The Bachelor of Science degree in Healthcare Leadership & Administration is designed for individuals with associate's degrees in the healthcare disciplines, and also for individuals who are certified or soon-to-be U.S. certified, licensed, or registered in healthcare professions. It prepares healthcare practitioners to function in a dynamic healthcare delivery environment and builds on current knowledge and skills for personal and professional growth and leadership. This unique degree expands upon one's prior healthcare education and experience in a student-centered flexible online environment. The curriculum focuses on supervising employees, leading teams, planning, solving problems, evaluating healthcare delivery methods and systems, exploring new sectors of healthcare, and enhancing one's personal and professional growth.
Effective Fall 2024
- School of Nursing & Health Sciences
- Bachelor of Science Degree (B.S.)
Available Online via Distance Learning- More Information about Healthcare Leadership & Administration
Career Opportunities
This degree offers opportunities within disciplines or healthcare systems to expand clinical roles or seek positions in leadership, management, administration, public health, research, medical equipment sales, health-related education, business, and related training. Students may also complete this degree in order to apply for master's level degrees in fields such as healthcare administration, education, business, occupational therapy, and pre-medical studies.
Special Admissions Requirements
Admission into this major requires a completed associate's degree in a healthcare-related discipline or a current U.S. health credential.
- For those seeking entry based on a completed associate’s degree, the completed curriculum must include at least 30 credits of discipline-specific healthcare coursework in addition to any general education coursework.
- For those seeking entry based on a current U.S. health credential, the initial credentialing requirements must have included a minimum of 900 hours of prescribed non-credit coursework or training.
Current Penn College students enrolled in healthcare-related associate-degree majors may be eligible to declare a dual degree with Healthcare Leadership & Administration; please see the appropriate associate-degree program director for information.
Credentialed students must provide a copy of their current U.S. healthcare credential prior to enrollment in this major (an extension may be given for those awaiting formal notice of credential status until the beginning of their second semester of this major); students entering on the basis of their associate's degree must provide proof of the associate's degree via an official transcript prior to enrollment. U.S. healthcare credentials must be current and in good standing. For more information on the credentials that are accepted as well as their exact value (30-47 credits), please contact the department head of Healthcare Leadership & Administration. Please note that credits given for a healthcare credential are separate from any general education coursework
the student may have completed previously.
Please see the Transfer Procedures section below for more information about the additional credits that may be available.
Special Equipment Needs
Students must have access to a computer with consistent Internet access. Technical requirements are as follows:
- Windows 11 or higher (recommended).
- Intel Core i5 or i7 (generation 10 or higher) processor (recommended).
- 8+ GB RAM (recommended).
- 250+ GB Solid State Disk (SSD) drive (recommended).
- Laptop/computer must include a webcam and microphone (required).
- Laptop/computer must include a wireless network card (required).
- Broadband Internet connection when working off campus (required).
- Additional plug-ins may be required (Information Technology Services Service Desk available for assistance).
- Chromebooks and other devices running Chrome OS are prohibited.
Remediation Strategies
All incoming students must meet placement requirements in math. Students are expected to remediate any deficiencies as explained in the College Catalog (see https://www.pct.edu/catalog/admissions-policy).
Transfer Procedures
Student transcripts and healthcare credentials will be evaluated for professional credit by the Registrar's Office. A maximum of 47 credits will be applied toward the pre-program requirement through this evaluation. Students who receive fewer than 47 pre-program credits will take additional healthcare-related coursework to meet the proven credential/degree requirement of this major; individualized advising will be provided to determine which courses will best meet the student's goals.
Additionally, all general education courses that meet College requirements will be eligible for transfer according to College policy. The total number of transfer credits applied to the program cannot exceed the number of earned credits shown on the student’s external transcripts. Transfer courses must have been completed with a grade of C (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) or higher. A minimum of 36 bachelor degree credits must be Penn College credits, and 24 of those must be at or above the 300-level.
In most cases, international health credentials/licensure, science courses, and math courses will not be accepted to satisfy requirements of this major. Those with international credentials who are actively practicing as U.S. healthcare professionals should contact the program about the possibility of enrollment with appropriate documentation from the U.S. employer. Please see additional information for international students applying to the School of Nursing & Health Sciences majors.
Program Goals
A graduate of this major should be able to:- demonstrate personal accountability for ethical dilemmas and cultural concerns within the realm of healthcare practice.
- apply effective administrative and leadership skills to solve problems and lead change in the healthcare setting.
