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Online healthcare administration degree courses

Curriculum Details

120 total credits required

Gain the skills you need to make a difference in health care with an online BS in Healthcare Administration from Brenau University. You’ll complete 120 credit hours to earn this degree, which includes the general education core plus nine courses in your major. You will graduate prepared to lead with expertise in finance, quality improvement, public relations, health care ethics and more.

Brenau’s program features small class sizes and expert faculty members committed to your success. Complete flexible coursework on your schedule, and transfer up to 90 credit hours from previous college courses. Graduate in four years, ready to pursue your ideal career with a quality online degree. From here, you can.

View the course catalog.

Foundation Course

A basic introductory course in statistics which introduces the student to the fundamental concepts of data distribution, treatment of random variables, inference, special cases of the binomial and normal random variables, confidence intervals, and significance tests. A project requiring computer application and written analysis is a component of this course. Ethical practices of collecting and analyzing data and reporting results are emphasized.

Prerequisite(s): MS 100/101/111/or 210 – with a minimum grade of C.

Choose from one of the following:

A course to review and to reinforce all areas of mathematics that are applicable to non-STEM students. Topics include basic logic, the number system, basic algebra, basic geometry, counting, basic probability and descriptive statistics.

An introductory course covering basic algebra operations, equations and inequalities, and graphs in the Cartesian plane, including linear, quadratic, polynomial, and rational functions. The course covers algebraic operations of functions, including composition. Emphasis is on problem solving and applying mathematics to real-world situations. Some students will take MS 101L in addition to 101 based on placement score.

Prerequisite(s): Completion of MS 100 with a minimum grade of “C” or an appropriate Brenau Math Placement test score.

An introductory course that covers the algebra and graphing functions, including exponential and logarithmic functions. The course also includes systems of equations and inequalities. Trigonometric topics include trigonometric functions and inverse trigonometric functions and their graphs, and trigonometric applications. An introduction to sequences, series, and mathematical induction is also covered.

Prerequisite(s): MS 101 (minimum grade of “C”) or placement

A course dealing with fundamental concepts of calculus and analytic geometry. These concepts include functions, sequences, differentiation, integration, and applications of the derivative and integral.

Prerequisite(s): MS 111 (minimum grade of “C”) or MS 210 placement.

Major Core (30 hours)

The fundamentals, practices and procedures of accounting are covered in this introductory course. Topics include generally accepted accounting principles, accounting systems, and preparation and analysis of financial statements.

Prerequisite(s): MS 100
Note(s): Cannot receive credit for AC 200 and AC 201.

This course is a continuation of AC 201. The utilization of accounting information in business management is examined. Selected managerial topics include but are not limited to cost accounting fundamentals, budgeting, and cost-volume-profit analysis.

Prerequisite(s): AC 201
Note(s): Cannot receive credit for AC 200 and AC 202.

The basic economic principles of microeconomics; the allocation of resources and price determination, consumer demand, the theory of the firm including production costs, supply, and the theory of distribution. Issues in healthcare and immigration will be addressed using cost-benefit analysis.

The basic economic principles of macroeconomics, including the goals of our economic system, fundamental concepts, the economic role of the government, comparative economic systems, measures of aggregate economic performance, monetary and fiscal policies, contemporary economic issues, and the macroeconomic history of the United States.

Prerequisite(s): BA 206

Theory and practice of written and spoken communication in business both in person and via electronic formats. The applications of psychological principles to improve the effectiveness of business correspondence and related types of business writing for implementation of business policy. The preparation of business reports, memoranda, and letters are required.

Prerequisite(s): EH 101

This course provides students with a contemporary account of the changing environment of management practices. It includes management principles, current theories and frameworks of management, as well as tools to critically analyze organizations and their effectiveness in society.

A key factor for an organization to remain competitive is its ability to produce goods or deliver services in an efficient and effective manner. This course serves as an examination of methods and models – both statistical and computer-based – that are used for analyzing data for the purpose of increasing understanding and improving decisions related to the management of business operations.

Prerequisite(s): MS 205

This course considers the integration and coordination of product development, promotional strategy, physical distribution, and pricing in planning and controlling marketing operations. The managerial aspects of marketing and analysis of distribution problems are emphasized.

The course explores the determinants and consequences of behavior in a variety of organizations. Topics include, but are not limited to, personality, power, conflict, leadership, team dynamics, communications, and culture. All concepts will be examined from individual, group, and organizational perspectives.

