TRACK DESCRIPTION

CURRICULUM

The Health Services Administration track in the Health Sciences MS program requires a minimum of 51 credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree that includes 45 credit hours of required courses and a capstone course, three credit hours of an elective, and three credit hours of an internship for those with limited work experience in the field. Students must pass a comprehensive examination at the end of their studies as part of HSA 6925 Capstone in HSA. The degree program also requires 9 credit hours of prerequisite courses which may be taken after admission into the program. Knowledge of personal computers is required.

Most required courses alternate between Fall, Spring and Summer semesters and are not offered every term. The term each course is normally offered is indicated in the course listing below. Students must meet with their academic adviser to develop a plan of study.

Prerequisites

Completion of the following course work, including knowledge of the U.S. health care systems, finance, and economics is required. These recommended courses may be taken after admission to the program.

• HSA 3170 Health Care Finance or equivalent (3 credit hours) OR HSA 5177 Foundation of Healthcare Finance (3 credit hours) or equivalent
• HSA 3430 Health Care Economics or equivalent (3 credit hours) or equivalent
• HSA 4702 Health Sciences Research Methods or equivalent (3 credit hours) or equivalent

Required Courses—45 Credit Hours

Core—42 Credit Hours

• HSA 5198 Health Care Decision Sciences and Knowledge Management (3 credit hours) - offered Spring
• HSA 6108 Health Care Organization and Management II (3 credit hours) - offered Fall and Summer
• HSA 6119 Health Care Organization and Management I (3 credit hours) - offered Spring
• HSA 6128 Health Care Services Management (3 credit hours) - offered Spring
• HSA 6155 Health Economics and Policy (3 credit hours) - offered Spring
• HSA 6342 Health Care Human Resources Management (3 credit hours) - offered Fall
• HSA 6385 Health Care Quality Management (3 credit hours) - offered Summer
• HSC 6636 Issues and Trends in the Health Professions (3 credit hours) - offered Fall and Spring
• HSC 6911 Scientific Inquiry in the Health Professions (3 credit hours) - offered Fall
• PHC 6000 Managerial Epidemiology (3 credit hours) - offered Summer
• PHC 6146 Health Planning and Policy (3 credit hours) - offered Fall
• PHC 6160 Health Care Finance I (3 credit hours) - offered Fall
• PHC 6164 Health Care Finance II (3 credit hours)- offered Spring
• PHC 6420 Case Studies in Health Law (3 credit hours) - offered Spring

Capstone—3 Credit Hours

A final written examination experience is required of all students in the program. This requirement will be met through successful completion of the capstone course (HSA 6925). To successfully pass this course, students must earn a grade of "A" or "B."  There is one exception: students who earn no other "C" grades while in the HSA program will be permitted to pass this course with a grade of "C."

• HSA 6925 Capstone in HSA (3 credit hours; see description below) - offered Fall and Spring

Elective Courses—3 Credit Hours

Choose one course from the following list:

• HSC 6656 Health Care Ethics (3 credit hours)
• HSA 6112 International Health Care (3 credit hours)
• HSA 6511 Health Care Leadership (3 credit hours)
• PUP 6607 Politics of Health Care (3 credit hours)
• NGR 5660 Health Disparities: Issues and Strategies (3 credit hours)
• ENC 5237 Writing for the Business Professional (3 credit hours)
• GEY 5624 Gerontology: An Interdisciplinary Approach (3 credit hours)
• Or an alternative graduate-level course at the discretion of the Program Director

Internship—3 Credit Hours

Students with three or more years of relevant work experience as defined by the director may substitute a second elective for the Internship course.

• HSA 6946 Internship (3 credit hours) - offered every term

Independent Learning 

Independent learning is demonstrated throughout the curriculum through the process of inquiry and dialogue. Tangible research projects, scholarly papers, internships, or our capstone experience also contribute to the self-development of our students. The research study and final report will focus on reviewing and analyzing contemporary research in a student’s particular specialization within the profession in order to help students acquire knowledge and skills pertaining to research-based best practices in that specialization area.

Additional Program Requirements

Students must maintain a grade point average of at least 3.0 (“B”) in the program of study in order to continue in the major and to graduate. Additionally, students may not earn more than two “C” grades while in the program. Students who earn a third “C” may be dismissed from further study in the major. A student who earns a grade of “D” or below will be dismissed from further study in the HSA program. In any course repeated, a student must earn a grade of “B” or better.  The Health Services Administration program does not use plus/minus grading.

Application Deadlines

All application materials must be submitted by the appropriate deadline listed below.

FINANCIALS

Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans. For more information, see Student Finances, which describes the types of financial assistance available at UCF and provides general guidance in planning your graduate finances. The Financial Information section of the Graduate Catalog is another key resource.

Fellowships

Fellowships are awarded based on academic merit to highly qualified students. They are paid to students through the Office of Student Financial Assistance, based on instructions provided by the College of Graduate Studies. Fellowships are given to support a student’s graduate study and do not have a work obligation. For more information, see Fellowships, which includes descriptions of UCF fellowships and what you should do to be considered for a fellowship.