Health Services Administration
Program Details
Ready for a dynamic career in healthcare administration? As a student in our health services administration major, you'll dive deep into the intricate workings of healthcare facilities, mastering the vital tools of information systems, finance, marketing and organizational planning. From hospitals to insurance companies and beyond, you'll emerge poised for success in a myriad of administrative roles, shaping the future of healthcare delivery.
Concentrations
Analytics: Health Information Management; Analytics: Population Health, Long-Term Care
Degree Awarded
Bachelor of Science in Health Services Administration
Curriculum
The sample course sequence below illustrates class offerings for the Health Services Administration major. Consult the official Xavier University course catalog for detailed registration and advising information.
Fall
- CORE 100 First-Year Seminar............ 3cr.
- Historical Perspectives............ 3cr.
- ENGL 101- English Composition or ENGL 115 - Rhetoric............ 3cr.
- First Language 102............ 3cr.
- HESA 101 - Intro to US Healthcare............ 3cr.
- CORE 101: GOA Co-Curriculum Program I............ 0cr.
Spring
- THEO 111 - Theological Foundations............ 3cr.
- ECON 200 - Microeconomics............ 3cr.
- Second Language 102............ 3cr.
- HESA 110 - Medical Terminology............ 3cr.
- MATH 116 or 156............ 3cr.
- CORE 102: GOA Co-Curriculum Program II............ 0cr.
Fall
- HESA 120 - Health Care Management............ 3cr.
- HESA 210 - Healthcare Marketing & Strategic Management............ 3cr.
- PHIL 100 - Ethics as Intro to Philosophy............ 3cr.
- General Elective............ 3cr.
- MKTG 300 - Principles of Marketing............ 3cr.
Spring
- HESA 220 - Healthcare Reimbursement Systems............ 3cr.
- HESA 341 - Health Informatics............ 3cr.
- Humanities Elective............ 3cr.
- ACCT 200 - FInancial Accounting............ 3cr.
- Scientific Perspectives............ 3cr.
Fall
- FINC 300 - Business Finance............ 3cr.
- MGMT 200 - Organizational Management............ 3cr.
- HESA 250 Public Health............ 3cr.
- HESA 361 - Health Data Management............ 3cr.
- Natural Sciences Perspective............ 3cr.
- HESA 370 - Internship Preparation............ 1cr.
Spring
- ENGL 205 - Literature & Moral Imagination............ 3cr.
- BAIS 220 -Managing Information Technology............ 3cr.
- HESA 230 - Health Care Finance............ 3cr.
- Theological Perspectives............ 3cr.
- HESA 355 - Quantitative Methods for Health Services............ 3cr.
Fall
- HESA 401 - Health Policy............ 3cr.
- PHIL 200 - Philosophy Perspectives............ 3cr.
- Business Minor Elective............ 3cr.
- Non-business General Elective............ 3cr.
- General Elective............ 3cr.
Spring
- HESA 380 - Quality Management & Performance Improvement............ 3cr.
- HESA 390 - Foundations of Healthcare Ethics & Law............ 3cr.
- Non-business General Elective............ 3cr.
- Creative Perspectives............ 3cr.
- CORE 499............ 0cr.
Sample Courses
Sample courses within the health services administration curriculum:
- Intro To US Health Care (HESA 101) - This course is an introduction to the structure, operation and financing of the US healthcare system. It examines the major industry participants; how healthcare services are allocated and financed; the factors that influence the cost and quality of care; and opposing positions on the future of healthcare reform.
- Health Care Management (HESA 120) - This course is about learning how to manage in health care organizations. Students will learn key principles, practices and personalities of management. As an introductory course, the purpose is to expose participants to a wide range of areas and topics relevant to management, including the four major topical divisions: Plan, Organize, Lead, and Control.
- Health Policy (HESA 201) - This course provides students with a basic framework for health policy analysis and examines major strands of the US health policy. Detailed consideration and discussion are given to the relationship of national policy to the planning, implementation and funding of health care services, with particular emphasis on low income and minority populations. This course will cover topics such as the healthcare policy environment in the U.S., government-funded healthcare through Medicaid and Medicare.