Prerequisite(s): MG 301

Students explore the principles and practices of human resource management, including the functional areas of HR: planning, recruitment, and selection; development (e.g., orientation, training, team building, performance appraisal systems, organizational development, career development); compensation and benefits; safety and health; employee and labor relations; and human resource research.

Healthcare Administration Major (27 hours)

This course is an introduction to the healthcare delivery system in the United States with some comparisons to systems in other countries. Health systems at the federal, state, and local level are discussed as well as differences between the private and public sectors. Non-clinical careers in healthcare management are explained.

This course applies accounting, finance, and economic principles to the healthcare arena. Participants will understand the impact of economic issues on healthcare, and the impact of healthcare on the economy. Participants will be able to apply accounting and finance principles to healthcare in budgeting, financial statement analysis, and capital management.

Prerequisite(s): AC 201, AC 202, BA 206, BA 207

introduces students to public relations and marketing concepts in healthcare. Students learn how to conduct a situational analysis, understanding the market and consumer behavior and preference as well as assessing the market differential of the service or organization. Explores primary and secondary market research techniques as well as media relations and crisis communications. Discusses marketing strategy, including positioning and branding, program/service development, and promotion. Evaluation, measurement and ROI methods are explained.

Prerequisite(s): MK 315

This course explores the issues of diversity and culture in healthcare – in human resources, non-clinical patient’s care, and access to care. The growing diversity of communities makes it imperative that healthcare providers understand the diversity and culture of their community, and the cultural meanings and values of illness and disease treatments to various groups. This course explores health and disease symptoms within a cultural setting and the cultural relativity of illness.

A significant share of hospitalized patients are impacted by preventable errors, and a large portion of healthcare costs are attributable to efficiency shortcomings and other forms of waste. This course will explore various tools and strategies for analyzing processes leading to the development, implementation and edutainment of process improvements, as relates to effectiveness (quality) and efficiency (cost). Concepts for quality planning, quality control and quality improvement will be addressed. This course will examine the Six Sigma and Lean approaches to performance improvement, two models whose origins were in manufacturing but have more recently been widely adopted by healthcare organizations. A culture of organizational learning driven by strong leadership will be emphasized.

Prerequisite(s): BA 303

A significant share of hospitalized patients are impacted by preventable errors, and a large portion of healthcare costs are attributable to efficiency shortcomings and other forms of waste. This course will explore various tools and strategies for analyzing processes leading to the development, implementation and sustainment of process improvements, as it relates to effectiveness (quality) and efficiency (cost). Concepts for quality planning, quality control and quality improvement will be addressed. This course will examine the Six Sigma and Lean approaches to performance improvement, two models whose origins were in manufacturing but have more recently been widely adopted by healthcare organizations. A culture of organizational learning driven by strong leadership will be emphasized.

This course provides an overview of the interrelationship of the legal system with the structure and function of the healthcare system in its various forms and settings. Also addresses ethical dilemmas relating to individual patient/client decisions that managers and non-clinical staff need to understand.

Health is determined by many variables, but its practice is guided by laws and regulatory policy. Federal, state and local government formulate, implement and constantly modify health-related policies through an intricate, dynamic process. This course addresses basic legal and regulatory issues in the health services sector.

Senior Seminar in Healthcare Strategy/Capstone

Additional Courses

  • OL 403 – Leadership and Group Dynamics
  • BA 330 – Cultural Diversity in the Business Environment

Choose one from:

  • MG 302 – Small Business Management
  • MG 400 – Quality Management
  • MG 420 – Principles of Project Management

Choose one from:

  • MK 412 – Sales Management
  • MK 414 – Consumer Behavior
  • MK 457 – Social Media and Mobile Marketing

Major Electives: Take two upper division (300/400 level) business department elective. (Any business prefix.) Credits / Units: 6

  • Historical Perspective – 3 hours
  • Civic Engagement – 3 hours
  • Global Awareness – 3 hours
  • Mathematics – 3 hours
  • Science – 7-8 hours (1 course must be a 4 hour lab science)
  • Reasoning – 3-4 hours
  • Fine Arts – 3 hours
  • Literature – 3 hours
  • Lifetime Fitness – 3 hours
  • Writing – 6 hours
  • Speaking – 3 hours
  • Modern Language – 0-3 hours
  • Communication – 3 hours

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