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Program Profile: BS in Health Care Administration (HCA)

Program Description | Accreditation | Program Highlights
About the Profession | Faculty | Class Size
Length of Program | Locations | Prerequisites
Costs | Scholarships and Financial Aid | How to Apply

Program Description

Name of program: BS in Health Care Administration (HCA)

Program Overview: We are the only AUPHA fully-certified HCA program in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. Completion of ISU's HCA program includes a Minor in Business Administration from the College of Business. We have a very active student organization, The Student Association of Health Care Administrators, SAHCA, that regularly provides professional growth opportunities, community service, and social activities.

Accreditation

ISU's HCA program has been fully-certified by the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA) for three decades. AUPHA is a national organization that offers certification, not accreditation, specifically for undergraduate HCA programs. There is no other national accreditation available for undergraduate HCA programs.

There are three levels of AUPHA certification for HCA undergraduate programs and the HCA program at ISU has been fully-certified at the highest level possible since the 1970s.

Program Highlights

  • We are AUPHA fully-certified and have been at this highest level of certification for 3 decades.
  • HCA faculty have national and international reputations and serve on the Governing Boards of Health Organizations and Associations, Journal and publisher Editorial Boards, as Journal referees, and national and international conference session organizers and chairs.

About the Profession

Career opportunities for healthcare executives are found in a wide variety of settings such as:

  • Ambulatory care facilities
  • Ambulatory care facilities
  • Consulting firms
  • Clinics
  • Healthcare associations
  • Health insurance organizations
  • Home health agencies
  • Hospices
  • Hospitals and hospital systems
  • Integrated delivery systems
  • Long-term care facilities
  • Managed care organizations (such as HMOs and PPOs)
  • Medical group practices
  • Mental health organizations
  • Nursing homes
  • Physician practices
  • Public health departments
  • Rehabilitation centers
  • Skilled nursing facilities
  • University or research institutions

With a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration your first job might be an entry-level to mid-level management position in a specialized area such as:

  • Finance
  • Government relations
  • Human resources
  • Information systems
  • Marketing and public affairs
  • Materials management (purchasing of equipment and supplies)
  • Medical staff relations
  • Nursing administration
  • Patient care services
  • Planning and development

Career progress into the mid-career level and beyond usually requires further education such as a Master’s in Health Administration (MHA), Master’s in Business Administration (MBA), or a Master’s in Pubic Health (MPH).

Potential Salary: Salaries are dependent on location, organization and career level.

Common entry level titles: Marketing Assistants, Operating Assistants, Provider Representatives, Accountants, Managers, Finance Analyst, Marketing & Operations, Project Coordinator, Planners, Administrative fellows or residents. Entry level salaries: $30,000-$60,000.

Common mid-career level titles: Directors of Marketing and Sales, Department Managers, Case Managers, Managers of ancillary services, Contract Specialists, and Controllers, Assistant Directors of ancillary services, Assistant Vice Presidents, Assistant Administrators, Vice Presidents. Mid-career level salaries: $50,000-$160,000.

Common senior level titles: Chief Executive Officers, Chief Operating Officers, Chief Information Officers, Chief Financial Officers, Senior Vice Presidents for Marketing and Sales, Vice Presidents for Contract Management, Vice Presidents for Regional Services, and Vice Presidents for managed care. Senior level salaries: $200,000-$500,000 or higher.

Faculty

Three full-time faculty and dozens of administrative internship sites throughout the intermountain West.

Class Size

Fixed Seats: No

Number of students in entering class: 17

Total number of students enrolled in program: 77

Length of Program

Number of academic years needed to complete the program: 4

Locations

Locations offered: Pocatello

Program offered fully online? No

Program delivered through distance presentation? No

Prerequisites

Required Degree: None

Other Prerequisites: Applications are considered as they are received by the department's admissions committee. Cumulative grade point averages of 2.75 or above are required for admission to the major. Successful completion of the following courses with a grade of C- or better is also required: Acct 201, Econ 201, English 201, HCA 115, HCA 215, and Math 143.

Costs

Tuition: Annual tuition set by University for residents or non-residents.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Scholarship Deadline: April 15

Financial Aid Deadline: Contact the Office of Financial Aid for more information.

Other Information: We have a number of scholarship opportunities specific to Health Care Administration available to our students. For further information, please contact the HCA department.

How to Apply

Application Deadline: Rolling admissions

Program Start Date: Any Semester

Other Information: Application