Healthcare Administration/Business (BS/MBA)
Designed exclusively for Loyola University Chicago, the Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration and Master of Business Administration (MBA) dual-degree program allows students the chance to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees in a compressed timeframe. An MBA complements your healthcare administration studies, enabling you to become a more knowledgeable and evidence-based decision-maker and leader in the field. It also adds a stronger business element to your coursework, expands your business knowledge, and provides you with in-demand skills.
CURRICULUM
Students accepted into this program take two graduate-level MBA electives during their spring semester senior year. Students will work with the MBA Program Director to select and enroll in these courses.
BSHCA/MBA students complete the remainder of their MBA curriculum within approximately 12 months after their senior year beginning during the summer term directly following graduation.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BS Requirements | ||
| HSM 110 | Healthcare in America | 3 |
| HSM 120 | Essentials of Medical Terminology for Health Professionals | 1 |
| HSM 200 | Careers in Healthcare Administration | 2 |
| HSM 220 | Continuum of Healthcare Services | 3 |
| HSM 230 | Fundamentals of Health Equity | 3 |
| HSM 240 | Healthcare Workforce Environment | 3 |
| HSM 280 | Healthcare Management Ethics | 3 |
| HSM 310 | Healthcare Project Management | 3 |
| HSM 315 | Healthcare Quality & Performance Improvement | 3 |
| HSM 325 | Healthcare Fiscal Management | 3 |
| HSM 330 | Healthcare Legal & Regulatory Environment | 3 |
| HSM 338 | Healthcare Strategy and Marketing | 3 |
| HSM 340 | Health Care Policy | 3 |
| HSM 345 | Healthcare Data Analytics | 3 |
| HSM 350 | Healthcare Administration Capstone | 3 |
| HSM 358 | Health Services Research | 3 |
| HSM 360 | Healthcare Administration Field Internship | 6 |
| HSM 368 | Management of Healthcare Organizations | 3 |
| HSM 386 | Health Information Systems Management | 3 |
| PSYC 101 | General Psychology | 3 |
| ACCT 201 | Introductory Accounting I | 3 |
| ECON 201 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| FINC 301 | Introductory Business Finance | 3 |
| INFS 247 | Business Information Systems | 3 |
| ISSCM 241 | Business Statistics | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Principles of HR Management | ||
| Introduction to Entrepreneurship | ||
| Introduction to Supply Chain Management | ||
| Health Economics | ||
| MBA Requirements 1 | ||
| Prerequisite Knowledge 2 | ||
| Quantitative Methods 3 | ||
| Quantitative Methods II - Statistics Primer 4 | ||
| Introductory Courses | ||
| ACCT 400 | Financial Accounting for Business Decisions 5 | 3 |
| ECON 420 | Managerial Economics 6 | 3 |
| MARK 460 | Marketing Management 5 | 3 |
| FINC 450 | Financial Management 7 | 3 |
| SCMG 480 | Intro to Operations Management | 3 |
| Next Generation MBA Core | ||
| MARK 425N | Business Communication | 1.5 |
| MGMT 426N | Leadership Development | 1.5 |
| MARK 470N | Research, Insights and Storytelling | 3 |
| ISSCM 596N | Data Driven Decision Making | 3 |
| ETHC 441N | Business Ethics | 3 |
| MGMT 430N | Strategy and Leadership | 3 |
| HRER 417N | Managing and Motivating in the Workplace | 3 |
| MGMT 431N | Business Consulting Course | 3 |
| Three (3) MBA Electives | 9 | |
Through electives, you can shape your education for your personal career path and interests. Electives can be concentrated in a particular area of study (e.g., finance, marketing, human resources management, etc.) or across several areas of interest. | ||
| Total Hours | 123 | |
- 1
The Quinlan School of Business Graduate Program uses a quarter system rather than a semester system. The MBA program is an 16 course program (48 hours).
- 2
ISSCM 400 Quantitative Methods and ISSCM 402N Quantitative Methods II - Statistics Primer can be taken in the first quarter of the MBA degree if necessary.
- 3
Can be waived with grade of B or above in MATH 131 Applied Calculus I or MATH 161 Calculus I.
- 4
Can be waived with grade of B or above in STAT 103 Fundamentals of Statistics or ENVS 203 Environmental Statistics.
- 5
Can be taken as a free elective in senior year.
- 6
Prerequisite of ISSCM 400 Quantitative Methods or the equivalent can be waived with grade of B or above in ECON 201 Principles of Microeconomics & ECON 202 Principles of Macroeconomics
- 7
Prerequisite of ACCT 400 Financial Accounting for Business Decisions or the equivalent.
