BS in Health Management
The Bachelor of Science in health management (BSHM) offers a pathway into entry and mid‐level management careers in a hospital, long-term care facility or public health organization and serves as a foundation for success in graduate education in health administration, public health or aging studies. Students begin progress towards their degree by completing courses to build foundational knowledge and work with a faculty advisor to select one or more required concentrations to add advanced skills and knowledge in aging studies, clinical business management, health sciences or public health. Successful graduates of the BSHM additionally complete a capstone, applied learning professional portfolio and 160-hour practicum educational work experience. Qualified students have the option to advance their education through the dual/accelerated master's degree programs in health administration or aging studies. These programs allow students to use nine specified credit hours towards both the bachelor's and master's degree.
Program Learning Objectives
- Communication: Communicate healthcare information, in oral and written forms using appropriate media tailored to specific audiences.
- Analytic Assessment: Use healthcare information for analysis and decision making.
- Healthcare Policy and Administration: Describe the evolution of the healthcare system and roles and issues across local, national and global health systems.
- Evidence Based Practice and Quality Improvement: Demonstrate how to connect and use data to promote, protect and assure improved health outcomes and knowledge.
- Leadership and Management: Exhibit an understanding of healthcare leadership, management and policy.
- Health Equity and Justice: Describe social, behavioral, cultural and environmental factors that impact health.
- Professionalism: Demonstrate a commitment to professionalism, ethics, stewardship and lifelong learning in healthcare.
Admission
Students admitted to WSU with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.000 or higher may self-select the Bachelor of Science in health management.
Program Requirements
Students choosing to study health management are admitted to the Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in health management. They are assigned a college advisor and a faculty advisor in the degree program. Students are advised to choose one of the four concentrations (aging studies, public health, health administration or health science) early in their progress toward the degree to avoid taking extra or unnecessary classes. Students should select a concentration before enrolling in any concentration specific courses.
BS in health management concentrations:
- The two aging studies concentrations prepare students for either a career in aging services or for management in senior living communities. Both options prepare students for graduate education in aging studies.
- The general aging studies (AGEG) option prepares students for a variety of entry level positions in senior centers, and nonprofit or for-profit aging organizations.
- The senior living management (AGESL) option prepares students to complete the administrator in training practicum or operator's license after completion of the BS in health management. This concentration can be taken for credit towards the dual accelerated bachelor's to master's degree in aging studies.
- The public health (PH) concentration prepares students for a variety of entry level positions in state and local health departments or health-related nonprofit and for-profit organizations and graduate education in public health.
- The health administration (HA) concentration prepares students for a variety of entry level management positions in nonprofit and for-profit clinical health care organizations and graduate education in health administration.
- The health science (HS) concentration prepares students for a variety of professional healthcare positions providing clinical, laboratory and sales support through government, academic and private organizations.
Students must be in the final year of their program of study and must be health management majors to take PHS 485 or PHS 495. Students enrolled in PHS 495 are required to purchase professional and general liability insurance coverage. The cost of this insurance is included in the university's comprehensive fee schedule and is part of the fee requirements for this major.
A minimum total of 120 credit hours is required for the BS in health management. Students in the health management program are required to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.000, with no individual program course generating a grade less than 1.700 credit points per credit hour. In addition to meeting the requirements of the WSU General Education Program and the requirements of the College of Health Professions, students in the BS in health management program must take the following courses:
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education | ||
| Select courses to meet General Education requirements 1 | 34-35 | |
| Health Management Required Courses | ||
| MLS 203 | Medical Terminology 2 | 2-3 |
| or MLS 303 | Medical Terminology | |
| PHS 100 | Introduction to Aging Studies 2 | 3 |
| PHS 101 | Introduction to Public Health 2 | 3 |
| PHS 310 | Introduction to U.S. Healthcare and Administration 2 | 3 |
| PHS 325 | Epidemiology | 3 |
| PHS 326 | Emerging Global Healthcare Issues | 3 |
| PHS 344 | Culturally Informed Healthcare | 3 |
| PHS 356 | Foundations of Healthcare Policy, Law and Ethics | 3 |
| PHS 408 | Adaptive Leadership | 3 |
| PHS 410 | Health Communication | 3 |
| PHS 428 | Healthcare Organization | 3 |
| PHS 442 | Foundations of Healthcare Finance | 3 |
| PHS 448 | Foundations of Healthcare Quality | 3 |
| PHS 621 | Effective Management in Healthcare 3 | 3 |
| PHS 622 | Human Resource Management in Healthcare 3 | 3 |
| Concentration | ||
| Select one of the concentrations below | 15 | |
| Open Electives | ||
| Select enough electives to reach 120 credit hours | 25-27 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 120 | |
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Required major courses may also count towards General Education requirements. Students will need to select additional electives to reach 120 credit hours required for graduation with assistance from an advisor.
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These should be the first courses students complete in the degree program.
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These courses can be used in the Dual/Accelerated BS in health management to Master of Health Administration. Consult with the director of graduate programs (phs@wichita.edu) prior to taking PHS 621 and PHS 622 to apply and create your plan of study.
General Aging Studies Concentration
This concentration is for students interested in entry-level positions with community services focused on serving the aging population. Community services can include senior centers, local or state agencies on aging, or other non-profits focusing specifically on the senior population.
