American University - Online Master of Science in Healthcare Management (or Graduate Certificate)

The School of Professional and Extended Studies at American University offers an online Master of Science in Healthcare Management, as well as a Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Management. Both programs cover the top three skills identified by the healthcare industry as the most necessary for their employees: communication and presentation, strategic decision-making, and data analysis.

The MS in Healthcare Management seeks to prepare students for immediate entry into the workforce by following a specific curriculum method termed the Professional Studies Experience, or PSE. The four-phase program covers core, field professional, elective, and capstone courses in that sequence. The courses are influenced by an advisory council of healthcare professionals who ensure students gain skills in ethical decision-making, teamwork, critical thinking, effective communication, problem-solving and more. In addition, the cohort-based program ensures collaboration and connection over the duration of the program.

The MS in Healthcare Management and the Graduate Certificate are 100% online with no campus visits required, although there is an optional immersion on campus for the course Data-Driven Decision Making. The MS degree consists of 30 credits and can be completed in 20 months. The certificate consists of 12 credits and can be completed in 9 to 12 months.
Those wishing to earn the graduate certificate can then apply those credits toward the full MS in Healthcare Management.

American University delivers courses asynchronously through lecture and guest speaker presentations. Online material includes assignments and examinations. Peer/faculty interaction takes place through IM, email, discussion boards, and other multimedia tools. All new students participate in an online orientation to learn how to access the necessary applications and materials. During the final capstone course for the MS in Healthcare Management, students work with an organization in the healthcare industry in an area of interest to complete a capstone project under the supervision of a faculty mentor.

Courses for the Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Management are Data-Driven Decision Making, Standards and Systems in U.S. Healthcare, Principles of Health Information Technology & Innovation, and Evaluating New Models of Care Delivery & Payment.

In addition to the courses for the graduate certificate, the MS in Healthcare Management includes the following courses: Innovation Through New Technologies; Intercultural Communication for Professionals; Project Cost-Benefit Analysis; Professional Ethics & Project Leadership; Evaluation: Quantitative Methods; and Healthcare Management Capstone. Students in the MS program also choose an elective course from choices such as Strategic Management of Sports Organizations; Decision Making and Change Management; Teams and Virtual Teams; Instructional Design Principles and Practices; and Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS).

American University is accredited by the Middle States Association (MSA).