Master of Science in Health Care Administration (Accelerated)
The College of Health and Human Services and the College of Professional and International Education (CPIE) at CSULB have joint efforts to offer the Master in Health Care Administration Accelerated Program (MSHCA-AP).
Developed by an expert team of faculty and industry professionals, the MSHCA-AP is designed to prepare those with years of heath care work experience who are seeking professional growth or changing a career within the health care sector.
Launched in Fall 2004, the MSHCA-AP is a fully accredited CAHME program that follows a generalist approach in the design of its program. The program is conforming to academic accreditation criteria while admitting students with diverse backgrounds and experience. Students enrolled in a CAHME accredited program have access to vast resources and networking opportunities.
Similar to the Traditional Program, the MSHCA-AP program requires 45 credit hours consisting of 15 core courses. However, the program is a cohort program with a fixed sequence of courses, two courses per quarter and is completed in two year (see Accelerated Education Model course sequence). The program offers foundation courses at the start of the program and more advanced healthcare-specific courses later in the last year.
Today, the program has more than 300 alumni who have graduated from the Accelerated Program.
All applicants to either the MSHCA Traditional or Accelerated Program are required to meet the following minimum requirements for admission consideration:
1. A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution with a GPA of at least 3.0 in the last sixty units of undergraduate study. Accomplished candidates with slightly less than a 3.0 GPA will also be considered for admission.
2. A total of at least nine units of courses in financial accounting, microeconomics, and statistics must be completed before the first semester of graduate study (or in progress during the application process). These prerequisite courses must be completed within the last ten years. Note: a passing grade in the CLEP exam will fulfill our accounting and microeconomics prerequisites.
3. A minimum of five years working experience in the health care industry OR recent (within the last two years) GRE or GMAT score.*
*Note: This year, the Department of Health Care Administration will not require the GRE/GMAT due to the pandemic. If you are an international student OR have less than five years of experience, consider applying to the traditional program. If you have five or more years of experience, applicants should consider applying to the accelerated program.
Year 1
First Quarter: Fall
Orientation (No Credit)
1. HCA 502: The Health Care System (3)
Prerequisites: None.
2. HCA 505: Organization and Systems of Health Care (3)
Prerequisites: Health Care Administration majors only.
Second Quarter: Winter
3. HCA 510: Human Resources Mgmt. in Health Care (3)
Prerequisite(s): Health Care Administration majors only.
Prerequisite/Corequisite: HCA 502
4. HCA 515: Advanced Financial Management in Health Care (3)
Prerequisite: ACCT 201 or ACCT 500; HCA 502; Health Care Administration majors only.
Third Quarter: Spring
5. HCA 503: Health Care Economics (3)
Prerequisites: ECON 101 or ECON 300.
6. HCA 524: Advanced Legal and Ethical Aspects of Health Care (3)
Prerequisite: Health Care Administration majors only, HCA 502
Fourth Quarter: Summer
7. HCA 537: Managed Care (3)
Prerequisite: Health Care Administration majors only, HCA 502.
8. HCA 527: Research Methods in HCM (3)
Prerequisites: SOC 170 or equivalent statistics course, Health Care Administration majors only, HCA 502 and advancement to candidacy
Year 2
First Quarter: Fall
9. HCA 517: Advanced Healthcare Info Systems Management (3)
Prerequisites: Health Care Administration majors only, HCA 502.
10. HCA 530: Strategic Planning/Marketing in Health Care (3)
Prerequisites/Corequisites: HCA 502.
Second Quarter: Winter
11. HCA 536: Hospital Management (3)
Prerequisites: Health Care Administration majors only, HCA 502.
12. HCA 535: Quantitative Methods in Health Care Adm. (3)
Prerequisites: Health Care Administration majors only, HCA 502
Third Quarter: Spring
13. HCA 528 Managing Population Health (3)
Prerequisites: Health Care Administration majors only, HCA 502.
14. HCA 698: Project (3)
Prerequisites: Advancement to candidacy & completion of minimum 27 graduate units in HCA.
Fourth Quarter: Summer
15. HCA 550 Continuous Quality Improvement in Health Services (3)
Prerequisites: Health Care Administration majors only, HCA 502.
CSULB is a federally recognized Hispanic and Asian serving institution. The University prides itself on the diversity of its students. Our recruitment efforts for the MSHCA graduate program are in line with the overall University goals for recruiting diverse students.
Incoming profile of MSHCA-AP students
| Incoming semester | Admitted | Years | Average Years of Experience |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2018 | 20 | 3.13 | 8 |
| Fall 2019 | 20 | 3.16 | 7.33 |
| Fall 2020 | 28 | 3.06 | 7.62 |
| Fall 2021 | 25 | 3.29 | 4.8 |
| Fall 2022 | 26 | 3.26 | 7.75 |
Graduation/Post-Employment Profile
Most students who pursue the MSHCA degree complete the program in two to three years. Students enrolled in the accelerated program (MSHCA-AP) are enrolled as full-time students.
| Academic Year | Entered | % Dropped | Retention Rate | Three-Month Employment Rate Post-Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 18 | 6 | 94 | 100 |
| 2019-20 | 20 | 10 | 90 | 100 |
| 2020-21 | 25 | 4 | 96 | 100 |
| 2021-22 | 18 | 0 | 100 | IP |
| 2022-23 | 20 | 0 | 100 | IP |
- IP denotes student activity in progress.
- Retention Rate is defined as percentage of entering cohort that has graduated or is still enrolled in program
- Three-Month Employment Rate Post-Graduation is defined as percentage of entering cohort that is employed 3 months after graduation (please note students generally work full-time throughout program)
