Online Bachelor’s in Healthcare Management CurriculumOnline Bachelor’s in Healthcare Management CurriculumOnline Bachelor’s in Healthcare Management Curriculum

Healthcare management covers the leadership and general management of hospitals and other healthcare facilities in order to deliver quality healthcare to patients. To achieve this, healthcare managers must provide direction and support to divisions, departments, units, or services within these facilities.

The ultimate goal of a healthcare manager is to achieve high performance in the operational entities within his or her sphere of influence. An online program for a degree in healthcare management provides a sound launching pad for a career in the healthcare industry. Our program also offers an optional certificate in senior living management, so you can develop more specialized leadership skills and expand your career search.

Maryville University Online B.S. in Healthcare Management Curriculum

The online Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management program at Maryville University strives to prepare students for lifelong healthcare management careers.

Learn more about Maryville’s Online B.S. in Healthcare Management curriculum offerings here:

Healthcare Management Core

  • This course lays the foundation of the healthcare system as it relates to healthcare management. It focuses on the history, evolution, and development of the present American health care system including the role of the various health care providers.

  • Students will examine operational concepts related to delivering quality, consistent, and cost-effective patient care within a variety of organizations and across the healthcare system. Topics include finances, project management, patient flow performance management, process improvement and supply chain management.

  • A course in professional standards for practice managers. Participants in this course will gain knowledge of how to effectively communicate within healthcare settings. Consideration will be giving to understanding the range of stakeholders in healthcare settings, the impact of social media, how to effectively communicate with patients and families, and the role of communicating for purpose and policy change. Students will develop personal communication skills and gain understanding of the importance of collaborative problem-solving, cultural sensitivity, and the need for continuous learning through presentations, case studies and written assignments.

  • Course description coming soon.

  • Human resources management includes legal, behavioral, and administrative aspects of personnel management. Students will enhance their managerial skills through deeper understanding of recruitment and retention of personnel, training and evaluation practices, compensation and benefit systems, in addition to the impact of legal and regulatory environment.

  • This course is an in-depth examination of quality and regulatory compliance issues associated with a healthcare practice environment. It offers a broad base of foundational compliance knowledge with real-world solutions, as well as the study and application of regulatory requirements for quality and performance improvement. Topics include an overview of the OIG recommended Compliance Program for Physicians, coding/billing and reimbursement issues, and discussions related to compliance with regulations and statutes, e.g.,OSHA, CLIA, HIPAA Privacy and Security, and other quality-based programs affecting healthcare such as pay-for-performance and RAC programs. Students will explore quality improvement techniques with an emphasis on the roles of patient and health professional in improving healthcare delivery, outcomes tracking, analysis, and impact on practice performance and patient care.

  • Revenue cycle management is critical to the success of the medical practice. In addition, the coding aspect of provides a basis for billing and quality assessment. Practice topics include the evolution and current practice of ICD diagnosis coding, procedure coding, coding guidelines, how codes are used for claims submission and processing, determining medical necessity, payment methodologies and accounts receivable management strategies.

  • Students will learn about the evolution of software and technology in the healthcare environment and learn how to identify what technology is appropriate based on the needs, size, specialty and sophistication of a medical practice. They will also gain an understanding of federal mandates, such as “MACRA”, “MIPS”, etc., relate to technology. A discussion of privacy and security standards as related to HIPAA, including the application of HIPAA requirements as related to healthcare management software, will be undertaken. Students will learn how to maneuver through the software and technology selection, negotiation and implementation process through case studies and written assignments.

  • Course participants will examine decision making along the legal and ethical dimensions of practice management. Course concepts include the current health care environment and the types of practices and licensing and certification of health care professionals; criminal law and torts that are relevant to the health profession, , as well as ethical theories, morality, employee and patient rights and responsibilities, consent, legal reporting, professional liability, and end-of-life issues. Additionally, students will explore various risk management strategies, including the development, implementation, and maintenance of policies and procedures to prevent or minimize the impact of adverse events.

  • This course applies financial management principles to practice management and healthcare systems. Topics will include resource allocation, cost analysis, and funding sources as well as how financial decisions are made, reported, and implemented in practice management.

  • Patient partnership and engagement is the key to a successful practice and healthcare system. In this course, students will have the opportunity to examine formal and informal programs and strategies used to make this partnership and engagement enhance the medical practice’s performance, quality care and outcomes, and patient satisfaction.

  • This introductory survey course provides an overview of public health in the United States, its core functions, and specific health issues that impact the health of the population.

  • The Practicum is designed to give students the opportunity to learn about practice management by immersing themselves in the daily activities of a practice management professional. During the practicum, students often observe meetings, work collaboratively on site projects, conduct informational interviews, with the goal of increased understanding of the profession and potential career paths. Specific assignments during the practicum will be tailored to the opportunities available at the assigned site.

  • The capstone project is the culmination of the student academic experience. In this course students will examine current healthcare policy and emerging trends. They will be asked to identify a current problem, initiative, or issue in healthcare practice management and analyze that topic from multiple perspectives drawing on knowledge gained throughout the program. The goal of the capstone is to develop a deeper understanding of a topic of importance in practice management, to study available options, programs, and relevant research, and to generate and present practical solutions to clients and colleagues.

Senior Living Management Certificate

  • This course lays the foundation of the healthcare system as it relates to healthcare management. It focuses on the history, evolution, and development of the present American health care system including the role of the various health care providers.

