profit maximization, international trade, and how to solve contemporary business problems in a global environment. The following courses are a part of the emphasis:

    Undergraduate Business Economics Emphasis Courses

    ECO 320 International Economics

    3 Credits

    This course will focus on the global environment of firms with particular emphasis on economic variables such as GDP, inflation, interest rates, and exchange rates. Topics include international trade, international finance, and regional issues in the global economy.

    ECO 406 Business Cycles & Growth

    3 Credits

    Topics include analysis of economic fluctuations and their impact on corporations and consumers; different explanations for business cycles; monetary and fiscal policy for stabilizing economic fluctuations; effects of public debt, investment, employment and trade policy on economic growth. Prerequisite: ECO 203.

    ECO 408 Managerial Economics

    3 Credits

    This course will focus on the application of economic principles and analyses to contemporary business problems and managerial decision making. Emphasis will be given to price and production decision making for profit maximization, investment decision making for a new project, strategic decision making in various business situations, and decision making with risks and uncertainty. Prerequisite: ECO 204.

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  • The Cognitive Studies emphasis is designed to introduce you to the study of the brain and how we learn, solve problems, and make decisions. You will discover the unique needs of learners with cognitive delays, as well as programs to address those needs. You will also learn to identify changes in brain development over time and analyze their impact on cognitive functions.

    Undergraduate Cognitive Studies Emphasis Courses

    EDU 411 Reading & Cognition

    3 Credits

    The task of learning to read is a very complex process involving the application of perceptual, sensory, linguistic, and cognitive skills to making meaning of text. Exploration of the specific cognitive functions that are applied while reading and strategies supporting reading instruction and reading comprehension skills will be addressed. The implications of digital media on reading skills will also be explored in this course.

    PSY 317 Cognitive Functioning in the Elderly

    3 Credits

    This course will introduce changes both cognitively and physically, that occur in both healthy and pathological aging. This course will emphasize changes in functioning, learning, language-processing, decision-making, memory, and reasoning in older adults Prerequisite: PSY 101 or equivalent.

    PSY 323 Perception, Learning, & Cognition

    3 Credits

    Students will study research and theory about mental processes that go between experience and the human mind. Students will gather and interpret data for several simple experiments that demonstrate classic research findings in perception, learning, and cognition. Perception entails the mental processes involved in the organization and interpretation of sensory experience. Learning entails relatively permanent changes in behavior that result from experience. Cognition explains how the mind processes information, how we encode, store, and retrieve memories, and how we use information to form beliefs, make decisions, and solve problems. Prerequisite: PSY 101 or equivalent.

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  • Perhaps you want to be your own boss, or you enjoy out-of-the-box thinking, solving puzzles, resolving problems, and finding creative ways to address issues in the current business environment. The Entrepreneurship emphasis may be just what you are looking for. This emphasis can help you visualize and realize skills you will need to succeed in a global business environment. It enables you to craft a foundation of skills and essential knowledge to build a business from its inception and transform it into sustainable growth. You will learn how to analyze risk, address and analyze the impact of various environmental factors in the political and ethical realm, and learn to design and compile business plans. The following courses are part of the emphasis:

    Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Emphasis Courses

    BUS 362 Introduction to Entrepreneurship

    3 Credits

    This dynamic course is based on a unique model of entrepreneurial methodology developed by Forbes School of Business and Technology at the University of Arizona Global Campus. Entrepreneurship encompasses imagining the unknown, taking inspired action, and embracing uncertainty to create a new future. It involves the identification, evaluation, and exploitation of opportunities to address challenges and to solve problems. Students will learn how to use imagination, creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship to bring new ideas to fruition that inspire others. Students will create a feasible blueprint for a venture opportunity idea of their own. This course will be the beginning of the journey to becoming an entrepreneur.

    BUS 433 New Business Strategy

    3 Credits

    This course is intended to provide prospective entrepreneurs with information and tools for evaluating opportunities for starting a new firm—how to choose markets for entry, when to enter, and what resources and capabilities it will take to enter and provide a platform for future growth. Prerequisite: BUS 362.

    BUS 437 Business Plan Development

    3 Credits

    BUS 437 students will use prior learning to create a comprehensive business plan for a new venture. The emphasis is on using a systematic four-step method to frame business plan development activities. Each week student teams will develop one segment of the team’s business plan and receive feedback from the instructor through a game simulation. Prerequisites: BUS 362.

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  • Do you have an interest in learning how to lead a healthier lifestyle, exploring the benefits of behavior change, and diving into how to better manage stress? If so, the Health and Wellness emphasis may be for you! The Health and Wellness emphasis examines the dimensions of wellness and the relationship of chronic conditions to preventive measures and treatment interventions. This emphasis can help you gain skills to promote health and wellness behaviors on an individual level by evaluating lifestyle factors and developing personalized wellness programs that utilize evidenced-based theories and strategies. The following courses are a part of the emphasis:

    Undergraduate Health and Wellness Emphasis Courses

    HWE 200 Introduction to Health & Wellness

    3 Credits

    This course provides students with a holistic overview of the multi-faceted dimensions of health and wellness across the lifespan. The seven dimensions of health: Physical, social, intellectual, emotional, occupational, spiritual, and environmental are explored within the context of a wellness lifestyle.

    HWE 340 Exercise & Physiology

    3 Credits

    This course introduces students to physiological responses to exercise in the human body. Students compare the major physiological systems (energy transfer, cardiovascular, respiratory, neuromuscular, etc.) at rest, explain the systemic adaptations that occur with acute and long-term exercise, and evaluate how these activities affect health and human performance. Students also analyze how nutrition and pharmacological aids impact athletic performance.

