Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Leadership

Today’s health care environment demands more of its leaders than ever before: deep understanding of economics, health policy, information management systems, patient satisfaction, ethics and legal issues and interprofessional collaboration, as well as knowledge of how it all fits together while transitioning to evidence-based accountable care systems. Through the MBA in Healthcare Leadership, you will gain valuable skills and competencies for effective management and executive leadership. Students can also incorporate an advanced certificate into their degree program and earn a second credential.

Ideal for:

• health care executives and senior managers who seek hospital leadership positions
• physicians who aspire to hospital or medical practice leadership
• senior managers in health care-related fields, such as health insurance, pharmaceuticals, HMOs and medical supply, seeking to advance their knowledge and competencies
• clinical professionals who seek to strengthen their management skills

Advantages

• Finish more efficiently. Students can “test out” of courses through assessment of knowledge and prior learning. Accordingly, they learn precisely what they need to know for excellence in management.
• Learn from distinguished faculty. The program’s designers co-authored the most up-to-date text on health care leadership. Our faculty includes a former hospital executive with consulting experience in strategic planning and market development, a prolific author of multiple works on healthcare leadership, a former director of healthcare marketing, an assistant New York state attorney general, and a physician who chaired a large clinical program in one of New York City’s largest health care systems. All faculty members are actively engaged in real-world health care settings, as well as in the classroom.
• Enjoy flexibility. Students take all courses online and participate in two executive retreats.
• Specialize. Students can couple their MBA program with a graduate certificate program in areas in which they need in-depth expertise.
• Graduate with a plan. In the capstone experience, students use what they have learned to develop a strategic plan for a vital initiative within their own organizations.

Program Details

The 42-credit program consists of three overlapping phases:

1. Students’ skills are assessed against the latest models of health care leadership to identify areas for further development.
2. Students gain knowledge in critical areas of functional expertise.
3. The capstone experience enables students to integrate functional knowledge with managerial competency in developing a plan of strategic value for their organizations.

Online instruction is blended with two executive retreats; the first retreat is held in Saratoga Springs, where students have exceptional opportunities for networking, problem solving and learning from industry experts. The second is  an online, virtual retreat. Qualified students may obtain up to 9 credits through assessment exams.

Prerequisites

To be considered for admission, applicants must have a bachelor’s degree in a pertinent field from a regionally accredited university or college, and prior coursework or equivalent experience in statistics (3 credits), macroeconomics/microeconomics (3-6 credits) and accounting (3 credits). Applicants accepted into the program who do not have coursework or experience in these areas will be advised as to how to incorporate relevant coursework into their academic plan.

The preferred professional background includes 3-5 years of experience in a managerial or clinical capacity in a health care environment or relevant experience in a related organizational setting.

Required Courses

• HCLM 6005 - Mastering Leadership in Healthcare Organizations
• HCLM 6010 - Analysis of Healthcare Markets and Health Policy
• HCLM 6025 - Healthcare Financial Management
• HCLM 6020 - Healthcare Economics
• HCLM 6015 - Health Information Management and Informatics
• HCLM 6030 - Quantitative Methods and Healthcare Operations Management

Executive Retreats

Students in the MBA in Healthcare Leadership attend two executive retreats as part of their program; one face-to-face (usually two days) and one virtual/online. The face-to-face retreat will be held in Saratoga Springs and will include lectures, breakout sessions and industry experts as featured speakers. The second, synchronous, virtual retreat will be held on a date announced during registration periods. More information about the MBA in Healthcare Executive Retreats is available.

Elective Courses and Final Project

You choose six elective courses (18 credits) based on your interests and which reinforce the individualized focus of your degree. The final project is developed in a capstone sequence consisting of two courses (6 credits): Evidence-based Decision Making and Strategic Executive Leadership for Healthcare Organizations.

Students may choose to incorporate an appropriate advanced certificate into their master’s degree to support their focus area.