Like all businesses, health care organizations require strong leadership to run smoothly. As an experienced health care administrator, your career could span the operation of a single department to executive leadership and management positions in which you’re responsible for millions of dollars of facilities and equipment as well as hundreds of employees.
Our undergraduate Health Care Administration (HCA) program will help you master the basic business principles and tools that you will need for effective decision-making when you enter this field: finance, strategy, information systems, human resource management and marketing. You will also develop valuable skills and competencies that will be essential to your success: data analytics, communication skills, management and finance skills, leadership and systems thinking skills. Courses needed to apply for a General Business Minor are included in our core curriculum for the HCA Major.
With our program major you also earn an undergraduate microcredential in Senior Living and Services Leadership. This includes a specialized course approved in partial fulfillment of pre-credential education eligibility for the State of Wisconsin Nursing Home Licensing and National Association of Long-Term Care Administrator Boards examinations.
Our HCA program has a proud history of national recognition by the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), earning the prestigious Higher Education Network Award for 4 consecutive years in the undergraduate category as the program with the highest level of student engagement.
Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| University General Education Requirements | 6 | |
| Electives to include remaining University Requirements | 16 | |
| Major Requirements | 58 | |
| Extra-Departmental Requirements | 40 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
Course of Study
The Health Care Administration program offers a four-year curriculum leading to a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Health Care Administration. The curriculum includes all necessary requirements for a general business minor, and an undergraduate microcredential in senior living and services leadership. Students begin by taking freshman- and sophomore-level foundation courses in health sciences as well as the liberal arts. This coursework provides a solid basis for the advanced study of health administration that follows. Successful completion of a faculty-supervised, semester-long internship (minimum of 120 hours) at an approved health agency or related industry is required in the senior year.
HCA 333 Health Organizations Professional Practice Standards is one of three courses included in the microcredential, along with HS 102 Healthcare Delivery in the United States and HCA 361 Post-Acute Care and Management. HCA 333 may also be taken independently of the microcredential, as a specialized course option in partial fulfillment of eligibility requirements to sit for the State of Wisconsin Nursing Home Licensing and National Association of Long-Term Care Administrator Boards examinations.
HCA 333 is approved for all three specialized course categories specific to the State of Wisconsin Nursing Home Administrator licensing application pre-certification education requirements, including Administration of a Nursing Home, Organization of Health-Care Systems, and Long-Term Patient Care.
Admission to the Major
The Health Care Administration program will consider applications to the major at the end of each semester, as long as the student's cumulative UWM GPA is 2.5 or above, the student has completed the admission prerequisite courses, and the student has met the grade requirements for required courses. Students are encouraged to apply to the major as soon as they meet these requirements and have achieved sophomore status.
Application forms for admission to the major in HCA can be accessed online or can be requested from the College of Health Professions and Sciences (CHPS) Office of Student Affairs. Completed application forms and copies of transcripts of previous college work can be submitted to the CHPS Office of Student Affairs. The following courses are prerequisites for admission to the major:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select one of the following: | 0-3 | |
| College Writing and Research | ||
Completion of the UWM English competency requirement | ||
| COMMUN 103 | Public Speaking | 3 |
| ECON 103 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| or ECON 104 | Principles of Macroeconomics | |
| Select one of the following: | 0-3 | |
| Introduction to College Algebra | ||
| Algebraic Literacy II | ||
Achieve math placement level of 30 | ||
| HCA 102 | Healthcare Delivery in the United States | 3 |
| HCA 220 | Leading Healthcare Professionals | 3 |
Students are required to earn a grade of C or higher in all required admission prerequisite courses and HCA courses included in the HCA major.
No student applying to the program with a cumulative UWM GPA lower than 2.5 will be admitted. A student whose cumulative UWM GPA falls below 2.5 will be placed on probationary status and will not be able to graduate with the degree in Health Care Administration until their cumulative UWM GPA is 2.5 or higher. Students remaining on probation for more than two consecutive semesters will be dismissed from the major.
