The Bachelor of Science in health management (BSHM) at Wichita State University is certified by the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA) and is available as a hybrid or a 100 percent online program. This degree offers a pathway into entry- and mid-level management careers in hospitals, long-term care facilities, or public health organizations. It also provides a strong foundation for graduate education in health administration, public health or aging studies.
Students begin progress toward their degree by completing courses that build foundational knowledge and work closely with a faculty advisor to select one or more required concentrations. These concentrations provide advanced skills and knowledge in the following areas:
- Aging services;
- Business;
- Healthcare operations;
- Health sciences;
- Public health; and
- Senior living.
To ensure real-world readiness, successful graduates of the BSHM program also complete:
- A capstone project;
- An applied learning professional portfolio; and
- A 160-hour practicum educational work experience.
Additionally, qualified students have the option to advance their education through the accelerated master’s degree programs in health administration or aging studies. These programs allow students to apply 9 credit hours toward both their bachelor's and master's degrees, further accelerating their educational and career goals.
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 admitted to the Bachelor of Science (BS) in health management are assigned both a college advisor and a faculty advisor within the program. Early in their studies, students are encouraged to choose at least one of five concentrations—aging studies, business, healthcare operations, health science, or public health—to avoid extra or unnecessary courses. While students should declare their concentration before enrolling in any concentration-specific courses, they are not restricted to a single concentration. The program can be completed entirely online or in a hybrid format, blending online and in-person classes.
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 and can be taken for credit towards the accelerated bachelor’s to master’s degree in aging studies.5
- The aging services (AS) option prepares students for a variety of positions in senior centers, and nonprofit or for-profit aging organizations.
- The senior living (ASL) option prepares students to complete the administrator-in-training practicum or operator's license after completion of the BS in health management.
- The business (BUS) concentration equips students with fundamental business skills tailored to the healthcare industry, focusing on key areas such as finance, marketing and organizational management. It also lays a solid foundation for graduate education in healthcare administration.
- The healthcare operations (HCO) concentration prepares students for entry-level management positions, with a focus on optimizing operational processes. It also provides a strong foundation for graduate education in healthcare 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.
- 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.
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 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.
Aging Services 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Aging Services Concentration | ||
| PHS 512 | Aging Across Cultures | 3 |
| PHS 560 | Care Networks and Services | 3 |
| PHS 617 | Community Development Methods | 3 |
| Culminating Experience | ||
| PHS 494 | Practicum Preparation 4 | 0 |
| PHS 485 | Capstone | 3 |
| PHS 495 | Practicum | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 15 | |
Senior Living Concentration
The senior living concentration prepares students for entry level management positions within senior living communities. Students interested in upper-level management positions within senior living will be eligible 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 518 | Healthcare Coordination | 3 |
| PHS 562 | Senior Living Operations | 3 |
| PHS 626 | Hospitality and Enrichment in Aging Communities | 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 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.
Business Concentration
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Business Concentration Courses | ||
| Select three courses from the following for a total of 9 credit hours | 9 | |
| Financial Accounting | ||
| Managerial Accounting | ||
| Legal Environment of Business | ||
| Principles of Macroeconomics | ||
| Principles of Microeconomics | ||
| Principles of Management | ||
| Marketing | ||
| Culminating Experience | ||
| PHS 494 | Practicum Preparation 7 | 0 |
| PHS 485 | Capstone | 3 |
| PHS 495 | Practicum | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 15 | |
Healthcare Operations Concentration
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare Operations 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 8 | 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 9 | 0 |
| PHS 485 | Capstone | 3 |
| PHS 495 | Practicum | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 15 | |
Public Health Concentration
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Public Health Required Courses | ||
| PHS 416 | Foundations of Environmental Health | 3 |
| PHS 617 | Community Development Methods | 3 |
| PHS 618 | Population Health Analytics | 3 |
| Culminating Experience | ||
| PHS 494 | Practicum Preparation 10 | 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 Portfolio11 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.