Program in Health Care Administration
Website: https://twu.edu/business/mha/
Senior Associate Dean: Dr. Pushkala Raman, Professor
Location: CFO 508-Denton
Phone: 940-898-2755
E-mail: hca@twu.edu
The Masters in Healthcare Administration is a Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) accredited program offered on two TWU campuses, serving the Houston Metropolitan Area and the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Our hybrid program is designed to accommodate both working and full-time students. The thoughtfully designed curriculum includes a series of foundation courses to level incoming students with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and career interests. A series of placement assessments allow students the option not to have to complete one or more courses in the series. Three immersion courses are sequenced over the degree, with the balance of courses offered 100% online with or without synchronous or asynchronous web-based class sessions. The immersion sequence includes three courses that require students to complete pre- and post-course work while participating in 3-day in-person instruction on the Dallas or Houston campus or another off-site location.
Mission
The TWU MHA Program will provide affordable, nationally recognized, graduate-level preparation for students from a variety of backgrounds in order to prepare them for varying levels of management roles across the health industry spectrum.
Who We Are
The multi-campus program draws upon well-established relationships within the largest medical complex in the world in Houston and the esteemed medical complex in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, enabling the program to integrate best-of-class, leading-edge delivery into the student experience.
- We provide an inclusive environment that embraces the diversity of students and faculty.
- The program design allows for flexible enrollment, using a variety of instruction methods, and is tailored to the individual needs and backgrounds of the student.
- We prepare graduates to analyze and solve difficult problems and to formulate and implement leading-edge, socially responsible, and ethical decisions while encouraging habits of life-long learning in our students and for ourselves.
Vision
To graduate professionals who are prepared to lead within health organizations and proactively respond to the needs of their people and the populations they serve.
Values
We achieve our mission and strive toward our vision by practicing the following values:
- Professional Excellence: We value high-quality, student-centered teaching that fosters transformational learning to facilitate our graduates having cutting-edge knowledge, skills, and abilities.
- Critical Thinking: We value critical thinking skills needed to discover creative solutions to problems in business and society.
- Analytical Ability: We value a community of scholars who can evaluate data and make informed, innovative decisions in business, in the community, and in their personal lives.
- Teamwork and Collaboration: We value and respect meaningful service through purposeful partnerships, collective expertise and empowered leadership.
- Ethics: We value integrity, respect, caring, and well-being.
- Diversity: We honor and respect diversity in all forms in our networks and community as we advocate for and empower future generations of students. Together, we are responsible for creating a brighter future for women and individuals from diverse backgrounds to make our society a better place.
- Communication: We value open and transparent communication to foster collaboration and to empower everyone to provide their perspectives in solving problems.
Graduate Degrees Offered
Minors
Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) minor requirements are established by the Health Care Administration Program in consultation with the Merrilee Alexander Kick College of Business and Entrepreneurship. Specific student minor plans are established by the student’s academic and faculty advisor.
Faculty
The HCA Program is supported by full-time and adjunct faculty. All faculty are selected based on their academic preparation and proven success in the health sector.
Courses
Contact hours identified in the course descriptions are based on a 15-week term. Students who enroll in Summer or mini-terms are expected to meet the same total number of contact hours as a 15-week term.