- Healthcare Marketing & Strategic Management (HESA 210) - Marketing in healthcare has changed drastically in the last ten years. In the past, most health care professionals scorned the idea and interpreted it solely as advertising. This has changed as the healthcare environment continues to evolve at a fast pace and it is necessary for all health care professionals to understand the principles and applications of marketing in a new competitive environment.
- Health Care Finance (HESA 230) - Managerial aspects of financial analysis. Includes analysis of financial statements, costs, capital projects and working capital; Medicare, Medicaid, changes and rate setting under reimbursement schedules; budgeting, return on investment methodology, forecasting and strategic planning.
Career Outcomes
99% of Xavier students, including in those in the health services administration major, are employed or in grad school within 6 months of graduating (Class of 2022). Explore Xavier's Career Outcomes Dashboard to view career outcomes by major.
Careers: Clinical Research Coordinator, Clinic Manager, Financial Analyst, Health Insurance Sales Representative, Health-Care Consultant, Healthcare Administrator, Healthcare Policy Analyst, Hospital Administrator, Human Resources Consultant, Medical Practice Manager, Nursing Home Administrator, Patient Services Representative, Process Improvement Analyst
Student Job Placements: Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Bon Secours Mercy Health, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, The Christ Hospital, CareStar, Caracole, Good Samaritan Hospital, Medpace, St. Elizabeth Healthcare, TriHealth, UC Medical Center
More: Xavier's Career Development Office assists students in their search for employment by offering individual career counseling sessions, conducting workshops and maintaining an employer database. More than 100 nationally known companies visit the campus annually to interview graduating seniors for open positions.
Student Clubs
- Institute for Healthcare Improvement Chapter- Members of this club have a vision of a world where everyone has the best care and health possible. Their mission is to Improve health and health care worldwide.
- Business Leaders for Tomorrow- Members of this student organization explore business processes firsthand by networking with and learning from various business leaders in Cincinnati and beyond. Events from past years have included trips to Silicon Valley and Chicago, job shadowing days and guest lecturers.
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Gain Hands-On Experience Working With Healthcare Administration Professionals
As a student in the health services administration major, you’ll complete a 400-hour internship, where you’ll apply your growing expertise in the health services field while connecting with professionals and real-world challenges.
Earn a Business Minor as Part of the Health Services Administration Curriculum
Understanding the ins and outs of the business world is essential to being a successful health administrator. As part of the health services administration curriculum, you’ll earn a minor in business administration to help prepare for the management side of healthcare.
Kickstart Your Health Services Administration Career in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio is home to some of the nation’s premier hospitals and healthcare organizations, including Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, TriHealth and MedPace. Here, you’ll find plenty of opportunities for internships, networking and potential employment post-graduation.
Graduate With Honors
Are you looking for an academic challenge? The University Scholars Honors Program offers incoming students a more challenging curriculum and close support from professors while completing their undergraduate degree. Acceptance into the program is highly selective and includes a $2000 travel grant.
Health Services Administration Major at Xavier University
The undergraduate Health Services Administration program at Xavier University is a multi-disciplinary major preparing students for entry-level professional positions in a variety of health-care areas, including information systems, finance, marketing and organizational planning in hospitals, insurance and pharmaceutical companies, long-term or acute care facilities, and government agencies. All students have a minor in business and choose one of three concentrations as a focused area of interest: Analytics: Health Information Management; Analytics: Population Health; and Long-Term Care. Xavier's BSHSA program has been developed to meet the requirements for Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA) certification.
Xavier University's College of Professional Sciences prepares undergraduate and graduate students intellectually, morally and spiritually for careers and professions of service. CPS challenges students to strive for academic excellence and life-long learning through promoting collaboration and community partnerships, and incorporating research, scholarship and innovation.
Xavier University is a private university located in Cincinnati, Ohio, providing a liberal arts education in the Jesuit Catholic tradition. Founded in 1831, the University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation. It has been ranked among the top 10 master's-level universities in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report for the past two decades. The Princeton Review names it one of the "Best 385 Colleges in America."