Requirements for Internship
The faculty-supervised internship (minimum of 120 hours) is an integral component of the Health Care Administration major. Students, under the direction of a preceptor, are given opportunities for management-related experience in local, national, and international healthcare organizations and related industries. Students must be admitted to the major and complete the internship application form by October 1 to be considered for the spring semester and March 1 for the fall semester. Summer internships will be considered for approval on a case-by-case basis, and the application deadline is March 1. Prior to internship, students must complete a background check and must meet physical and health screening requirements.
Graduation Requirements
The following requirements must be met to graduate:
- Completion of the required credits;
- A cumulative UWM GPA of 2.5;
- A grade of C or better in all required HCA courses; and
- Completion of all University General Education Requirements.
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| University General Education Requirements | ||
| Competency Requirements | ||
| Oral and Written Communication (OWC) Part A & B: | ||
| HCA 249 | Writing for Professional Development in Health Administration 1 | 3 |
| Quantitative Literacy (QL) Part A & B: | ||
| KIN 270 | Statistics in the Health Professions: Theory and Practice 1 | 3 |
| Foreign Language | ||
| Distribution Requirements 1 | ||
| Arts | ||
| Humanities | ||
| Natural Sciences | ||
| Social Sciences | ||
| Cultural Diversity | ||
| Electives | 26 | |
| Major Requirements | ||
| CHPS 105 | Survey of the Health Professions | 3 |
| CHPS 222 | Language of Medicine | 3 |
| HCA 102 | Healthcare Delivery in the United States | 3 |
| HCA 220 | Leading Healthcare Professionals | 3 |
| HCA 224 | Computational Tools for Healthcare Professionals | 3 |
| HCA 300 | Professional Development Seminar for Health Administration Students | 1 |
| HCA 307 | Epidemiology for the Health Sciences | 3 |
| HCA 311 | Law and Ethics for Healthcare Professionals | 3 |
| HCA 333 | Health Organizations Professional Practice Standards | 2 |
| HCA 361 | Post-Acute Care and Management | 3 |
| HCA 400 | Healthcare Marketing | 3 |
| HCA 421 | Operations Management in Healthcare Organizations | 3 |
| HCA 422 | Human Resource Management in Healthcare Organizations | 3 |
| HCA 450 | Healthcare Quality Management | 3 |
| HCA 460 | Healthcare Reimbursement Systems and Policies | 3 |
| HCA 502 | Healthcare Delivery Systems: National and International Perspectives | 3 |
| HCA 521 | Advanced Systems Thinking and Strategy for Healthcare Leaders | 3 |
| HCA 580 | Health Care Administration Internship | 3 |
| HI 537 | Health Information Technology and Management | 3 |
| Extra-Departmental Requirements | ||
| BUS ADM 201 | Introduction to Financial Accounting | 4 |
| BUS ADM 330 | Organizations | 3 |
| BUS ADM 350 | Principles of Finance | 3 |
| BUS ADM 360 | Principles of Marketing | 3 |
| BUS ADM 370 | Introduction to Supply Chain Management | 3 |
| CHPS 245 | Client Diversity in Health Sciences: An Interdisciplinary Perspective 1 | 3 |
| COMMUN 103 | Public Speaking 1 | 3 |
| ECON 103 | Principles of Microeconomics 1 | 3 |
| ECON 104 | Principles of Macroeconomics 1 | 3 |
| MATH 105 | Introduction to College Algebra 1 | 3 |
| ENGLISH 102 | College Writing and Research 1 | 3 |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
- 1
General Education Requirements (GERs): The courses required within the HCA curriculum satisfy the University's General Education Requirements for Cultural Diversity, Social Sciences, Quantitative Literacy, and Oral and Written Communication; students should use their elective credits to satisfy GER requirements for Natural Sciences, Humanities, Arts, and Foreign Language requirements.
Curriculum for the Health Care Administration Major
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Credits | |
| ENGLISH 102 or OWCA GER | 3 | |
| CHPS 105 | Survey of the Health Professions (or CHPS 100 (Pass) if already taken for 1 credit) | 3 |
| CHPS 222 | Language of Medicine | 3 |
| MATH 105 or MATH 108 or QLA GER | 3 | |
| Elective: Recommend GER - Humanities (HU) | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| COMMUN 103 | Public Speaking | 3 |
| HCA 102 | Healthcare Delivery in the United States | 3 |
| HCA 224 | Computational Tools for Healthcare Professionals | 3 |
| Elective: Recommend GER - Arts | 3 | |
| Elective: Recommend GER – Natural Science with Lab (NS+) | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| ECON 103 or ECON 104 | Principles of Microeconomics or Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| HCA 220 | Leading Healthcare Professionals | 3 |
| HCA 249 | Writing for Professional Development in Health Administration (or another 3-credit OWCB GER (Pass) if already taken) | 3 |
| KIN 270 | Statistics in the Health Professions: Theory and Practice | 3 |
| Elective: Recommend GER - Foreign Language | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| ECON 104 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| CHPS 245 | Client Diversity in Health Sciences: An Interdisciplinary Perspective (OR another 3-credit CD GER (Pass) if already taken) | 3 |
| HCA 307 | Epidemiology for the Health Sciences | 3 |
| Elective: Recommend GER - Natural Sciences | 3 | |
| Elective: Recommend GER - Foreign Language | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| BUS ADM 201 | Introduction to Financial Accounting | 4 |
| HCA 300 | Professional Development Seminar for Health Administration Students | 1 |
| HCA 361 | Post-Acute Care and Management | 3 |
| HCA 450 | Healthcare Quality Management | 3 |
| HI 537 | Health Information Technology and Management | 3 |
| Open Elective | 1 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| BUS ADM 330 | Organizations | 3 |
| BUS ADM 350 | Principles of Finance | 3 |
| HCA 333 | Health Organizations Professional Practice Standards | 2 |
| HCA 311 | Law and Ethics for Healthcare Professionals | 3 |
| Open Elective | 3 | |
| Open Elective | 1 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| BUS ADM 360 | Principles of Marketing | 3 |
| BUS ADM 370 | Introduction to Supply Chain Management | 3 |
| HCA 421 | Operations Management in Healthcare Organizations | 3 |
| HCA 422 | Human Resource Management in Healthcare Organizations | 3 |
| HCA 521 | Advanced Systems Thinking and Strategy for Healthcare Leaders | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| HCA 400 | Healthcare Marketing | 3 |
| HCA 460 | Healthcare Reimbursement Systems and Policies | 3 |
| HCA 502 | Healthcare Delivery Systems: National and International Perspectives | 3 |
| HCA 580 | Health Care Administration Internship | 3 |
| Open Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
Health Care Administration BS Program Competencies
Data Analytics Skills
Data Analytics Skills focus on identifying, collecting, and understanding data; and using evidence for decision making.
Communication Skills
Communication Skills focus on employing effective oral and written communication strategies to convey information; soliciting and using stakeholder input; identifying opportunities to communicate data and information; facilitating communications; and building trust with stakeholders.
Management and Finance Skills
Management and Finance Skills focus on securing, managing, and engaging human and financial resources; supporting professional development and contingency planning to achieve program and organizational goals; developing and defending budgets; motivating personnel; evaluating and improving program and organization performance; and establishing and using performance management systems to improve organization performance.
Leadership and Systems Thinking Skills
Leadership and Systems Thinking Skills focus on understanding and engaging with cross-sector partners and inter-related systems; creating opportunities for collaboration among healthcare and other organizations to improve health; building confidence and trust with staff, partners, and the public; identifying emerging needs; and developing a shared vision to engage with stakeholders.
Honors in the Major
Honors in the major are granted to students who earn a GPA of 3.500 or above on a minimum of 30 completed credits at UWM.
College of Health Professions and Sciences Dean's Honor List
GPA of 3.500 or above, earned on a full-time student's GPA on 12 or more graded credits in a given semester.
Honors College Degree and Honors College Degree with Distinction
Granted to graduating seniors who complete Honors College requirements, as listed in the Honors College section of this site.
Commencement Honors
Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.500 or above, based on a minimum of 40 graded UWM credits earned prior to the final semester, will receive all-university commencement honors and be awarded the traditional gold cord at the December or May Honors Convocation. Please note that for honors calculation, the GPA is not rounded and is truncated at the third decimal (e.g., 3.499).
Final Honors
Earned on a minimum of 60 graded UWM credits: Cum Laude - 3.500 or above; Magna Cum Laude - 3.650 or above; Summa Cum Laude - 3.800 or above.