HCA 5103. Foundations of Health Services. This course examines the structure and operation of the U.S. health industry and the political and social environment in which it exists. The health system will be analyzed in terms of cost, access, availability, quality, and appropriateness. Topics include the role of government in regulating health services; health insurance; types, categories and functions of various health organizations in the health care continuum; and human resources. Prerequisites: Placement exam and permission of instructor. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HCA 5223. Strategic Planning in Healthcare. Application of organization theory and strategic management concepts including Baldrige Criteria as they relate to a healthcare organization's strategic planning and long-term success. Topics include governance, competitive environment, distinctive essential planning techniques for health care organizations, vision, mission, goals and strategies, systems thinking, organization structure and design, putting the strategic plan into action, organizational effectiveness, change management, and data and analytical tools that support planning, and management roles. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HCA 5263. Advanced Financial Management for Health Care Administration. Examination of the foundations of health care financial management decisions through a combination of case analysis and readings from the literature of health care finance. The health care services industry has evolved from a retrospective cost-driven environment to a prospective rate-driven environment. The net effect of this change is to place health service providers at considerably greater financial risk than previously. Given the central role of financial risk in the industry, students must understand and be able to use financial analytical and planning tools to be successful health service organization managers. Emphasis is placed on understanding the role of risk in the financial decision-making process and on integrating the theory of financial decisions with practical problems in health care finance. Topics include capital markets and the risk-return relation, estimating the cost of capital, valuation models, capital structure decisions, and agency relationships. Prerequisites: HCA 5543 or FIN 5243. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HCA 5343. Human Resources Management in Health Care Administration. Human resources management issues, including strategic role of job analysis and design, recruitment, retention, diversity, performance appraisal, termination, recognition, compensation and development, and Human Resources legal issues relevant to health care organizations. Prerequisites: HCA 5103 or placement exam. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HCA 5393. Health Law and Ethics. Orientation to the American legal system principles and processes related to health law, professional liability, and informed consent. Application of health law to ethical principles and theories. Prerequisite: HCA 5103 or placement examination. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HCA 5443. Operations Analysis in Healthcare Administration. Concepts, techniques, and managerial approaches for improving health system performance. Productivity, efficiency evaluation, forecasting, project management, simulation, quality management (CQI-TQM, six-sigma), yield, waiting time, inventory management, strategy, and decision making. Prerequisites: HCA 5493 and 12 HCA credit hours. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HCA 5463. Research Methods for Managerial Decision Making. The research process and models available to conduct health services research. Topics include problem identification, computerized literature search, critique of research, theoretical and conceptual frameworks, research questions and hypothesis testing, research design, methodology, data analysis techniques, and ethical issues in research. Prerequisite: Knowledge of basic data visualization techniques, placement examination, and permission of instructor. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HCA 5473. Health Information Management. The role of information systems in health care organizations. This is not a technical course but rather an executive leadership course on managing an information technology resource. This course provides an introduction to the role of information technology (IT) in healthcare organizations, and its potential to transform health care operations and patient care. Students will gain insights into the business, legal/regulatory, and patient care/safety drivers toward investment in health care informatics; strategic planning and alignment with organizational goals; computer hardware, software and networks; clinical and administrative systems; techniques for product evaluation, selection and procurement; project management; sourcing and management of IT talent; data security and patient confidentiality; and current trends and opportunities in healthcare information technology (IT). Prerequisite: HCA 5223. Three lecture hours a week. Credit:Three hours.