  • This course provides a multidisciplinary perspective of the biological, psychological and sociocultural aspects of aging. An overview of the issues that significantly impact the older adult, their family and society is presented. The demographic profile of America’s older adult serves as a basis for explaining issues related to physical and mental health changes, role transitions, care and living arrangements for the older adult.

  • Knowledge of normal and abnormal age-related change is essential to professional practice in many disciplines. This course explores the processes of aging, using several theoretical frameworks and practice models to promote understanding of the biophysical and psychosocial domains of the aged person. Strategy and intervention toward health promotion is emphasized.

  • The behavioral, affective, cognitive, physiological and causative theories of delirium and dementia are presented. The assessment of individuals with cognitive impairment and interventions for the related disorders are discussed. The course also examines the effects of Alzheimer’s Disease on the total family functioning. The impact of this disease on the physical, emotional and social health of the caregiver is explored. Caregiver burden is defined and ways of assisting the caregiver are outlined.

  • The student will learn the history and current state of long-term care regulations and the dynamics that led to their implementation. The class will focus on the CMS State Operations Manual, OSHA, Life Safety Code, malpractice trends, end-of-life issues, and other laws and regulations that govern long-term care.

    Prerequisite: SRLM-212 or SRLM-220

Choose one of the following:

  • This course provides an overview of the senior services industry and the different forms of senior health care and living services. Students will learn about the day-to-day management of assisted-living communities, including resident care, operations, funding, staffing, successful marketing and community relations. Students will also examine the future of the industry and approaches to creating next generation of assisted-living services.

  • This course provides students with a foundation in nursing home administration with emphasis on operations management, environment, finance/reimbursement, care delivery and other topics related to the long term care clients and the greater community.

To ensure the best possible educational experience for our students, we may update our curriculum to reflect emerging and changing employer and industry trends. Undergraduate programs and certificates are designed to be taken at a part-time pace. Please speak to your advisor for more details.

Ready for your next step?

Get Admission Requirements

Skills, concepts, or opportunities gained with a bachelor’s in healthcare management degree

A typical healthcare management curriculum includes the following areas to develop a student’s skills and knowledge:

  • Professionalism and communication between healthcare workers and patients. The quality of communication between healthcare workers and patients can ultimately improve health outcomes. Positive relationships will increase a patient’s capacity to follow through with medical advice, self-manage a chronic medical condition, and adopt preventive measures to improve health. Students can learn the value of professional communications in all their dealings with patients and other healthcare workers.
  • Healthcare compliance and quality in a value-based care system. Ethics and compliance with healthcare standards and legal requirements are essential for quality care. A compliance and ethics program is mandatory under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Students may learn the critical importance of these three aspects—compliance, ethics, and quality—in healthcare management.
  • Privacy and tech-related security as tied to HIPAA. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) imposes regulations for the protection of privacy and security of health information. Whereas the privacy aspect of HIPAA focuses on an individual’s right to control the use of personal information, the security regulation focuses on the administrative, physical, and technical safeguarding of patient data.
  • Population health management. Population health management is a discipline within healthcare management that studies healthcare information and facilitates healthcare delivery for individuals, groups of people, or the general population. The primary goal of population health management is to gather and analyze clinical data across many healthcare settings to identify opportunities to improve both the patient’s health and the provider’s financial outcomes.

Common courses for bachelor’s in healthcare management students

The following courses are typical for a healthcare management curriculum:

Patient Partnering/Population Health Management. Any successful medical practice or healthcare system depends on patient partnership and engagement. In this course, students may gain the opportunity to examine formal and informal programs and strategies to facilitate this partnership and engagement. Students may also learn how to enhance the performance of a medical practice, provide quality care and outcomes, and improve patient satisfaction.

Healthcare Informatics. During this course, students can learn about the evolution of software and technology. They may also gain an understanding of which technologies are appropriate based on the needs, size, specialty, and sophistication of a medical practice. Students can also learn about how applicable federal mandates, such as PQRS and Meaningful Use, relate to medical practice technology. The course covers the application of HIPAA requirements as related to practice management software and includes a discussion of HIPAA privacy and security standards. Students may undertake case studies and written assignments to learn how to maneuver through the software and technology, negotiation, and implementation process.

Healthcare Compliance and Quality. Quality and regulatory compliance issues associated with a healthcare practice are examined in depth during this course. Students are offered a broad base of foundational compliance knowledge with real-world solutions. They may also gain an insight into the study and application of regulatory requirements for quality and performance improvement. Course topics typically include an overview of the OIG-recommended Compliance Program for Physicians, coding and billing, and reimbursement issues. The course also usually covers discussions related to statutory and regulatory compliance, such OSHA, CLIA, and HIPAA Privacy and Security, as well as other quality-based programs affecting healthcare, such as pay-for-performance and RAC programs. Students may explore quality improvement techniques, with an emphasis on the roles of patients and healthcare professionals in improving healthcare delivery; outcomes tracking; analysis; and the impact on practice performance and patient care.

Professionalism and Communication in the Healthcare Setting. Students may gain knowledge of the different stakeholders in healthcare settings and the importance of effective communication. The course may cover the impact of social media, effective communication with patients and families, and the role of communicating for purpose and policy change. Students can develop their communication skills while gaining an understanding of the importance of collaborative problem-solving, cultural sensitivity, and the need for continuous learning through presentations, case studies, and written assignments.

Be Brave

Bring us your ambition and we’ll guide you along a personalized path to a quality education that’s designed to change your life.