Online Business Administration Nursing Leadership Health Care Systems Degree :: Accredited Universities

The Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in Nursing with an Emphasis in Nursing Leadership in Health Care Systems (Dual Degree) is designed to afford experienced nurses having completed a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with the opportunity to develop cross-functional business management skills and leadership competences appropriate to preparing individuals in the nursing and health care fields for advanced management and executive positions.

This masters in nursing leadership and management program goes beyond patient care and studies the business side of health care by examining the costs, how to set and maintain a budget, and the management of workforce challenges. Graduates of this degree may be prepared to either fulfill an entrepreneurial goal and start their own health company or move into a leadership role within a health care organization, such as Chief Nursing Officer, VP of Patient Services, or Chief Executive Officer.

The following topics are included in the masters in nursing leadership and management: leadership theory and application, finance, accounting, economics, quantitative methods, marketing management, managerial accounting, managerial finance, operations management, and ethics in the healthcare system. Other courses examine nursing as a profession and a discipline and the role of the nurse as a vital member of the interprofessional team providing patient-centered care. Students will explore and learn to apply the theoretical foundations for nursing practice. The behavioral forces and relationships that influence organizational effectiveness and change are studied, as well as intervention strategies and application skills. Nursing and health care research and its application to nursing education, nursing practice, and the delivery of health care services will also be explored. Emphasis is placed on strategies to access current and relevant data, synthesize the information, and translate new knowledge into practice.

A capstone course culminates the program, which provides an opportunity for students to develop an evidence-based practice project proposal that addresses a business problem, issue, or concern in professional practice. Students identify a problem amenable to research-based intervention; search literature; propose a solution; and develop a plan to implement the solution, evaluate its outcome(s), and disseminate the findings.

Entry Requirements

Applicants to university graduate programs may be accepted for admission by meeting one of the criteria specified below:

Degree Bearing Transcripts
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An undergraduate degree from an accredited, GCU-approved college, university or program with a GPA of 2.8 or better on the degree-bearing transcript

OR

A graduate degree from an accredited, GCU-approved college, university or program

Test Scores
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If students cannot meet the GPA requirement, they may still be eligible for admission by meeting certain graduate test scores:
Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT): 500
Graduate Record Examination (GRE): 1,000 combined verbal/quantitative, prior to August 2011; 300 combined verbal/quantitative, after August 2011

Other Fees

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Enhance your Leadership Capacity; Make a Difference in the Lives of Others

The health care system of the future must focus on greater efficiency and quality through improved technology, organization, and management. There is growing demand for new leaders who can find solutions to the problems we face, both now and in the future.

A Master of Health Administration in Health Policy and Administration (MHA) can help you combine your health-related work experience with a strong business management education, expanding your qualifications for challenging leadership positions in health care and giving you the tools to lead change in a dynamic environment.

Why Penn State World Campus?

An online MHA from Penn State can provide opportunities for advancement in your career as a health care professional. The degree program is a collaboration between Penn State World Campus and the Penn State Department of Health Policy and Administration and the School of Public Affairs. This partnership connects you with faculty from a highly ranked program, with 25 years of experience guiding student learning. Experienced faculty, the residential MHA program's 4,000+ alumni, and professional contacts help maintain the focus on emerging and complex health care leadership challenges.

Our online program is built on the experience and excellence of our nationally ranked residential MHA program, established more than twenty-five years ago and recently awarded a seven year re-accreditation (the highest achievable) by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME).

The online learning format offered by Penn State World Campus makes it possible for you to fit a degree program into your life. The flexibility of studying when and where you want can give you the opportunity to gain the skills and knowledge you need to make critical decisions that can affect the lives of patients and employees while maintaining your current role.

Who Should Apply?

The rapid evolution of the health care environment through changes in population demographics, legislation, regulation, policy, and technology means that updating your education is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity. If you have work experience in health care and want to enhance your applied business management skills, Penn State's online MHA program was designed for you. As an applicant to the program, you should have strong academic preparation, reference letters addressing your commitment to the profession, and GRE/GMAT scores (waived for applicants with five or more years of experience).

Career Opportunities for Graduates

Steady job growth in health care is projected for the next several years. As a graduate of the program, you could obtain an administrative, management, or executive position in one of several health care-related organizations, including:

hospitals and health systems
medical group practices
clinics and outpatient care centers
home health care agencies
skilled nursing facilities
insurance companies
consulting firms
federal regulatory and public health agencies

Entry Requirements

For admission to the Graduate School, an applicant must hold either (1) a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or (2) a tertiary (postsecondary) degree that is deemed comparable to a four-year bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution. This degree must be from an officially recognized degree-granting institution in the country in which it operates.

Penn State's online MHA program is designed for mid-level career professionals seeking to change positions in the health care industry or advance within their own organizations. Our cohorts are composed of individuals who typically have 8–10 years of professional work experience, and a vast majority of our students have some background in health care. It is expected that you have at least five years of professional work experience before applying to the program.