    HWE 415 Stress Management

    3 Credits

    This course provides students with a basic understanding of stress management concepts including causes and effects of acute and chronic stress as well as techniques used to manage stress. Students learn about the effects of stress, analyze the relationship between stress and health, apply stress management techniques, and develop stress management programs while considering various cultural backgrounds.

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  • In the Real Estate Studies emphasis you’ll learn the ins and outs of a fascinating industry and prepare for examining the markets and financing methods for residential and commercial properties. Discover the many trends that influence property valuations and learn the best practices to benefit and safeguard investors. These three courses comprise the Real Estate Studies emphasis:

    Undergraduate Real Estate Studies Emphasis Courses

    RES 301 Principles of Real Estate

    3 Credits

    This course introduces students to the general principles of real estate, to include industry terminology, ethics, deeds, listing and purchase agreements, agency, contracts, and property valuation decisions. Emphasis will also be on factors impacting local and national real estate markets.

    RES 325 Real Estate Practice

    3 Credits

    This course examines the basic job functions of real estate salespersons and brokers. Property listing, advertising, escrow, sales, and establishing a client base will be covered with practical applications for completing successful transactions.

    RES 345 Legal Aspects of Real Estate

    3 Credits

    This course is a study of the legal system and its impact on purchase, ownership, sale, and leasing of real estate. Topics to be covered include contracts, wills, zoning, and environmental law, as well as Constitutional issues in real estate

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  • Courses within the Supply Chain Management area of emphasis highlight effective management of supply chain processes and information flow in order to optimize activities and costs, and successfully serve their customers. You will study individual functions of supply chain and strategic relationships among these functions, which include: purchasing, inventory control, warehousing, quality, sustainability, financial controls; importing, exporting, trade agreements, contract negotiations, and transportation. You will learn to apply the core business knowledge to managing wider organizational processes. The following three courses comprise the Supply Chain Management area of emphasis:

    Undergraduate Supply Chain Management Emphasis Courses

    MGT 323 Principles of Supply Chain Management

    3 Credits

    This course introduces supply chain management, and the related costs. It provides a systematic overview and analysis of the elements of supply chain functions in widely varying types of industries and agencies, including handling, warehousing, inventory control, and financial controls. Prerequisite: MGT 330.

    MGT 370 International Supply Chain Management

    3 Credits

    Topics covered in this course include the government’s role in global logistics, the global logistics environment, ocean and air transportation, transportation to Canada, Mexico, and the European continent including intermediaries, documentation, insurance, exporting, and importing. Current trends in globalization will also be explored and evaluated. The role of logistics and transportation organizations in the global supply chain process will be discussed.

    MGT 400 Logistics Management

    3 Credits

    This course is an overview of logistics management in the modern business environment. It examines financial and economic aspects of logistics and highlights the value created by logistics activities. Students will evaluate transportation and warehousing management strategies. The course takes a practical approach to logistics and applies innovative logistics principles to business situations. The course examines contemporary topics, including the role of inventory, that support the organization’s strategic goals. Prerequisite: MGT 300.

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Careers in Health Care Administration

Health care is one of the largest and fastest-growing industries in America*. The demand for qualified managers who have education related to health care administration is expected to escalate*. Use your experience and knowledge as a professional to seek a health care administration career in any of these areas or industries:

If you earn an BA in Health Care Administration, some of the industries and careers you may choose to pursue include:

 

  • Health Information Specialist
  • Healthcare Support Workers
  • Medical Records Coordinator
  • Medical and Health Services Managers
  • Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars
  • Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality
  • Healthcare Administration/Management
  • Hospital and Health Care Facilities Administration/Management
  • Long Term Care Administration/Management
  • Health Information/Medical Records Administration
  • Health Services Administration
  • Hospitals
  • Physician Group Practices
  • Nursing Homes
  • Home Health Agencies
  • Health Departments
  • Health Insurance Providers
  • Health-related National Associations

 

Successful completion of the Bachelor of Arts in Health Care Administration by itself does not lead to licensure or certification in any state, regardless of concentration or specialization. Further, the University of Arizona Global Campus does not guarantee that any professional organization will accept a graduate's application to sit for any exam for the purpose of professional certification. Students seeking licensure or certification in a particular profession are strongly encouraged to carefully research the requirements prior to enrollment. Requirements may vary by state. Further, a criminal record may prevent an applicant from obtaining licensure, certification, or employment in this field of study.

Health care professionals in discussion Health care professionals in discussion

Other Degrees That May Interest You

The University of Arizona Global Campus offers a wide range of degree programs to prepare you for today’s most competitive industries. Explore these programs to find the right path for your life and career.

Skills Needed for Health Care Administration

Since the field of health care administration requires skilled leaders and managers, it is no surprise that someone looking to explore this career path should possess the skills needed to lead others. While there will be many skills you will learn on the job, and while you earn your bachelor’s degree, it is important to take into consideration the following soft and technical skills needed for leadership positions in health care administration.

Important Soft Skills:

  • Communication Skills
  • Teamwork Skills
  • Problem-solving Skills

Important Technical Skills:

  • Data Retrieval & Analysis Skills
  • Financial Planning Skills
Health Care Administration Faculty & Support

The UAGC qualified and distinguished health care administration faculty members are here to support you on your journey to earning your online bachelor’s in health care administration. Many of the faculty members in the UAGC health care administration program work or have worked in a range of health care systems and government agencies. Some instructors still consult in health care organizations while they teach. You and your degree are given added value by having faculty who have the necessary real-world experience in health care administration.

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This program requires you to be a current licensed registered nurse. Please check out other programs to reach your education goals such as the BA in Health and Wellness.

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