Program Overview

Program Overview

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.

Program Features

• Internships that shape your future: Full-time internship experiences range from working in hospitals and healthcare organizations to health insurance companies and nonprofit organizations.
• Develop a strong business foundation: As part of the health services administration curriculum, you’ll have the option to earn a minor in business to help prepare for the management side of healthcare.
• Education for the greater good: Benefit from a curriculum that emphasizes holistic learning, critical thinking, problem-solving, and ethical decision-making.
• Located in a city of opportunity: Our longstanding relationships with hospitals and healthcare organizations provide students with multiple out-of-classroom opportunities to learn from healthcare administrators.

Curriculum

The curriculum includes a range of courses such as:

• HESA 101: Intro to US Healthcare
• HESA 120: Healthcare Management and Human Resources
• HESA 201: Health Policy
• HESA 210: Healthcare Marketing & Strategic Management
• HESA 230: Health Care Finance
• HESA 320: HC Reimbursement Systems
• HESA 355: Quantitative Methods for HSA
• HESA 370: Professional Development
• HESA 380: Quality Mgmt & Perf Improvement
• HESA 401: Health Policy
• HESA 390: Foundations of HC Law & Ethics

Sample Courses

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.

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.

Outcomes

98% of Xavier students, including those in the health administration major, are employed or in grad school within 6 months of graduating (Class of 2023).

Alumni Employers

• 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

Career Preparation

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.

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.

Related Programs

All Health Service Administration Programs

• Master of Health Services Administration (MHSA): As the longest continuously CAHME-accredited program, the full-time Master of Health Services Administration (MHSA) program forms you to become a servant leader in healthcare.
• MHSA/MBA Dual Degree: Ambitious graduate students can earn both their master’s degrees in Health Services Administration and Business Administration through our dual degree program.
• Online Executive MHSA: Our 100% online Executive MHSA degree is for experienced clinical or non-clinical healthcare workers with at least three years of experience.
• Healthcare Quality & Process Improvement Graduate Certificate: Our 100% online graduate certificate equips you with the skills needed to enhance patient safety, foster a culture of continuous improvement, and lead transformative changes. Courses count toward EMHSA program.
• Health Services Administration Graduate Certificate: Gain a strong foundation in managing healthcare delivery organizations and position yourself for leadership roles with our 100% online, 12-credit hour graduate certificate. Courses count toward EMHSA program.

About Xavier University

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."