Curriculum
To encourage students to continue working in their health care environments, while obtaining their degrees, the CSUN MHA program allows students to enroll in 2-4 courses per semester. The average student completes the program in 3 years, while taking 3 courses a semester. This educational model, which consists of a minimum of 45 units, accommodates the work schedules of professionals.
Faculty that teach graduate courses use a variety of teaching and learning methodologies that emphasize active student participation to develop competencies. These methods include, but are not limited to in-class presentations, case studies, team activities, external field experiences, strategic/consulting projects, reflective learning, readings, lectures, guest speakers, class discussions, and web modules. Course work is evaluated using a range of assessment methods, which include, but are not limited to case/project review and feedback, journals, experiential reports, class participation, exams, and papers/reports.
If an applicant is accepted with a “Classified” status, it means that they have no pre-requisites to be taken and can begin to take the core MHA courses. Classified status means they have an undergraduate degree that shows evidence of meeting basic skills and knowledge areas in health administration.
If an applicant is reviewed and accepted into the MHA program, and they do not have a health administration or closely related field of study, a pre-requisite set of courses will be designed for each accepted candidate. The applicant will be admitted as “Conditionally Classified” and must complete the individually designed pre-requisite program within 12-units in the program. Depending on the course sequence the student picks, this could take 1-2 semesters. The pre-requisite program generally consists of a combination of the following:
- An accounting course (can be taken at a community college)
- A statistics courses (can be taken at a community college)
Required Courses
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| HSCI 513 | Leadership in Health Administration Practice | 3 |
| HSCI 515 | Seminar in Healthcare Information and Management Systems | 3 |
| HSCI 517 | Health Economics and National Health Policy | 3 |
| HSCI 521 | Managerial Ethics and Healthcare Law | 3 |
| HSCI 523 | Seminar in Health Care Organizations | 3 |
| HSCI 613 | Managing Change in Health Care Organizations | 3 |
| HSCI 614 | Health Administration: Financial Management | 3 |
| HSCI 615 | Information Management for Decision Making and Control | 3 |
| HSCI 616 | Quality Assurance in Health Care | 3 |
| HSCI 618 | Strategic Planning in Health Administration | 3 |
| HSCI 619 | Third Party Payer Impact on Health Delivery | 3 |
| HSCI 693A&C | Supervised Field Training | 2 |
Electives (6 units)
Students take 2 courses, as electives, with approval from the graduate coordinator to enhance their educational model.
Culminating Experience (3 units)
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| HSCI 697 | Directed Comprehensive Studies - Students are required to take a written and oral comprehensive examination that demonstrates mastery of curriculum competencies | 3 |