BS in Healthcare Administration

“I don’t think you can go into healthcare administration without having a heart for people. You have to have a heart for wanting to see sick patients get well.” —Joyner Bousquet ’20, healthcare administration major

Developing Service-minded Healthcare Administrators of Tomorrow

Samford’s healthcare administration major is focused on developing leaders who are prepared to immediately enter the workforce or pursue a graduate degree. Students will engage in service learning, team building, professional networking activities and internship experiences.

"This major combines my passion for healthcare and business. Throughout my classes, I discovered the best thing about healthcare administration—a career that allows you to be on the business side of helping people."Claire Dufresne ’19 healthcare administration

Using an innovative and dynamic curriculum, faculty equip students with competencies in communication and relationship management, leadership, professionalism, knowledge of the healthcare system, and business knowledge and skills.

Objectives and Curriculum

Samford’s healthcare administration major provides students with a foundation in business, leadership and interpersonal skills. It is uniquely focused on nurturing service-minded leaders who have a global leadership perspective and a call to serve the community.

Students will graduate with the knowledge, skills and experience to:

Understand business principles and practices necessary to deliver quality healthcare
Apply servant leadership characteristics and attributes
Demonstrate the highest professional and ethical standards
Use communication, interpersonal problem solving and conflict resolution skills effectively in interprofessional teams
Understand healthcare issues that affect different segments of the healthcare patient population

Plan of Study

Fast-track Master of Healthcare Administration

Students interested in earning a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Healthcare Administration can take advantage of our fast-track program, enabling you to earn two degrees in just five years.

Competency Based Education

Healthcare administration education is a competency-based curriculum. The competency model is based upon the ACHE Healthcare Executive Competencies and Assessment Tool developed by the Healthcare Leadership Alliance and the American College of Healthcare Executives. The curriculum is designed for students to achieve targets established in each of the competencies, communication, leadership, professionalism, business knowledge and healthcare systems, with unique specializations at the undergraduate level.

Is the Healthcare Administration Degree for Me?

Healthcare administration is perfect for students who want to combine their interests in both healthcare and business. This major is well-matched for students who are called to service-minded leadership. They are strong communicators, detail-oriented, effective with administrative duties and activities and have robust interpersonal skills. Finally, healthcare administration is a pathway that allows graduates to care for patients beyond the bedside.

What Makes Us Different?

Interprofessional Approach

Samford’s healthcare administration major utilizes the expertise of all disciplines within the School of Public Health, including health information management and public health. This collaborative nature provides a diversity of discussion, faculty expertise and resources.

In addition, the School of Public Health is one of four schools that comprise Samford’s College of Health Sciences, and through interprofessional education, students are empowered to learn alongside their peers in a variety of programs. This commitment reflects today's team based approach to patient care, and ensures that students learn about, from and with the individuals who will one day be their colleagues.

A Commitment to Service

Students have opportunities to complete service projects together each semester. Student organizations, such as This is Samford H.E.A.L.T.H., organizes and leads a service project each year. Service opportunities are also communicated with students regularly.

Distinctively Christian

Samford’s Christian mission encourages students to consider the needs of the whole person—mind, body and spirit—in the work they do and accomplish. In the field of healthcare administration, this mindset elevates the need for professionals with strong ethical principles who value integrity, service-minded leadership and understanding.

ACHE Student Membership

We are a proud supporter of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). The ACHE is an international professional society of more than 49,000 healthcare executives who lead hospitals, healthcare systems and other healthcare organizations. All Samford Healthcare Administration students also receive the following ACHE benefits:

An ACHE student membership: This membership allows students to gain industry experience in their degree pursuits through education, certifications, and networking. More information on an ACHE membership can be .

Career Preparation

Internships

At Samford, we know there is no substitute for experiential learning. Internships are a critical tool that combine what a student learns in the classroom with real-life experience. As a part of the curriculum, students are required to complete two internship placements, totaling at least 240 hours of field experience. Faculty work directly with students to ensure their internship placements align with their interests and career goals.

Professional Development

Opportunities for professional development and fellowship abound, including student membership in the American College of Healthcare Executives, attendance at conferences, case competitions, student organization leadership and service projects.

Career Pathways

The healthcare administration major is designed to prepare students to serve in entry-level management positions in a diverse field of healthcare businesses and organizations, including:

Hospitals and health systems
Consulting firms
Insurance
Local, state and federal government agencies
Long-term care
Nonprofit organizations or foundations
Pharmaceutical companies
Medical group practices
Medical sales
Healthcare entrepreneurship

Accolades & Alumni

Program Recognitions

2018 New Program Member of the Year from the Association for University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA).
Recognized as model self-study by AUPHA
Selected by Upsilon Phi Delta, the national academic honor society for students in healthcare administration, to present the 2020 Undergraduate Scholarship to a current undergraduate student.
Selected by AUPHA to present the 2021-22 Bugbee-Falk Book Award to a current undergraduate student.
2022 Upsilon Phi Delta Undergraduate Grant Recipient
Student are prepared and accepted into traditional Master of Healthcare Administration programs across the country.

Student Accolades

91果冻's John Pittman Award recipient
91果冻's James M. Sizemore Award recipient
Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) scholarship recipient
Acceptance into the 2022 American Enterprise Institute's Summer Honor Program
Received top honors at 91果冻's 2022 Student Research Colliqua
Top finisher in the Alabama Academy of Sciences Conference, social sciences category

Alumni Careers

While the number of alumni is small for this new program, Samford’s healthcare administration alumni have graduated and begun careers with:

Beckton Dickinson (BD)
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama
Brookdale Senior Living
Dicerna Pharmaceuticals
Emory Healthcare
Grandview Medical Center
MediCopy
Norwood Clinic
R1 RCM
Rotochopper Mid-Atlantic
Sequel Electrical Supply
Stryker
Surgical Dermatology Group
Urology Centers of Alabama

Our graduates have continued their education by completing Samford’s online Master in Healthcare Administration program or top residency-based healthcare administration programs across the country, as well as medical school and Master of Business Administration programs.

Mission, Vision and Values

Mission Statement

The mission of the Bachelor of Science in healthcare administration program is to train service-minded leaders who have a broad perspective by providing a foundation in healthcare executive competencies through an interprofessional curriculum for entry-level management positions.

Vision Statement

We aspire to prepare influential and visionary healthcare professionals who make a positive impact on their communities.

Core Values

Christian-Based Education: We are committed to integrating our Christian faith and beliefs in our delivery of healthcare administration education.
Excellence: We pursue excellence within the department through opportunities for achievement in scholarship, service and research.
Practice-Ready: We are committed to preparing students who are ready to practice upon graduation.
Respect for Diversity: We are committed to respecting the differences in others by learning to appreciate the different cultures of the populations that we serve.
Integrity: We are committed to operating in an environment that values honesty, fairness and the highest ethical standards to sustain a community of trust.
Empowerment: We encourage personal accountability for success through shared governance in academic pursuits.

The Bachelor of Science in healthcare administration is a degree offered by the School of Public Health's Department of Healthcare Administration and Informatics. Read its mission statement here.

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