HCA 5483. Population Health Management. Basic measures and determinants of epidemiology; incorporation of research findings into management decisions. Use of logic and assumptions to assess and understand the health status of populations, the determinants of health and illness, and the factors that influence the delivery and use of health services. Social epidemiology including social and behavioral aspects of health and illness, utilization of health services, and patient and practitioner roles. Prerequisite: HCA 5463 or placement examination. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HCA 5493. Performance Measurement and Quality in Health Care Administration. Basic measures and analysis of processes for quality and performance assessment utilizing qualitative and quantitative methods. Development of skills in evaluation methods and performance management with particular emphasis on the management of quality. Standard setting, performance assessment processes, and CQI/TQM. Prerequisites: HCA 5103, HCA 5463 or pass placement examination; 12 hours of HCA classes. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HCA 5513. Financial Accounting in Health Care Administration. Principles of accounting in healthcare; types of financial statements; recognizing and measuring transactions; assets, liability, and equity accounts; fund accounting; cash flow statements; financial statement analysis and time value of money. Prerequisites: Placement examination and permission of instructor. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HCA 5533. Management Accounting for Health Care Organizations. Principles and methods of cost allocation, job costing, cost-volume profit analysis, budgeting, variance analysis, profitability analysis, and relevant costs for decision-making in healthcare. Prerequisite: HCA 5513 or placement examination. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HCA 5543. Health Care Finance. This course introduces principles, concepts and applications of financial skills such as net present value, financial analysis and forecasting, risk, cash and capital budgeting, stock and bond valuations and healthcare premium development. This course integrates accounting principles and financial management principles and also promotes allowing students' ability to critically analyze and synthesize financial data (e.g., financial statements, ratios, planning, basic valuation, capital budgeting, cost of capital, and working capital) to improve decision-making process in healthcare operations. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HCA 5623. Economics of Health Care. Application of microeconomics principles to problems of resource allocation of health care products, services, and labor. Development of a foundation for understanding and evaluating health policy and its impact. A wide variety of topics are covered in the course, including supply-demand analysis, equilibrium, indifference curves, budget constraints, income and substitution effects, isoquants, cost curves, elasticity, market structures, production function and externalities. This course also discusses factors affecting escalating health care costs, such as socio-cultural and population aging trends, malpractice litigation, and medical technology development and adoption.Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HCA 5633. Health Policy Analysis. The course will review the definition and process of health policy making, as well as the impact of human values, politics, economics, and interest groups. Students will learn frameworks for analyzing and evaluating health policies. Students will examine the tools of economics as applied to policies for health system change and the limits of those tools. Prequisites: HCA 5103 (or placement examination), HCA 5463 (or placement examination), HCA 5483 and 12 HCA credit hours. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HCA 5743. Alternative Systems of Healthcare Delivery. Evolving relationships between the buyers, providers, insurers, patients, outcomes and regulators of health services across the globe. The dynamic domestic and historical processes that influence the delivery, price, utilization, quality, and accountability. Historical development of the U.S and other comparative global health systems. Care delivery systems, managed care trends, legal and regulatory issues, provider-payer-patient perspectives, insurance products, organizational structures, pricing and reimbursement strategies, quality, outcomes, cost, and utilization control. Prerequisite: Completion of 12 HCA credit hours or permission of instructor. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HCA 5763. Marketing for Health Services. This course provides an overview of consumer behavior and promotional techniques tailored for the healthcare industry. It covers branding, digital marketing, business development and market research to effectively promote services, enhance patient engagement, and drive organizational growth. Understanding healthcare consumer needs, patient experience, and referral patterns; utilizing social media, websites, and analytics to reach target audiences; aligning marketing initiatives with organizational goals, conducting SWOT analysis, and defining market segmentation; using data-driven methods to evaluate, monitor, and adapt marketing strategies; and development of a marketing plan. Prerequisite: Completion of 12 HCA credit hours. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HCA 5773. Seminar in Finance and Accounting in Health Care Administration. Special topics in finance and accounting in healthcare including the identification and development of novel innovative financial models and solutions. Analysis of causes related to complex health care accounting and financial management issues. Prerequisites: Permission of instructor. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HCA 5783. Interdisciplinary Models of Health Care. The evolving role of the interdisciplinary health care team and strategies team members use to provide comprehensive, quality care to the health care consumer and solve complex delivery problems. Rationale for the interdisciplinary approach, re-engineering and work redesign, professional autonomy, cross-training, and group dynamics. Prerequisite: Completion of twelve hours in HCA program or permission of instructor. