Healthcare Administration (Online)

For admission into Alvernia’s online healthcare management degree, you must have a 2.0 GPA or higher. To apply:

• Speak to an enrollment counselor
• Complete an application
• Provide evidence of high school completion/graduation. Documentation may include high school transcript, diploma, GED scores, or equivalent.*
• Submit official transcripts of all previous college work (if applicable)
• Submit a copy of DD214 from military (if applicable)

*This requirement may be waived if an official college transcript is provided to validate completion of 15 credits or more from an accredited school.

There are options to assist in financing your education and making the tuition affordable. Visit our Student Financial Services page for a detailed overview of the process, including a link to complete the FAFSA application, as well as more information about tuition, the tuition payment plan and the tuition deferment program we offer. Alvernia’s Title IV code for the FAFSA is 003233. The Office of Student Financial Services is available to help with any questions you may have. Call 610-796-8201 or email sfs@alvernia.edu.

Our healthcare administration online degree program develops your managerial skills as it teaches business and healthcare administration aspects of the industry from both practical and ethical standpoints. Through business courses, you’ll learn fundamentals of accounting, finance, business law, management and economics. As you specialize in healthcare administration, you’ll learn topics such as:

• Fundamentals of healthcare science, including medical ethics, legal obligations and the human body
• Critical thinking and writing for healthcare science
• The importance of health literacy for patients, providers, society and communities and how to overcome its barriers
• Organizational principles and practices for managing health service organizations, including risk management, medical terminology and strategic planning
• The U.S. healthcare system and the strengths and challenges within it
• As a requirement of our online healthcare administration degree, you will complete a capstone course. Through this capstone, you will research and develop a healthcare science project that aligns with your professional goals.

The online healthcare administration degree is made up of a total of 123 credits. The Liberal Arts Core makes up 31 to 55 of the program’s credits, and the major requires 48 credits, including an elective course in criminal justice.

Liberal Arts Core (31-55 credits)

• All Alvernia University students are required to complete between 31-55 credits toward the Liberal Arts Core. Transfer work may be applicable for this area. As part of the application process, students receive specific information regarding remaining credits. Students entering the program with 70 or more transfer credits or an associate degree must complete 31-55 Liberal Arts Core credit hours.

General Elective Requirements (as needed)

• A total of 123 credits, including three credits in a human diversity course, are required to earn a bachelor’s degree. To adhere to Franciscan values, community service hours are also required.

Core Requirements (57-58 credits)

• BUS 101: Financial Accounting* (3 credits)
• BUS 206: Management Principles* (3 credits)
• BUS 207: Marketing Principles* (3 credits)
• BUS 342: Business Law (3 credits)
• BUS 410: Financial Markets (3 credits)
• BUS 411: Corporate Finance (3 credits)
• BUS 426: Strategic Management (3 credits)
• BUS 438: Business Seminar (3 credits)
• HCS 300: Writing for Healthcare Science (3 credits)
• HCS 330: Healthcare Literacy and Advocacy (3 credits)
• HCS 400: Healthcare Systems and Policy (3 credits)
• HCS 410: Community Health Organization and Administration (3 credits)
• HCS 430: Healthcare Science Capstone (3 credits)
• ECON 248: Macroeconomics (3 credits)
• ECON 249: Microeconomics (3 credits)

Select one of the following:

• BUS 200: Managerial Accounting I (3 credits)
• BUS 250: Accounting Principles (3 credits)

Select one of the following:

• MAT 208: Introductory Statistics (3 credits)
• MAT 209: Probability and Statistics (3 credits)

Select one of the following:

• BUS 280: Human Resource Management (3 credits)
• HCS 340: Healthcare Science Management (3 credits)

* C grade or higher is required for starred courses.

• Alvernia University’s Business Department programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools & Programs (ACBSP).
• Alvernia is an accredited institution and a member of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). MSCHE is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

After earning your Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management online, you can pursue a variety of careers, including:

• Ambulatory surgical centers
• Assisted living facilities
• Birthing centers
• Freestanding clinics
• Home healthcare agencies
• Managed-care organizations
• Nursing homes
• Physician practices
• Public health centers
• Retirement centers
• Medical equipment companies
• Insurance companies
• Pharmaceutical companies
• Hospital and nursing home administrators
• Personal care home and assisted living managers
• Health insurance employees

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of medical and health services managers is projected to grow 28 percent from 2021 to 2031, much faster than average for all occupations. The median annual wage in 2021 was $101,340.