Program of Instruction

The requirements for the degree tracks are presented first, followed by those for the certificate program.

Required of Both Degree Tracks

Course Descriptions

See other departmental listings in this catalog for descriptions of courses that do not begin with the prefix HSA.

HSA 3045 Biomedical Ethics
3 semester hours
This course introduces the student to biomedical ethics in health care. Emphasis is placed on understanding the philosophical and theoretical underpinnings of ethics and biomedical ethics and on the application of decision-making models.

HSA 3341 Staff Development and Training
3 semester hours
This course presents an overview of program design and development for educational services. Particular attention is given to educational requirements of the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Case studies are made of such programs as cardiopulmonary resuscitation, safety, and infection control.

HSA 3343 Biomedical Communications and Research Skills
3 semester hours
The student is offered the opportunity to develop and improve communication skills, with a focus on the unique requirements of the health-care system. Emphasis is placed on medical-library research skills, business and professional writing skills, public-speaking skills, and presentation media development.

HSA 3344 Introduction to Organizational Behavior
3 semester hours
The principles of organizational behavior are introduced in this course. The focus of the course is primarily on the work group and organizational factors within health-care institutions. Major considerations include advanced motivational concepts, job redesign, leadership, group and intergroup dynamics, organizational design and structure, change management, and organizational development.

HSA 3351 Community Health Programs and Strategies
3 semester hours
This course deals with community strategies related to health promotion and disease prevention. It considers the potential roles of the allied health professions in these areas. Various case studies are analyzed for factors leading to successful program outcomes.

HSA 3352 Health and Social Sciences
3 semester hours
This course reviews cultural, societal, and individual influences on health status and the delivery of health services. Contributions from medicine, anthropology, sociology, health education, psychology, and behavioral medicine are included.

HSA 3353 Health and Public Policy
3 semester hours
This course reviews the role of federal, state, and local governments in developing and implementing health policy. Historical perspectives and future projections are discussed.

HSA 3354 Health-Care Systems Management
3 semester hours
This course offers an introduction to the organization and management of health-service systems in the United States, historical elements, present interrelationships, and ongoing functional dynamics. It suggests a framework through which health-administration issues may be identified, analyzed, and evaluated.

HSA 3355 Strategic Planning and Health
3 semester hours
Students are provided an opportunity to develop an understanding and working knowledge of the strategic planning process as applied to various health-care settings and situations. Computer-based analytical tools are used to format information for organizational decision making, including programs for mapping and project management. Students practice applying these planning techniques to various levels of a health-care organization to improve operations and effectiveness.

HSA 3396 Statistics and Epidemiology
3 semester hours
This course offers an introduction to basic epidemiological and statistical concepts and methods. General topics include descriptive and inferential statistics and measurement of health status (i.e., mortality, morbidity, risk). Issues in the design of clinical and epidemiological studies are reviewed. Basic procedures of computer data analysis are introduced.

HSA 4012 Directed Readings in Health Care
1-3 semester hours
This course offers the student an opportunity to read extensively in a specialized area of health care with the guidance of an instructor familiar with the subject. Analysis and interpretation of the literature are stressed.

HSA 4013 Directed Research in Health Care
1-3 semester hours
This course offers the student an opportunity to analyze and report results of a study involving the basic science or clinical aspects of the student's profession. Study of statistical methods, report writing, and the use of research are integral parts of this experience.

HSA 4099 Practicum in Health-Care Administration
3-9 semester hours
This practicum offers an opportunity for students to observe and develop skills related to health-care management and administration. Sites vary according to the health specialization and career goals of the student.

HSA 4340 Health-Care Economics
3 semester hours
This course examines human-resource economics within the health-care area affecting economic issues and considerations, the health-services industry, health-insurance costs, demand for services, health personnel, and cost-benefit methodology.

HSA 4341 Health-Care Finance I
3 semester hours
The first semester of a two-semester finance course offers refresher information and problems in basic accounting. The student also reviews the basics of finance in the corporate for-profit environment and then is introduced to finance problems and strategies for not-for-profit businesses. Problems in financial calculations, including capital attainment, ratio analysis, budgeting, cost of capital, and related issues, are presented. Students are required to solve problems from narratives.

