Today’s challenging health care environment is intensifying the need for more effective leadership that combines strategic awareness, visionary prowess, operational expertise, and knowledge of health policy. The MBA in Healthcare Leadership (MBA-HCL) is a 42 credit online program, designed to enhance students’ analytical, leadership, communication and problem solving skills while becoming proficient in the theory and practice of effective management of health care organizations. The program is ideal for:

• Healthcare executives and senior managers who seek hospital leadership positions
• Senior managers in health care fields, such as health insurance, pharmaceuticals, HMOs, and medical supply seeking to advance their knowledge and competencies
• Healthcare professionals and providers, for example, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, who aspire to leadership positions
• Allied health professionals, for example, rehabilitation therapists, imaging specialists, nutritionists, and public health specialists who seek leadership development
• Members of boards of directors seeking advanced knowledge of governance and core leadership competencies
• Professionals in such areas as legal, regulatory, marketing, HR, finance, IT, risk management, informatics, and patient relations who wish to contribute more fully to their organization’s vision, learn about the relationship of health policy to their role, and gain skills for advancement

Assessment

Once admitted to the MBA program, you will have an opportunity to generate up to 9 credits through independent direct assessment (IDA) exams. The IDAs allow you to demonstrate prior learning, academic and professional knowledge, and competence associated with three courses: Healthcare Economics, Healthcare Finance, and Health Information Management and Informatics. Information regarding the topics covered in each IDA, along with suggestions about how to prepare for the IDA exams, are provided. Faculty members with subject matter expertise evaluate student performance on the IDAs. Students who wish to take these exams must take them in the first term of their program. Since the exams are only offered in the fall and spring terms, students starting their program in the summer term will not have an opportunity to take them until the following fall and should plan accordingly.

Transfer Credit

After admission, students should discuss the possibility of transfer credit with their academic advisor. To request transfer credit, students complete the Transfer Credit Request Form available through the Quicklinks box of the Graduate Student Center on MySUNYEmpire.

Program Delivery and Tuition Rate

This master’s program is delivered through online courses and is billed at the MBA rate.

Admission

Admission to this program is selective. This program enrolls new students in the fall, spring, and summer terms.  Applicants should possess a bachelor's degree. The preferred professional background includes 2-4 years of experience in a managerial or clinical capacity in a health care environment or relevant experience in a related organizational setting.

PREREQUISITES

Any or all of the following prerequisites will be waived if the student has taken an undergraduate course in the area or has had professional experience in the area:

• accounting (3 credits)
• microeconomics (3 credits)
• statistics (3 credits)

Application

Please see the Graduate Admission section of this catalog for a complete listing of materials required to complete a graduate application.

Program Curriculum

The MBA in Healthcare Leadership consists of six core courses (18 credits), six elective courses (18 credits) based on student interest and which reinforce the individualized focus of the degree, and two capstone courses (6 credits) culminating in a final project.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Core Courses		18
HCLM 6005	Mastering Leadership in Healthcare Organizations
HCLM 6010	Analysis of Healthcare Markets & Health Policy
HCLM 6015	Health Information Management and Informatics
HCLM 6020	Healthcare Economics
HCLM 6025	Healthcare Financial Management
HCLM 6030	Quantitative Methods & Healthcare Operations Management
Elective Courses (six)		18
Capstone Courses		6
HCLM 7010	Evidence-based Decision Making in Healthcare Organizations
HCLM 7015	Strategic Executive Leadership for Healthcare Organizations
Total Credits		42

Enrollment Sequence

Students have flexibility in pacing through the program. The following is a suggested enrollment sequence¹:

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
Fall		Credits
HCLM 6005	Mastering Leadership in Healthcare Organizations	3
HCLM 6010	Analysis of Healthcare Markets & Health Policy	3
	Credits	6
Spring
HCLM 6015	Health Information Management and Informatics	3
HCLM 6020	Healthcare Economics	3
	Credits	6
Summer
HCLM 6025	Healthcare Financial Management	3
HCLM 6030	Quantitative Methods & Healthcare Operations Management	3
	Credits	6
Second Year
Fall
Elective 1		3
Elective 2		3
Elective 3		3
	Credits	9
Spring
HCLM 7010	Evidence-based Decision Making in Healthcare Organizations	3
Elective 4		3
	Credits	6
Summer
Elective 5		3
Elective 6		3
	Credits	6
Third Year
Fall
HCLM 7015	Strategic Executive Leadership for Healthcare Organizations	3
	Credits	3
	Total Credits	42

Electives

Some students use electives to broaden their exposure to new areas of knowledge, while others use them to increase their skills or knowledge in a particular area. The term registration information will provide you with a listing and description of electives offered through the School for Graduate Studies and those specific to the MBA-HCL program. Electives also are offered during the summer term. Sample electives include:  

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
HCLM 6023	Health Care Delivery & Reimbursement Systems	3
HCLM 6026	Comparative Health Care Systems	3
HCLM 6035	Healthcare Accounting	3
HCLM 6040	Competencies for Healthcare Ethics	3
HCLM 6045	Case Studies in Bioethics	3
HCLM 6050	Healthcare Legal & Regulatory Affairs	3
HCLM 6055	Healthcare Marketing Services	3
HCLM 6060	Healthcare Quality Control & Compliance Risk Management	3
HCLM 6065	High Performance Leadership	3
HCLM 6070	Human Resources Competencies in Healthcare	3
HCLM 6075	Managing Healthcare Systems	3
HCLM 6080	Health Policy & Management	3
HCLM 6085	Governance & Trusteeship	3
HCLM 7005	Healthcare Strategic Communication	3

¹

Students have the opportunity to assess out of 3 of the first courses of the program (HCLM-6015, HCLM-6020 and HCLM-6025) through independent direct assessment (IDA) exams. These exams must be taken in the first term of a student's program (fall or spring).

Upon successful completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Disciplinary Knowledge: Students will be able to integrate core functional knowledge to facilitate sound managerial decision-making;
• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: Students will be able to integrate theory and practice to analyze business problems through inference and evaluation;
• Strategic Thinking: Students will be able to use evidence-based practices to facilitate effective strategic decision-making processes;
• Leadership: Students will be able to manage organizational processes and transformational change effectively;
• Ethical Reasoning: Students will be able to apply theory and tools necessary for sound ethical reasoning;
• Understanding the Healthcare Ecosystem: Students will be able to integrate the needs of stakeholders, perspectives, trends, and developments that influence the direction of the industry;
• Managerial Communication: Students will be able to communicate effectively orally and in writing across managerial healthcare contexts and with diverse stakeholders; and
• Teamwork: Students will be able to contribute effectively to the achievement of organizational goals in a team environment.