Suggested Sequence of Courses
The below sequence of courses is meant to be used as a suggested path for completing coursework. An individual student’s completion of requirements depends on course offerings in a given term as well as the start term for a major or graduate study. Students should consult their advisor for assistance with course selection.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | |
| PSYC 101 | General Psychology (Fulfills Tier 2 Societal & Cultural Knowledge) | 3 |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Spring | ||
| INFS 247 | Business Information Systems | 3 |
| ISSCM 241 or PSYC 304 |
Business Statistics or Statistics |
3 |
| ECON 201 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| HSM 110 | Healthcare in America | 3 |
| ACCT 201 | Introductory Accounting I | 3 |
| HSM 200 | Careers in Healthcare Administration | 2 |
| HSM 120 | Essentials of Medical Terminology for Health Professionals | 1 |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| HSM 230 | Fundamentals of Health Equity | 3 |
| HSM 310 | Healthcare Project Management | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Healthcare Management Ethics (Fulfills Tier II Philosophical Knowledge) 3 | ||
| Health Care Ethics (Fulfills Tier II Philosophical Knowledge) 3 | ||
| Hours | 9 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| HSM 368 | Management of Healthcare Organizations | 3 |
| HSM 345 | Healthcare Data Analytics | 3 |
| HSM 386 | Health Information Systems Management | 3 |
| FINC 301 | Introductory Business Finance 4 | 3 |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Spring | ||
| HSM 220 | Continuum of Healthcare Services | 3 |
| HSM 240 | Healthcare Workforce Environment | 3 |
| HSM 358 | Health Services Research | 3 |
| HSM 338 | Healthcare Strategy and Marketing | 3 |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| HSM 315 | Healthcare Quality & Performance Improvement | 3 |
| HSM 330 | Healthcare Legal & Regulatory Environment 3 | 3 |
| HSM 340 | Health Care Policy | 3 |
| Business Elective 5 | 3 | |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Spring | ||
| HSM 325 | Healthcare Fiscal Management 6 | 3 |
| HSM 350 | Healthcare Administration Capstone | 3 |
| HSM 360 | Healthcare Administration Field Internship | 6 |
| ACCT 400 | Financial Accounting for Business Decisions | 3 |
| MARK 460 | Marketing Management | 3 |
| Hours | 18 | |
| Fifth Year | ||
| Complete remaining MBA requirements in consultation with Advisors. | 39 | |
| Hours | 39 | |
| Total Hours | 123 | |
- 1
Students assigned to UCWR 110 Writing Responsibly for spring should take a CORE in the fall
- 2
Students assigned to UCWR 110 Writing Responsibly for fall should take a CORE in the spring
- 3
PHIL 284 Health Care Ethics or HSM 280 Healthcare Management Ethics is a prerequisite to HSM 330 Healthcare Legal & Regulatory Environment.
- 4
Statistics (ISSCM 241 Business Statisticsor PSYC 304 Statistics), ECON 201 Principles of Microeconomics and ACCT 201 Introductory Accounting I are prerequisites to FINC 301 Introductory Business Finance.
- 5
Business Electives: ECON 329 Health Economics, ENTR 201 Introduction to Entrepreneurship, HRER 301 Principles of HR Management, or SCMG 232 Introduction to Supply Chain Management.
- 6
FINC 301 Introductory Business Finance is a prerequisite to HSM 325 Healthcare Fiscal Management.
- 7
Students are strongly encouraged to use program electives toward the following course HSM 210 Introduction to Global Healthcare Delivery.
Guidelines for Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Programs
Terms
- Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s programs: In this type of program, students share limited credits between their undergraduate and graduate degrees to facilitate completion of both degrees.
- Shared credits: Graduate level credit hours taken during the undergraduate program and then applied towards graduate program requirements will be referred to as shared credits.
Admission Requirements
Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s programs are designed to enhance opportunities for advanced training for Loyola’s undergraduates. Admission to these programs must be competitive and will depend upon a positive review of credentials by the program’s admissions committee. Accordingly, the admission requirements for these programs may be higher than those required if the master’s degree were pursued entirely after the receipt of a bachelor’s degree. That is, programs may choose to have more stringent admissions requirements in addition to those minimal requirements below.
Requirements:
- Declared appropriate undergraduate major,
- By the time students begin taking graduate courses as an undergraduate, the student has completed approximately 90 credit hours, or the credit hours required in a program that is accredited by a specialty organization,1
- A minimum cumulative GPA for coursework at Loyola that is at or above the program-specific requirements, a minimum major GPA that is at or above the program-specific requirements, and/or appropriate designated coursework for evaluation of student readiness in their discipline.2
Students not eligible for the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program (e.g., students who have not declared the appropriate undergraduate major) may apply to the master’s program through the regular admissions process. Students enrolled in an Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program who choose not to continue to the master’s degree program upon completion of the bachelor’s degree will face no consequences.3
Ideally, a student will apply for admission (or confirm interest in proceeding towards the graduate degree in opt-out programs) as they approach 90 credit hours. Programs are encouraged to begin advising students early in their major so that they are aware of the program and, if interested, can complete their bachelor’s degree requirements in a way that facilitates completion of the program. Once admitted as an undergraduate, Program Directors should ensure that students are enrolled using the plan code associated with the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program. Using the plan code associated with the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program will ensure that students may be easily identified as they move through the program. Students will not officially matriculate into the master’s degree program and be labeled as a graduate student by the university, with accompanying changes to tuition and Financial Aid (see below), until the undergraduate degree has been awarded. Once admitted to the graduate program, students must meet the academic standing requirements of their graduate program as they complete the program curriculum.