HSA 4342 Health-Care Finance II
3 semester hours
In this course, students put the knowledge gained in Health-Care Finance I to use in studying various health-care delivery systems, including hospitals, ambulatory centers, and long-term care facilities. Students also are introduced to various insurance financial models, including pricing mechanisms for capitation, risk concepts, and payment systems for insurance and government payers. Students are required to demonstrate skills and competence by providing a financial analysis case review on a health-care or payment system of the student's choosing.

HSA 4343 Human-Resources Management in Health Care
3 semester hours
This course reviews factors related to successful labor relations and policy development regarding health-care personnel. Consideration will be given to the impact of the government on managerial decision making, market forces, and relevant principles. Additional topics include employee recruitment and retention, compensation and benefits, employee relations, legal compliance, and training and development.

HSA 4344 Marketing Health Services
3 semester hours
This course reviews marketing decisions relating to the health-care environment. Topics include product and program development, advertising and promotion, distribution, and marketing research. An intensive study of the decision-making process in marketing policy is included, emphasizing the practical application of the factors leading to the most successful marketing strategies for health-service institutions.

HSA 4345 Legal Aspects in Health Care
3 semester hours
This course offers an introduction to the law and legal system relating to health care and the health-care delivery system. It considers major doctrines of both private and public law applicable to health-services administration and medical care. Legal aspects underlying the provider/patient and health-care facility relationship are reviewed. Constitutional and administrative law issues related to government health financing are discussed.

HSA 4346 Managed Care
3 semester hours
This is a survey course designed to familiarize the undergraduate student with the various aspects of managed care in America. Included in the course are the history of managed care, the different aspects of development, different models of administration and care delivery, and the various payments systems used. Discussion is held on the future of managed care, how managed care has affected and will affect the administration of health-care delivery systems, and the financing models of managed care in private and government areas.

HSA 4350 Regulatory Aspects of Long-Term Care
3 semester hours
This course covers the legal and quasi-legal aspects of long-term care, nursing-home regulations at the federal and state levels, and the ethical issues in meeting both the spirit and the letter of service and care requirements. The origins and intents of regulations, liability issues, Medicare and Medicaid regulations, architectural and physical-plant regulations, staff regulations, and enforcement procedures are included.

HSA 4351 Nursing-Home Administration I
3 semester hours
Typical nursing-home services -- nursing, medical, housekeeping, dietary, social, pharmacy, activities, records, administration, personnel man-agement, dental, volunteer, maintenance, and laboratory -- are all viewed as part of resident care. Interrelationships between these services and their relationship to community services are considered in this course.

HSA 4352 Nursing-Home Administration II
3 semester hours
This course presents a survey of common medical problems and related nursing care of aged residents living in long-term care facilities. A review of expectations for the director of nursing and other nursing personnel, as well as for the medical director and other consultants, is included.

HSA 4353 Management of Long-Term Care Facilities I
3 semester hours
This course covers the management, administration, and organization of a long-term care facility; the overall structure of the facility; and its relationship to other health-related facilities and community services; philosophies of administration; record keeping; financial management; and the application of management principles.

HSA 4354 Management of Long-Term Care Facilities II
3 semester hours
Topics considered are long-term care cost reporting, financial forecasting for service delivery, staffing patterns and labor relations, and the state survey process.

HSA 4392 Professional Leadership
3 semester hours
This course, a sequel to Introduction to Organizational Behavior, focuses on theory and research into behaviors necessary for the leadership of groups, departments, and organizations within health-care settings. Emphasis is on practical applications of human relations skills and situational leadership techniques. Major topics include leadership research theories, interpersonal communication skills, group dynamics and participation, delegation, and group decision making.

HSA 4395 Evaluation of Health-Service Delivery Programs
3 semester hours
This course deals with strategies and designs for evaluating health-service delivery programs. Case studies are drawn from health promotion and clinical literature.