Degree and Certificate Offered
Bachelor of Science
36-Hour Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
Chair
John J. Hedl Jr., Ph.D.
Description of the Program
The Department of Health Services Administration prepares individuals for entry or mid-level positions in health care. The broad-based curriculum draws faculty from many facets of health-care delivery. Four major areas are health-care systems, management theory and practice, economics and health-care finance, and quantitative skills.
To meet the diverse needs of students, the bachelor's degree is divided into two tracks: General and Long-Term Care Administration. The General track prepares individuals for health-management positions for a variety of settings (e.g., hospitals, group medical practices, HMOs, clinics and outpatient facilities, and home-health agencies). The Long-Term Care Administration track prepares individuals for the administration of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities and venues. The department also offers a 36-hour post-baccalaureate certificate for those who already hold a degree and seek to become licensed as nursing-home administrators.
Curricular offerings are designed to assist the working professional. Classes are held in the late afternoon and early evening. Concurrent enrollment with The University of Texas at Arlington and The University of Texas at Dallas provides additional flexibility for the student to pursue degree-related requirements.
Previous graduates of the department have secured a variety of positions in health care, with more than 50 percent pursuing some area of graduate study.
Requirements for Admission
To be considered eligible for admission to the bachelor's degree program, applicants must satisfy the following requirements. An overall grade-point average of at least 2.5 on a scale of 4.0 is required. Students are considered for admission after having successfully completed a minimum of 60 semester hours.
| Courses |
Hours |
| English (must include composition) |
6 |
| U.S. history (may include three hours of Texas history) |
6 |
| U.S. government(must include a study of the Texas Constitution) 6 |
| Humanities and social sciences (preferably from philosophy, psychology, sociology, or economics) |
9 |
| Accounting |
3 |
|
Applicants with nonclinical backgrounds are strongly encouraged to take 6 semester hours of accounting.
|
| Biological sciences/chemistry or clinical sciences* |
8 |
|
Biological sciences/chemistry: general biology, anatomy, physiology, microbiology, or chemistry
Clinical sciences:* health-profession courses for applicants who have completed an academic program in a health specialty
|
| Electives* |
22 |
May include health-profession courses for applicants with clinical backgrounds.
Nonclinical applicants may select from the following list of recommended electives:
Accounting II, business law, business math, computer applications, corporate finance, information systems, introduction to management, medical terminology, speech
|
| Minimum required hours |
60 |
*Clinical courses also can substitute for elective hours.
The department also prefers applicants with recent and successful work experience.
The Admissions Committee of the department evaluates each applicant's academic background and work experience. Students can be admitted to the school with minor deficiencies in academic prerequisites. (See Entrance Requirements in the Student Information section of this catalog.) These deficiencies must be remedied by the student before a degree is granted. Students generally remedy deficiencies at other academic institutions in the local area concurrently with studies at UT Southwestern.
The 36-hour post-baccalaureate certificate is for individuals who have an undergraduate degree and wish to obtain a nursing-facility administrator's license. Applicants must apply as regular students, have a grade-point average of at least 2.5, and have completed a three-hour accounting course. Three letters of recommendation are also required.
Special Requirements
Some course prerequisites may be satisfied by correspondence and/or extension courses from accredited institutions or by examinations (i.e., College Level Examination Program). A score at the 50th percentile or higher is necessary for course acceptance via the CLEP examination.
Southwestern Allied Health Sciences School can accept substantially equivalent courses to satisfy a portion of the entrance requirements. In addition, some academic credit may be granted for nonacademic allied health technical training with prior approval by the department chair and the Office of the Dean.
The Department of Health Services Administration has a number of general academic policies that complement those of the school. The student is advised to consult the student guidelines of the department upon admission to the program.
Essential Functions
In addition to essential functions for all students (see Entrance Requirements in the Student Information section), each student in the Health Services Administration program must be able to:
- Demonstrate the intellectual and cognitive abilities necessary for effective problem solving;
- Demonstrate sufficient problem-solving skills to learn to evaluate multifactorial administrative issues, including their financial, regulatory, legal, ethical, and health-care aspects.
Long-term care administration students (degree and certificate) also must be able to direct staff in responding appropriately to all situations, which may include significant time constraints or significant immediate risk to the health or well-being of residents or staff.