- 1
Programs that have specialized accreditation will adhere to the admissions criteria provided by, or approved by, their specialized accreditors.
- 2
The program will identify appropriate indicators of student readiness for graduate coursework (e.g., high-level performance in 300 level courses). Recognizing differences between how majors are designed, we do not specify a blanket requirement.
- 3
If students choose not to enroll in the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program, they still must complete all of the standard requirements associated with the undergraduate degree (e.g., a capstone).
For more information on Admissions requirements, visit here.
Curriculum
Level and progression of courses. The Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s programs are designed to be competitive and attractive to our most capable students. Students admitted to Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s programs should be capable of meeting graduate level learning outcomes. Following guidance from the Higher Learning Commission, only courses taken at the 400 level or higher (including 300/400 level courses taken at the 400 level) will count toward the graduate program.1,2 Up to 50% of the total graduate level credit hours, required in the graduate program, may come from 300/400 level courses where the student is enrolled in the 400 level of the course. Further, at least 50% of the credit hours for the graduate program must come from courses that are designed for and restricted to graduate students who have been admitted to a graduate program at Loyola (e.g., enrolled in plan code that indicates the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program, typically ending with the letter “D”).3
In general, graduate level coursework should not be taken prior to admission into the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program. Exceptions may be granted for professional programs where curriculum for the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program is designed to begin earlier. On the recommendation of the program’s Graduate Director, students may take one of their graduate level courses before they are admitted to the Accelerated Bachelors/Master’s program if they have advanced abilities in their discipline and course offerings warrant such an exception.4 Undergraduate degree requirements outside of the major are in no way impacted by admission to an Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program.5
Shared credits. Undergraduate courses (i.e., courses offered at the 300 level or below) cannot be counted as shared credits nor count towards the master’s degree. Up to 50% of the total graduate level credit hours, required in the graduate program, may be counted in meeting both the undergraduate and graduate degree requirements. Of those shared credits, students in an Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program should begin their graduate program with the standard introductory course(s) for the program whenever possible. So that students may progress through the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program in a timely manner, undergraduate programs are encouraged to design their curriculum such that a student can complete some required graduate credit hours while completing the undergraduate degree. For instance, some of the graduate curriculum should also satisfy electives for the undergraduate major.
The program’s Graduate Director will designate credit hours to be shared through the advising form and master’s degree conferral review process. Shared credit hours will not be marked on the undergraduate record as having a special status in the undergraduate program. They will be included in the student’s undergraduate earned hours and GPA. Graduate credit hours taken during the undergraduate program will not be included in the graduate GPA calculation.
- 1
If students wish to transfer credits from another university to Loyola University Chicago, the program’s Graduate director will review the relevant syllabus(es) to determine whether it meets the criteria for a 400 level course or higher.
- 2
Programs with specialized accreditation requirements that allow programs to offer graduate curriculum to undergraduate students will conform to those specialized accreditation requirements.
- 3
In rare cases, the Graduate Director may authorize enrollment in a 400-level course for a highly qualified and highly motivated undergraduate, ensuring that the undergraduate's exceptional participation in the graduate class will not diminish in any way the experience of the graduate students regularly enrolled.
- 4
For example, if a particular course is only offered once every 2-3 years, and a student has demonstrated the necessary ability to be successful, the Graduate Director may allow a student to take a graduate level course to be shared prior to the student being formally admitted to the graduate program. See, also, footnote 3.
- 5
Students should not, for example, attempt to negotiate themselves out of a writing intensive requirement on the basis of admission to a graduate program.
Graduation
Degrees are awarded sequentially. All details of undergraduate commencement are handled in the ordinary way as for all students in the School/College/Institute. Once in the graduate program, students abide by the graduation deadlines set forth by the graduate program. Students in these programs must be continuously enrolled from undergraduate to graduate degree program unless given explicit permission by their program for a gap year or approved leave of absence. In offering the option of an Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program, the university is making possible the acceleration of a student’s graduate degree completion. It should be understood that students may not request deferral of their matriculation into the Master’s degree program. If students would like to delay their graduate studies after earning the undergraduate degree, they may apply for admission to the traditional master’s degree program. Any application of graduate credit earned while in the undergraduate program is subject to the policies of the graduate degree granting school.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Integrative Business Knowledge: Graduates will be proficient in integrating the techniques, processes, and procedures of the fundamental business disciplines (accounting, economics, finance, marketing, management, human resource management, operations management, and information technology). They will be able to apply theory, skills, and knowledge from these disciplines to business practice.
- Critical Decision Making: Graduates will demonstrate their capacity for critical analysis in processing, interpreting, and managing the quantitative and qualitative information necessary for effective managerial decision making.
- Ethics and Responsible Leadership: Graduates will understand how to be a leader in business who exhibits personal integrity, ethical awareness, and an ability to apply ethical principles to business practice.
- Global Perspective and Awareness of Diversity: Graduates will have a global perspective by recognizing international business issues and appreciating diversity, including culture, race, religion, and gender.
- Communication: Graduates will be able to communicate effectively, orally. Graduates will be able to communicate effectively, in writing.