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Online Healthcare Administration Certificate

Fast facts

Fact 1

Credit Hours

12

Fact 2

Per Credit

$730

Fact 3

Semesters

2

Right column

Program Benefits

  • Apply Credits to Select Graduate Programs
  • Prepare for Healthcare Management and Leadership Roles
  • No Letters of Recommendation Required
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HomeOnline ProgramsHealthcare Administration Certificate

Become a Leader in Healthcare

Our complex healthcare system needs administrative experts to help organizations meet high standards for patient care quality and service delivery. With the 100% online Healthcare Administration graduate certificate, you can get the skills you need for an in-demand career path. This certificate is a part of Saint Mary’s Accelerators carefully crafted series of master's-level graduate certificates. Designed to advance your career to help you meet personal and professional goals, this program can be taken alone or you can apply your credits as a pathway toward a master's degree.

Earn the Credential You Need in Just One Year

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota offers an online Healthcare Administration Graduate Certificate for professionals who want to become managers and leaders in healthcare settings.

The credits you earn in this program can be applied toward a master's degree like our M.A. in Health and Human Services, which is accredited by the Minnesota Board of Examiners for Nursing Home Administrators. Other degree options include:

The Healthcare Administration Certificate is delivered in a flexible online format so you can maintain your current work commitments while earning an affordable credential in two semesters or less. Featuring a curriculum grounded in the fundamentals of healthcare and human services delivery, this program gives you the skills you need to take the next step in your career.

Saint Mary's Accelerators

Saint Mary's offers a selection of graduate certificate programs designed to accelerate your degree and help you achieve your goals faster. Customize your education and get a glimpse of graduate coursework by stacking Saint Mary's Accelerators, each of which requires the completion of 12–15 credits and adds only six additional credits to your degree program. Complete extra credentials and gain a competitive edge for your field while saving time and money.

Additionally, several certificate programs also offer Credly badging for each course. These badges serve as a graphic representation of the skills you gained by completing a specific course or graduate certificate program. They can be displayed on social media platforms like LinkedIn and your CV and resume to visually showcase your specific leadership knowledge and skills to current and potential employers, credentialing programs, and admissions offices.

One of the hallmarks of our “accelerators” is that they are stackable into or onto full degree programs. Students can pursue a graduate certificate and then decide to continue into a full degree program in the same or a different discipline.

-Michelle Wieser, Ph.D., Dean of the School of Business and Technology

To learn more about Saint Mary's graduate certificates check out this interview with Michelle Wieser.

Curriculum

The online Healthcare Administration graduate certificate from Saint Mary's features career-focused topics like advanced health policy, ethics, finance, and health and human services management. Our expert faculty are professionals who bring relevant field experience to the online classroom.

This program includes 12 credits of health administration courses delivered in a flexible format. As you complete your online graduate certificate in healthcare administration, you will develop the strategic planning, budgeting, management, and leadership skills you need to succeed.

Certificate Courses

HS 662 Financial Practices in the Health and Human Services Sector (3 credits)

This course examines the financial practices and procedures associated with leading a healthcare, long-term care, or human services organization. Students have the opportunity to analyze and interpret financial statements, as well as create and evaluate capital budgets. Public policy and the economic forces that influence healthcare organizations are explored.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

  1. Create an operating and capital budget for an organization.
  2. Evaluate budget decisions and common economic variables.
  3. Describe and interpret how public policy may affect the financial operations of a healthcare entity.
  4. Examine the reimbursement requirements and regulatory compliance on financial performance.
  5. Analyze and evaluate the financial statements of a healthcare organization.

HS 712 Health and Human Service Systems (3 credits)

This course evaluates the fundamentals of current healthcare and human services delivery systems in the U.S. Topics include health sector regulatory and financial systems, delivery operations, and organizational design theories.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

  1. Compare the evolution of various types of services for vulnerable individuals and populations.
  2. Analyze the impact of social, economic, political, and regulatory forces on planning and objective setting.
  3. Evaluate the emergence of organizational designs, operations, and governance in the health sector.
  4. Analyze the factors influencing organizational outcomes and consumer/patient/client satisfaction.
  5. Assess and analyze how the health sector financing and policy, care management, private health coverage, and government programs and reforms (including Medicare, Medicaid, and the ACA) impact the cost, quality, experience, and outcomes of care and delivery systems within the U.S.