- evaluate the effectiveness of educational plans in a given allied healthcare setting.
- assess and improve processes relating to effective and efficient operation of medical practices.
- lead collaborative, interdisciplinary responses to change within the healthcare industry.
- compare expenditures and outcomes within the U.S. healthcare system to those within the healthcare systems other industrialized nations.
- evaluate a given quality assurance program for optimal effectiveness.
- design a systematic investigative research process to identify and address a problem or to study a topic of interest in the healthcare environment.
Performance Standards
No minimum GPA requirements beyond those established within the College's academic probation policy. The School of Nursing & Health Sciences grading scale is used for all HTH courses. There is no rounding of grades.
A = 90.00-100.00
B = 80.00-89.99
C = 75.00-79.99
F = 74.99 and below
Curriculum
| Pre. Program | Credits | Notes | Lecture | Lab/Clinical | M/S | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BAH | Proven Credential or Degree | 47 | M | BAH | |||
| TOTAL CREDITS | 47 | ||||||
| Fifth Semester | Credits | Notes | Lecture | Lab/Clinical | M/S | Type | |
| ENL111 | English Composition I | 3 | 3 | S | REQ | ||
| SPC | Speech Elective | 3 | S | SPC | |||
| MNA | Math Elective (MTH123 or Higher) | 3 | S | MNA | |||
| SCL | Science Elective with lab | 4 | S | SCL | |||
| CSC124 | Information, Technology & Society | 3 | 3 | S | REQ | ||
| HTH325 | Healthcare Delivery Systems | 3 | 3 | M | REQ | ||
| TOTAL CREDITS | 19 | ||||||
| Sixth Semester | Credits | Notes | Lecture | Lab/Clinical | M/S | Type | |
| ENL121 | English Composition II | 3 | 3 | S | REQ | ||
| or | |||||||
| ENL201 | Technical & Professional Communication | 3 | 3 | S | REQ | ||
| ARP | Core Arts Perspective | 3 | S | ARP | |||
| OEE | Exploration Elective | 3 | S | OEE | |||
| HTH311 | Medical Practice Administration | 3 | 3 | M | REQ | ||
| HTH382 | Ethical & Legal Issues Related to Medicine | 3 | 3 | M | REQ | ||
| HTH313 | Healthcare for Aging Populations | 3 | Writing Enriched Requirement | 3 | M | REQ | |
| TOTAL CREDITS | 18 | ||||||
| Seventh Semester | Credits | Notes | Lecture | Lab/Clinical | M/S | Type | |
| SSP | Core Social Science Perspective | 3 | S | SSP | |||
| MTH159 | Statistics for Health & Behavioral Sciences | 3 | 3 | S | REQ | ||
| SCI | Science Elective | 3 | S | SCI | |||
| OEE | Exploration Elective | 3 | S | OEE | |||
| HTH338 | Quality Assurance in Healthcare | 3 | 3 | M | REQ | ||
| HTH442 | Leadership of Healthcare Delivery Systems | 3 | 3 | M | REQ | ||
| TOTAL CREDITS | 18 | ||||||
| Eighth Semester | Credits | Notes | Lecture | Lab/Clinical | M/S | Type | |
| HIP | Core Historical Perspective | 3 | S | HIP | |||
| HLA | Directed Healthcare Leadership & Administration Electives | 6 | M | HLA | |||
| HTH378 | Leading Multidisciplinary Healthcare Teams | 3 | 3 | M | REQ | ||
| HTH321 | Application of Teaching & Learning Styles in the Allied Health Professions | 3 | 3 | M | REQ | ||
| HTH497 | Senior Capstone | 3 | Writing Enriched Requirement | 3 | M | REQ | |
| TOTAL CREDITS | 18 | ||||||
Additional Information
The course sequence above is the suggested progression for full-time students; the major can be completed on a part-time basis, with students taking as few or as many courses as desired each semester.
For graduates of or students dually enrolled in one of the following Penn College associate degree majors, the pre-program BAH requirement (proven credential or degree) will be satisfied as noted below. These courses may not be used to satisfy any other requirement of the Healthcare Leadership & Administration major.
Occupational Therapy Assistant: All OCT courses, PSY203
Paramedic Science: All PMP courses, MTR 104, PSY111/SOC111
Physical Therapist Assistant: All PTA courses, PSY111, MTR100
Radiography: All RAD courses, PHS222
Surgical Technology: All SGT courses, HTH126 (or HTH125), HTH127 (or HTH115), BIO201 and MTR104