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HCA 5793. The Continuum of Care. Examination of major practice settings in the U.S. healthcare system, including hospital, outpatient/physician practice, and long-term care within the context of operational aspects of administration for each setting from the perspectives of key stakeholders. The course provides a comprehensive overview of the integrated system of health services that tracks a patient's needs over time, ranging from prevention and primary care to acute, rehabilitative, and long-term care. Prerequisite: Completion of 12 core hours in the program. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HCA 5803. Issues and Trends in Health Care Administration. Group study of current issues and trends in Health Care Administration. Prerequisite: Completion of twelve hours in HCA program or permission of instructor. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HCA 5883. Professional Portfolio and Healthcare Career Competencies. This initial course in the HCA curriculum focuses on the integration of knowledge and application of leadership theories and management techniques. Students finalize and present standardized content of papers, projects, cases, internship activities, awards, and other related activities to provide evidence of cognitive, behavioral, and developmental characteristics. These are evidence of identified skills and competencies, demonstration of ability in core content areas, identification of relationship of skills to career path, reflection and integration of learning, personal growth, and development. The portfolio offers the student and faculty members a record of the skills acquired by the student, and documentation of the practical application of knowledge and theory to a student's career path. A 3-day in-person immersion weekend is required. This class should be taken by the student in their first or second semester. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HCA 5903. Special Topics. Organized study abroad course with each section's title and content varying with specific country studied and visited. May be repeated for credit when country varies.The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) ranks countries around the world and these studies focus on countries ranked in the top tier. This international health course offers opportunities to develop cross-cultural competencies for students with healthcare experience. Cross-cultural learning will be facilitated onsite for the students through lectures by local healthcare professionals, site visits, interactions with locals and diverse members of the student group, debriefing sessions onsite (cultural processing) and daily journaling of reflections. The students learn key facts about healthcare, specifically, historical and social development, governance (healthcare law, monitoring and policy, county councils, and the role of the patient), financing, and service provision (private vs. public, purchaser-provider split, and public health services). Also, the students analyze recent developments, such as the eHealth digital transformation as a driving force in reinventing healthcare, impact of patient choice, and integration of the needs of refugees. Prerequisite: Completion of 12 HCA credit hours. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HCA 5911. Independent Study. Advanced work in a specialized field of Health Care Administration. Prerequisite: Completion of twelve hours in HCA program and permission of instructor. Credit: One hour.
HCA 5912. Independent Study. Advanced work in a specialized field of Health Care Administration. Prerequisite: Completion of twelve hours in HCA program and permission of instructor. Credit: Two hours.
HCA 5913. Independent Study. Advanced work in a specialized field of Health Care Administration. Prerequisite: Completion of twelve hours in HCA program and permission of instructor. Credit: Three hours.
HCA 5933. Capstone in Health Care Administration. Final course in the HCA curriculum focusing on the integration of knowledge and application of theories, models, and techniques from preceding courses in the management of a health services organization. The management experience will be simulated and evaluated with the use of cases, problems, team case competitions simulating real life consulting projects, and individual presentation of the student's final leadership Portfolio and Career Workbook. Decision-making involves strategic, human resources, financial, planning, and operations. Prerequisites: HCA 5393 or BUS 5933, HCA 5223, HCA 5343, HCA 5443 or BUS 5663, HCA 5483, HCA 5493, HCA 5533 or ACCT 5433, HCA 5543 or FIN 5243, HCA 5623, HCA 5633, and HCA 5883; or permission of the program director. In person sessions required for personal presentation and case competition. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
HCA 5941. Internship. Internship in a health care organization under the supervision of a selected health care administrator and faculty. Prerequisite: Completion of twelve hours in HCA program. Four clinical hours a week. Credit: One hour.
HCA 5942. Internship. Internship in a health care organization under the supervision of a selected health care administrator and faculty. Project assignments are undertaken to integrate and apply administrative skills to practical problems. Prerequisite: Completion of twelve credit hours in HCA program and approval of faculty advisor. Eight clinical hours a week. Credit: Two hours.
HCA 5981. Fieldwork. Field experience with a health care organization under the supervision of a selected health care administrator and faculty. Prerequisites: HCA 5483 and completion of twelve hours in HCA program. Four clinical hours a week. Credit: One hour.
HCA 5982. Fieldwork. Field experience with a health care organization under the supervision of a selected health care administrator and faculty. Prerequisites: HCA 5483 and completion of twelve hours in HCA program. Eight clinical hours a week. Credit: Two hours.