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Aging Studies Concentration | ||
| PHS 404 | Psychology of Aging | 3 |
| PHS 405 | Sociology of Aging | 3 |
| PHS 406 | Biology of Aging | 3 |
| Culminating Experience | ||
| PHS 494 | Practicum Preparation 4 | 0 |
| PHS 485 | Capstone | 3 |
| PHS 495 | Practicum | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 15 | |
Senior Living Management Concentration
This concentration can be taken for bachelor's credit only or for dual undergraduate/graduate credit within the Dual/Accelerated Bachelor's in health management to Master's in aging studies program. The senior living management concentration prepares students for the PHS 660 Administrator-in-Training Long-Term Care Practicum or a Long-Term Care Operators License course after completing the BS in health management.5
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Senior Living Management Concentration | ||
| PHS 560 | Community Resources and Aging Network | 3 |
| PHS 562 | Senior Living Operations | 3 |
| PHS 626 | Senior Living Hospitality | 3 |
| Culminating Experience | ||
| PHS 494 | Practicum Preparation 6 | 0 |
| PHS 485 | Capstone | 3 |
| PHS 495 | Practicum | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 15 | |
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- For more information about application to the Dual/Accelerated Bachelor's in health management to Master's in aging studies, contact the director of graduate programs phs@wichita.edu.
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PHS 494 must be successfully completed for enrollment in PHS 495.
Public Health Concentration
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Public Health Required Courses | ||
| PHS 416 | Foundations of Environmental Health | 3 |
| PHS 617 | Public Health Practice | 3 |
| PHS 618 | Population Health Analytics | 3 |
| Culminating Experience | ||
| PHS 494 | Practicum Preparation 6 | 0 |
| PHS 485 | Capstone | 3 |
| PHS 495 | Practicum | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 15 | |
Health Administration Concentration
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Health Administration Required Courses | ||
| PHS 478 | Foundations of Healthcare Economics | 3 |
| PHS 447 | Healthcare Operations | 3 |
| PHS 407 | Foundations of Healthcare Informatics | 3 |
| -OR- If pursing the accelerated MHA take PHS 807 for dual credit. | ||
| Culminating Experience | ||
| PHS 494 | Practicum Preparation 6 | 0 |
| PHS 485 | Capstone | 3 |
| PHS 495 | Practicum | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 15 | |
Health Science Concentration
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Health Science Required Courses | ||
| PHIL 327 | Bioethics | 3 |
| PHS 300 | Careers in Healthcare | 3 |
| PHS 331 | Principles of Diet and Nutrition | 3 |
| Culminating Experience | ||
| PHS 494 | Practicum Preparation 6 | 0 |
| PHS 485 | Capstone | 3 |
| PHS 495 | Practicum | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 15 | |
Graduation
Students majoring in department of public health sciences undergraduate programs (health science and health management) must fulfill Applied Learning Portfolio activities to successfully complete their degree. Evidence of completed activities along with written entry for each activity is required. You can find information about the Applied Learning Portfolio7 on the public health sciences' website. Questions about the Portfolio may be sent to the undergraduate program director at phs@wichita.edu.
To be eligible for graduation from Wichita State University, students must have 120 acceptable credit hours toward their degree and a grade point average (GPA) in the major of 2.000. Students transferring from a two-year college must complete at least 45 credit hours of upper-division coursework to qualify for graduation. Public health sciences (PHS) policy requires a program cumulative GPA of 2.000 with no individual program course generating a grade less than 1.700 credit points per credit hour.
For a program handbook and answers to questions about the program, contact the undergraduate coordinator by email: phs@wichita.edu, by phone at 316-978-3060, or visit the department of public health sciences website.7
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Departmental Honors Program
Scholarship and research are encouraged at the undergraduate level. Students who meet the qualifications should explore adding the honors program to their undergraduate major. Students who are not PHS majors and are involved in the Cohen Honors College, should contact the PHS department for permission to enroll in these courses, as appropriate.
Admission requirements include:
- Status as a PHS major;
- An overall GPA of 3.500 in all major coursework;
- A one-page, double-spaced letter describing reasons for applying to the honors track, goals and potential benefits to participating in the program; and
- Agreement by a PHS faculty member to mentor the final project.
Honors Program Requirements
Students admitted to the PHS honors track must complete the following:
- Maintain a 3.500 cumulative GPA in all major coursework;
- Be a participating member of the Health, Education, Advocates for Leadership, Teamwork and Humanity (HEALTH) student organization;
- Maintain a portfolio of assignments, activities and reflections throughout the honors track;
- Complete and present a mentored scholarly activity during the last year of the program by enrolling in a 1-3 credit hours of PHS 401H Field Research Public Health Science Honors; and
- Enroll in and complete the honors assignments with a minimum of 12 credit hours of PHS coursework selected from the following options:
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PHS 325H | Epidemiology Honors | 3 |
| PHS 344H | Culturally Informed Healthcare Honors | 3 |
| PHS 356H | Foundations of Healthcare Policy, Law and Ethics Honors | 3 |
| PHS 408H | Adaptive Leadership Honors | 3 |
| PHS 410H | Health Communication Honors | 3 |
Students who have previously taken the courses above without honors can contact their advisor to see how they can earn honors credit.
Applied Learning
Students in the BS in health management program are required to complete an applied learning or research experience to graduate from the program. The requirement can be met by completing the following program course requirements: PHS 485 Capstone and PHS 495 Practicum.