HS 715 Advanced Health Policy and Ethics (3 credits)

This course examines the ethical, legal, and culturally relevant dimensions of the U.S. health sector, including not-for-profit, for-profit, and public health systems. Topics include ethical issues, public policy, stewardship, and compliance standards impacting healthcare finance and delivery; frameworks for ethical decision making; socio-economic impacts on public policy; and strategies for influencing the policy-making process within the health sector.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

  1. Apply frameworks for ethical administrative decision making.
  2. Analyze policies and laws impacting the delivery and financial operations of services for vulnerable individuals and communities.
  3. Evaluate the effect of current policies, payment systems, and regulatory agencies on quality and system performance.
  4. Examine and evaluate the policy environment and solutions while exploring ways to influence the creation and implementation of public policy.

HS 716 Health and Human Service Administration (3 credits)

This course explores applied theories and skills of leadership and management within the health and human service sectors. Leadership styles and culturally responsive approaches to decision making are examined. Topics such as governance, vision and mission, strategic planning, business decision support, and promotion of sustainable, ethical organizational growth and organization stewardship are explored.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

  1. Illustrate roles, relationships, and legal responsibilities for administration, board members, departmental managers, clinicians, staff, external stakeholders, and suppliers.
  2. Articulate an overview of the scope and roles within strategic planning and external relations (market research, marketing, public and communication relations, communication, media, and government relations).
  3. Communicate organizational vision and manage internal communication and cross-functional teamwork.
  4. Analyze organizational board governance systems for effective implementation of shared vision and mission.
  5. Evaluate strategies for promoting and leading organizational change.
  6. Evaluate ethical standards and decision-making models for health and human service administration.

My favorite course was HS 715 - Advanced Health Policy And Ethics. It made me think more critically (even theoretically) about how to solve issues in the healthcare industry. 

-Sydney Woerly, Saint Mary's online graduate certificate in Healthcare Administration, '21

Current Certificate Requirements

For current certificate requirements, visit the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota course catalog.

Program Outcomes

When you complete this program, you will be able to:

  • Analyze and interpret financial information in a healthcare or human services setting.
  • Evaluate the fundamentals of current healthcare and human services delivery systems.
  • Assess current health and human services policy, ethics, and regulatory systems.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of strategic planning and organizational leadership within the health and human services sector.

Career Outlook

With the online Healthcare Administration graduate certificate, you can prepare for management and leadership roles in healthcare settings like hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, long-term care facilities, and not-for-profit organizations. This specialized program focuses on the skills employers want most, so you earn a valuable credential to advance your career.

The average salary for medical and health services managers is $100,980, and demand is expected to grow 18% through 2028, making job outlook much stronger than the national average.1 Increased demand for health services and a shift toward outpatient care delivery are two main factors driving demand for trained healthcare administration professionals.

Certificate Completion

The online Healthcare Administration graduate certificate is designed to be completed in just one year and is financial aid eligible. No prerequisite coursework is required, and you don't need GRE/GMAT scores to apply.

For admission to the program, you'll need:

  • An undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution
  • A minimum GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale
  • A written statement: Your background and future goals all impact your success with Saint Mary's and inform your education. As you prepare your written statement, think about including previous experiences, education, and your strengths and interests. Share your motivations for entering the online Healthcare Administration certificate program and how it will contribute to your career.
  • The names of two people (including title, organization, email, phone number) who can serve as professional references, if needed, during the application review process. The best references are those who know you in a professional capacity, such as current or former supervisors.
  • A current resume: Include both your educational and professional experience.

If your overall GPA is below 2.75, you may receive conditional status in the program at the discretion of the program director.

For more information about the online Human Resource Management certificate, contact us or call 877-308-9954 to speak to an enrollment counselor.

Resources:

1Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Medical and Health Services Managers. Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/OOH/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm.