Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Management

Building an effective work team, ensuring efficiency of operations, implementing an effective communication network, leveraging health policy, deploying resources strategically and promoting consumer satisfaction are just some of the areas in which expectations for management performance are escalating.

The Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Management provides health care professionals, as well as managers seeking to transition into the health care industry, with critical tools to identify, anticipate, analyze and solve the complex problems currently facing managers in health care organizations.

Program Design

Courses are taught online and students may begin the certificate program in the fall, spring, or summer terms.

Required Courses and Suggested Sequence

MGMT 6040 High Performance Management (3 Credits)

This course focuses on the managerial leadership roles and competencies needed to translate strategic visions into tactical and operational plans. It also examines tools and methodologies to improve organizational efficiency and productivity through integration, communication and  management of knowledge-based organizations. Students identify, develop and apply competencies associated with the dynamics of change and flexibility, and then balance them with the competencies required to lead with stability and control.

HCLM 6075 Managing Healthcare Systems (3 Credits)

This course examines various aspects of managing the complicated, modern health care environment. The roles of payers, consumers and providers of health care will be examined. Management and allocation of health care resources and the impact of outcomes assessment on care delivery will be discussed. Additional topics for this course will include communication in the health care environment, team building and conflict resolution.

HCLM 6080 Health Policy and Management (3 Credits)

This course focuses on the analytical tools necessary to evaluate the economics of health care policy and implementation. Through readings, discussions and written assignments, students will develop a working understanding of federal and state health policy processes, examine critical health-policy issues, use analytical models to explain health policy processes and apply those models to the analysis of health care formulation and implementation.

HCLM 7005 Strategic Corporate Communication and Inter-professional Collaboration (3 Credits)

The U.S. established the most comprehensive healthcare system in the world during the 20th century. The continuous change experienced by this system dramatically affects who has access to health care, the U.S. economy and national politics. The history of the health care system, its dynamics, economic character, varied constituencies and prospects for systemic change serve as a backdrop for study of strategic communication in health care.

Initially, participants will develop a foundation of understanding of the healthcare industry by exploring its history and current issues related to healthcare reform. The class will investigate the mission and fundamental purpose of healthcare institutions and their relationship to the industry’s complex network of diverse stakeholders. The bulk of the course will focus on an examination of communication on three critical levels in health care: interpersonal, organizational and mass communication. In each, students will examine relevant stakeholders’ responsibilities for managing communication. Particular attention will be devoted to the role of the manager in communicating strategic issues and goals in health care contexts.

Admission and Advisement

Admission to the certificate program requires the applicant to submit an official transcript of his or her bachelor’s degree along with a completed application. Advising will be provided by the certificate program coordinator, Dr. Alan Belasen.

While the 12 credits are fully transferable into the MBA program, acceptance to the MBA will require candidates to apply to the master’s degree program and complete the full admission process. Completion of the graduate certificate does not guarantee admission to the master’s degree program. 

Advanced certificates may be incorporated into a related master's degree for those meeting the program admission requirements.

Apply online or request information for more details on the Certificate in Healthcare Management.

Tuition and Fees

Students completing this certificate pay the following tuition and fees:

Federal financial aid is not available unless concurrently matriculated in a master’s degree program.