International applicants
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All international applicants must take and submit scores for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the IELTS (International English Language Testing System), with the exceptions noted below. The minimum acceptable score for the TOEFL is 550 for the paper-based test, or a total score of 80 with a 19 on the speaking section for the internet-based test (iBT). Applicants with iBT speaking scores between 15 and 18 may be considered for provisional admission, which requires completion of specified remedial English courses ESL 114G (American Oral English for Academic Purposes) and/or ESL 116G (ESL/Composition for Academic Disciplines) and attainment of a grade of B or higher. The minimum acceptable composite score for the IELTS is 6.5. Graduate programs may have more stringent requirements.

Other Fees

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The Health Systems Administration program prepares graduates to assume leadership positions in the integrated delivery systems that characterize contemporary healthcare organizations.

The 34 credit program can be completed in 24 months (full-time) or 30 months (part-time).

Nurse manager and nurse executive roles have evolved significantly in response to changes in the healthcare industry, which requires sophisticated business knowledge and skills.

Health systems administration is a discipline that synthesizes the clinical aspects of nursing administration with theories and methods of business administration. The Health Systems Administration program integrates these elements into a program that provides essential tools for professional success.

Combining internet-based learning for the academic portions of the program alongside three major management-related internships arranged at convenient locations, the M.S.N. Health Systems Administration program will appeal to ambitious working nurses who may be managing a number of work and home priorities.

This program is ideal for those registered nurses holding a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree who want to specialize in health systems administration in a variety of settings.

Entry Requirements

he following prerequisites for admission must have been achieved by candidates prior to admission to a master’s-level program.

- Graduation from an N.L.N.A.C. or C.C.N.E.-accredited baccalaureate nursing program with a cumulative 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale

- Satisfactory Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score if native language is not English.

- Proof of current licensure as a registered nurse

- Undergraduate Course in Nursing Research

Other Fees

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The Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in Nursing with an Emphasis in Nursing Leadership in Health Care Systems (Dual Degree) is designed to afford experienced nurses having completed a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with the opportunity to develop cross-functional business management skills and leadership competences appropriate to preparing individuals in the nursing and health care fields for advanced management and executive positions.

This masters in nursing leadership and management program goes beyond patient care and studies the business side of health care by examining the costs, how to set and maintain a budget, and the management of workforce challenges. Graduates of this degree may be prepared to either fulfill an entrepreneurial goal and start their own health company or move into a leadership role within a health care organization, such as Chief Nursing Officer, VP of Patient Services, or Chief Executive Officer.

The following topics are included in the masters in nursing leadership and management: leadership theory and application, finance, accounting, economics, quantitative methods, marketing management, managerial accounting, managerial finance, operations management, and ethics in the healthcare system. Other courses examine nursing as a profession and a discipline and the role of the nurse as a vital member of the interprofessional team providing patient-centered care. Students will explore and learn to apply the theoretical foundations for nursing practice. The behavioral forces and relationships that influence organizational effectiveness and change are studied, as well as intervention strategies and application skills. Nursing and health care research and its application to nursing education, nursing practice, and the delivery of health care services will also be explored. Emphasis is placed on strategies to access current and relevant data, synthesize the information, and translate new knowledge into practice.

A capstone course culminates the program, which provides an opportunity for students to develop an evidence-based practice project proposal that addresses a business problem, issue, or concern in professional practice. Students identify a problem amenable to research-based intervention; search literature; propose a solution; and develop a plan to implement the solution, evaluate its outcome(s), and disseminate the findings.

Entry Requirements

Applicants to university graduate programs may be accepted for admission by meeting one of the criteria specified below:

Degree Bearing Transcripts
---------------------------------------

An undergraduate degree from an accredited, GCU-approved college, university or program with a GPA of 2.8 or better on the degree-bearing transcript

OR

A graduate degree from an accredited, GCU-approved college, university or program

Test Scores
------------------

If students cannot meet the GPA requirement, they may still be eligible for admission by meeting certain graduate test scores:

Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT): 500
Graduate Record Examination (GRE): 1,000 combined verbal/quantitative, prior to August 2011; 300 combined verbal/quantitative, after August 2011

Other Fees

Show Less

The Masters degree in Nursing Health Systems Management prepares professional nurses to assume leadership roles in the complex and diverse environment of health services. The program provides students with nursing, health care administration and business skills essential for success as nursing executives and leaders.

Program Outcomes
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1. Effectively communicate and manage relationships at all levels building trust and collaboration.

2. Demonstrate personal and professional accountability and advocacy for the clinical enterprise and for nursing practice.

3. Effectively use business skills, technology and information systems to promote quality outcomes which articulate the link between metrics, goals and quality initiatives.

4. Apply knowledge of the healthcare environment including legal, ethical and regulatory processes, health policy and leadership theory to advocate for patients and the profession.

5. Demonstrate the ability to use systems thinking, foundational thinking skills, personal journey disciplines, and change theory to plan for the implementation of organizational change.

6. Incorporate research methods, data analysis and interprofessional perspectives to improve practice and promote health.

7. Evaluate and apply conceptual models relative to the practice of nursing leadership.

Entry Requirements

1. Must have earned a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university

2. Minimum GPA of 3.0 required for last 60 hours

3. Official GRE scores; no minimum score required

4. Must have access to working environment with children who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing

Other Fees

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